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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

First date - was I wrong?

273 replies

PinataHeeHaw · 03/05/2025 11:58

I recently went on a first date with someone I got talking to. We went for a lovely walk and coffee and got on brilliantly. We didn't stop talking and laughing and there was definitely a spark.

It got really cold, so I suggested going back to one of our houses, and we decided to go back to his. His house was a shit tip, but I can perhaps look past that. When at his house, we were sat on the sofa and he started kissing me. He got aroused and his hands started wandering. I told him I wasn't up for sex on a first date. He said he hadn't had sex for ages and his hands started wandering a few more times. I decided it best to leave. He said me suggesting we go to one of our houses was suggestive of wanting sex. I don't see it that way. Just it was bloody cold and we were getting on so well I didn't want the date to end and it seemed neither did he. Did I lead him on?

OP posts:
Sidebeforeself · 03/05/2025 16:09

Mm..with that last update..I’m out now

PinataHeeHaw · 03/05/2025 16:09

Crushed23 · 03/05/2025 16:02

So he thought you wanted to have sex with him in the middle of the day? That makes his ‘misunderstanding’ all the more ridiculous. Yeah, he can fuck right off.

It was an earlyish morning walk and coffee. The shag would've been late morning had it happened!

OP posts:
Eagle2025 · 03/05/2025 16:11

I can see why he might have thought you suggesting going back to his to warm up might have given him ideas. It's not something I would do on a first date unless I was up for the idea of something sexual happening. But at least you found out early on that he isnt for you. I hope the next guy you meet is nicer for you 😊

Blueskies25 · 03/05/2025 16:12

PiggyPigalle · 03/05/2025 16:07

Have you been tackling him like an octopus all night?

That honestly made me laugh out loud at the image it conjured up in my head 😆

Blueskies25 · 03/05/2025 16:21

ViciousCurrentBun · 03/05/2025 16:08

You state your boundaries and that’s fine but it’s bloody madness to go back to an unknown man’s house.

@Charlize43 I do wonder if the we are all the same msg and the be kind stuff has meant younger women feel more comfortable. My Mother warned me about men when I was young.

To be fair, not all men are the same, there are a lot of good ones out there

Irishpoppy · 03/05/2025 16:25

i am appalled at some of the attacks on the OP. The victim blaming is shocking. OP I am extremely glad you got out of there without anything worse happening. The guy is a piece of shit.

Lovelysausagedogscrumpy · 03/05/2025 16:26

Bin. Block and delete. You can do better than date someone who thinks like this. His hands were wandering and you told him no, but he continued. Just be thankful he doesn’t know where you live.

Fiver555 · 03/05/2025 16:27

OP, I am glad you got away. I have to say that if a man invited me in to his house on a first date, I would have said no and made up an excuse about having to get back for the dog or something. I would also not have liked him commenting on my knickers on a first date. Even if he had noticed you pulling them up, he should not have commented. He seems a bit creepy.

Moveoverdarlin · 03/05/2025 16:29

PinataHeeHaw · 03/05/2025 15:47

Talking of getting warm? Are you serious? Since when the fuck does getting warm mean having sex? Am I alone in thinking this?

How old are you OP? Is English your first language? You’ve never heard of anyone (man or woman) say ‘I’ll warm you up!’ Or ‘Let’s get back to mine and I’ll warm you up’. Warming up / getting cosy / nice cuddle will warm you up, all have connotations of sex. They don’t mean sex, but there are connotations there.

Imagine a romcom, couple walking in the snow, they kiss, man says ‘come on, let’s go back to mine, I’ll light the fire, get some coffee on and I’ll warm you up. It means sex OP.

Luv2luv9 · 03/05/2025 16:31

PinataHeeHaw · 03/05/2025 16:09

It was an earlyish morning walk and coffee. The shag would've been late morning had it happened!

Am I the only one who absolutely hates the word 'shag'😂

This man was wrong on all accounts OP. Personally speaking though, I wouldn't dream of being alone in a house with a man when on a first date. That's not a judgement of your decision just my own particular view.

