She checked the dating app when her match didn’t return from the bathroom during the ‘worst date’ of her life — and her stomach dropped

First dates can either go well or terribly wrong; there's rarely an in-between. When a TikTok user, Olivia (@livjames29), went on a date as a 24-year-old, she was too naive and young to realize that the man who looked perfect on paper had many red flags. He was four years older than her. "He had a good job, he knew how to dress well, he was tall, very superficial, but so is online dating," she described. However, the date got even worse when she checked the dating app after her match didn't return from the restroom. Sharing the story with her TikTok followers on January 26, 2026, Olivia revealed that this was the "worst date" she had ever had.

Olivia was 24 when she went out with a man whom she matched with on a dating app. They decided to meet at a bar, where he arrived 10 minutes late. Once seated, Olivia shared that he kept constantly talking about his ex. He told her that he owned an apartment with his ex and kept bad-mouthing her to Olivia. She blamed it on her young, "mushy" 24-year-old brain for not noticing the warning signs, but she realized that she was on the "worst date." An hour and a half in, he told her he was going to use the restroom.

After he left, the bartender asked if she needed another drink. She agreed and ordered another drink for herself. However, as time went by, her date never returned. Feeling suspicious of the entire situation, Olivia decided to text her best friend, who later checked her profile to find the shocking truth. It appeared that her date had unmatched her on the dating site and had dined and dashed on her. Luckily, the bartender who was watching this entire event unfold asked if her date left her with a $100 bill. When she said yes and revealed that it was her first date with him, the bartender assured her that she did not need to worry about the bill and, in a sweet gesture, offered her another drink. 

Olivia's story resonated with her audience, who shared their views in the comments. @HomeSpaceNZ wrote, "You should have dated the bartender, sounded like a nice person." @user145108160401 remarked, "That's not a date, that's a scam." @Shelley joked, "Ok, so is chapter 2 how you go out with the bartender?"

Leaving a date stranded midway through the night is a major red flag. In another story, a Reddit user matched with a man on Hinge who seemed charming and confident. They quickly arranged a first date at an upscale restaurant, and he ordered multiple expensive drinks, an entree, and appetizers. He convinced her that he was looking for love and later excused himself to use the restroom. To her shock, he never returned. The woman was left alone and stuck with a bill for items she never ordered. However, after hearing her story, the restaurant manager let her only pay for her own food. Just like Olivia, the bitter experience left her shaken, and she vowed never to go on another first date from a dating app again.

For more videos, follow @livjames29 on TikTok.

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