LoveMySushi · 03/05/2025 16:36

Suggesting to go to his house would obviously imply sex. That doesnt mean you cant change your mind anytime though.
His behaviour was shit and I wouldnt date him anymore.

SilviaSnuffleBum · 03/05/2025 16:39

Irishpoppy · 03/05/2025 16:25

i am appalled at some of the attacks on the OP. The victim blaming is shocking. OP I am extremely glad you got out of there without anything worse happening. The guy is a piece of shit.

It's NOT victim blaming to say OP was naive et cetera.
I think everyone is in agreement that the guy was an arrant creep.

RandomUserName96 · 03/05/2025 16:40

OP could have outright said 'shall we go back to one of ours, I want a shag' and then still being well within her rights to say no when she actually got there/he tried.

It's the posters here suggesting that the OP was in anyway wrong, or led him on that are the reason so many women darent report rapes or assaults. Victim blaming is not a good look

RandomUserName96 · 03/05/2025 16:43

Moveoverdarlin · 03/05/2025 16:29

How old are you OP? Is English your first language? You’ve never heard of anyone (man or woman) say ‘I’ll warm you up!’ Or ‘Let’s get back to mine and I’ll warm you up’. Warming up / getting cosy / nice cuddle will warm you up, all have connotations of sex. They don’t mean sex, but there are connotations there.

Imagine a romcom, couple walking in the snow, they kiss, man says ‘come on, let’s go back to mine, I’ll light the fire, get some coffee on and I’ll warm you up. It means sex OP.

Youre delusional if you think that's a common euphamism

PiggyPigalle · 03/05/2025 16:50

Fiver555 · 03/05/2025 16:27

OP, I am glad you got away. I have to say that if a man invited me in to his house on a first date, I would have said no and made up an excuse about having to get back for the dog or something. I would also not have liked him commenting on my knickers on a first date. Even if he had noticed you pulling them up, he should not have commented. He seems a bit creepy.

Depends how the knickers were adjusted, Discreetly through her dress or devil may care, dress lifted, knickers hoicked.

pinkdelight · 03/05/2025 16:52

RandomUserName96 · 03/05/2025 16:43

Youre delusional if you think that's a common euphamism

All you're doing is proving that people have very different interpretations, hence the minefield of first date comms and hence the need to be careful. That poster isn't delusional, it's a common euphemism to some, even if it's not for you. You can go through the world expecting people to behave as you do and tell everyone who disagrees that they're victim blaming, but it won't help the OP avoid getting into similar situations in future. By your logic, she can absolutely tell every guy on every first date that she wants a shag and go back to his and then say no. I hope that works out great for her. But back in the real world, it's probably not the wisest strategy. Better to be safe than to be morally righteous with a creep climbing all over you.

TheHerboriste · 03/05/2025 16:59

RandomUserName96 · 03/05/2025 16:43

Youre delusional if you think that's a common euphamism

No she’s not.

Illegally18 · 03/05/2025 17:03

RandomUserName96 · 03/05/2025 16:43

Youre delusional if you think that's a common euphamism

No you are!. They're very common euphemisms.

BritishFoodFan · 03/05/2025 17:04

PinataHeeHaw · 03/05/2025 12:12

His house was disgusting really. The grime along the shower cubicle and his bed wasn't even made. Bleurgh.

Lucky escape really.

Grubby little fucker.

Illegally18 · 03/05/2025 17:04

Blueskies25 · 03/05/2025 14:43

I'm 58 but for my generation after a night out someone asking 'Do you want to come back for coffee?' was taken to mean 'Do you want to come back for sex?.'

Everyone knows this so it’s unbelievable that the OP didn’t .
To make matters worse I think she suggested going back to one or other of their houses to ‘get warm’ , That’s even more leading than saying ‘do you want to come back for coffee’

Exactly!

heartlessbitch · 03/05/2025 17:07

You said you weren't up for it, he should have backed off straight away. Not necessarily because he got the wrong idea... but because consent can be withdrawn at any time. So, no, you weren't in the wrong to say stop, and you weren't in the wrong to be upset that he didn't immediately back off and apologise.

Going forward though, OP, I do think you have been a bit naive. I wouldn't go back to the home of any man who I didn't know well - as a broad rule, men are bigger and stronger than us. Men on apps are men who could be anyone - you have no idea they are who they say they are.

Talking about being 'too warm', talking about your underwear, suggesting to or agreeing to going back to a man's home... those are all suggestive things, especially in a dating context where the man is looking for signals he can jump from trying to impress you to sleeping with you.

Maybe you would joke about your knickers normally, but you have to be careful when you are getting to know a strange man. He won't know that you don't mean anything by it, so you have to sometimes hold back certain things.

A walk and a coffee is supposed to be a quick, cheap 'screening' type date. By suggesting you went to his place, you were changing the nature of the date.

Knowingly or unknowingly, I think you gave off a lot of signals. That's something to reflect on, so you don't misrepresent your intentions next time you go on a first date with someone.

Based on my experience, if you aren't willing to have sex by the third date, the apps men will turn nasty. It's like there's some secret rule that they are entitled to sex by the third date at the absolute latest. 🤷‍♀️ Who knows... is there an 'Incel's Handbook' going around?

I've had some lovely first dates, even lovely second dates... but every third date has ended in some downright nasty behaviour when I've refused to go home with them. (And no, I haven't made them pay for everything - I'm very careful to make sure that it doesn't feel like I 'owe' them anything.)

I don't think it even matters which app you use. I think there is a significant number of men on all the apps who live by this rule.

It's not victim blaming to point out that a lot of apps mens have expectations, and to provide advice for how to minimise the odds of being in an unsafe position. It's only victim blaming if you blame the woman for what actually happened, and I don't. OP, you were naive, you did some risky things, but ultimately, as I said at the start, both parties are responsibility for ensuring there is enthusiastic consent. He should have stopped sooner based on your body language (trying to push him off) and he sure as hell should have stopped sooner based on your words.

Crushed23 · 03/05/2025 17:07

RandomUserName96 · 03/05/2025 16:43

Youre delusional if you think that's a common euphamism

Totally agree. It sounds a bit cringe and of another generation. OP’s mistake wasn’t the inadvertent euphemism, it was not staying in a public place on a first date when she had no intentions of having sex. Also the pulling up knickers thing that people are jumping on isn’t flirting, it’s just readjusting clothes to get comfortable - nothing wrong with that.

Charlize43 · 03/05/2025 17:08

It's not victim blaming but some of us wouldn't have put ourselves in a position of danger by going to the house of a man we didn't know and on a first date. That's all.

NPET · 03/05/2025 17:12

Blueskies25 · 03/05/2025 13:51

Stop trying to lead her to believe that there was nothing wrong with her behaviour, she needs to learn from this so she doesn’t put herself in a position of potential danger again

That's irrelevant to the question.
Of course her safety is paramount and we should all be wary of creeps - sorry, men - but my answer was simply to her question.

AcrossthePond55 · 03/05/2025 17:26

FFS!!! NO MEANS NO!!!

I'm the mother of two now adult sons. I taught them that it doesn't matter what she said, what she did, where you are, or where your dick is, if she then says no, stop, or gives the tiniest gesture of "I don't want this" you STOP! You do not continue what you're doing, whinge, or coerce. You do not insult. You STOP, move away, and give her space.

@PinataHeeHaw You are not at fault. If he misconstrued your intentions, so be it. Misunderstanding your intent is not an excuse to continue or coerce you. Even if you had decided you wanted to have sex and then later changed your mind, it would be no excuse for him to 'get on top of you' or complain like a little baby that 'he thought' you were up for it.

This applies to all sexually active people whether straight or gay.