Dating can be a nightmare, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve had my fair share of dates that could easily pass for horror stories. The dating scene these days? Terrifying. It’s so bad that some people are opting out altogether. But in the spirit of Halloween, I thought I’d share the ultimate date from hell I’ve experienced. Buckle up—this one takes the cake.

It all started with one of those Facebook “people you may know” suggestions. You know how it goes—you share a few mutual friends, maybe even went to the same school, and suddenly Facebook thinks you’re meant to be. I kept seeing this cute guy popping up on my feed, and apparently, he noticed me too because eventually, he sent a friend request.

We had so much in common—shared friends, went to the same high school (though he was a few years ahead of me), and both of us had kids. We were even going to be in Hawaii at the same time with our kids. Score, right? He invited me to a Cavs game, floor seats no less, back when LeBron was playing. But before that exciting night, we decided to meet up for a casual first date at a charming little wine bar. Sounds perfect, right? Famous last words.

The day of the date, he messaged me saying he’d had a reaction to face paint from an event with his kid and that his face was swollen. He’d taken Benadryl but was still puffy. No big deal, I thought. I’m in surgery—I’ve seen worse. So, I reassured him and told him not to worry about it. The date was still on.

I arrived at the wine bar, and there he was waiting for me like a gentleman. He looked just like his profile picture, albeit slightly swollen—but nothing alarming. We greeted each other and headed inside. The place was as cozy as I’d hoped, with booths styled like wine barrels. But as soon as we sat down, things took a turn.

I picked one side of the booth, and he… slid in right next to me. Not across from me, but on the same side. I barely knew this guy, and suddenly, I was squished against the wall with him hovering next to me. I’m all for personal space, and even with a boyfriend, I wouldn’t sit on the same side of a booth. So, this felt super uncomfortable. I tried to laugh it off and casually mentioned how weird it was, but he didn’t budge.

Now, this guy had done pretty well for himself and started talking about how he’d pay for me and my kids to island hop while we were in Hawaii. A little much for a first date, right? Still, I smiled and made small talk about how I was excited for the Cavs game.

That’s when it happened.

As I lifted my glass for a sip of wine, I felt him lean in… and sniff my hair. Not a subtle sniff either, but a full-on, Silence of the Lambs, inhale. I froze, mid-sip, completely freaked out. He was still in my hair when I blurted, “Did you just smell my hair?” He awkwardly tried to explain, saying it reminded him of his kid. ICK. I was officially creeped out.

At that point, I was desperate to escape. My body was practically retreating into itself, trying to put as much distance between us as possible. And that’s when he decided to go in for a kiss. I dodged it, pushed him away, and muttered something about needing to leave.

Even walking me to my car, he still didn’t get the hint. He tried for another kiss, and I had to tell him flat out that we could just be friends. And yeah, the floor seats were tempting—so I stupidly agreed to go to the game. I know. I know.

So, that was my date from hell. Now, it’s your turn. Have you been on a nightmare date that left you running for the door? Share your scariest dating stories, and I’ll post the most spine-chilling one in honor of spooky season. Let’s see whose dating disaster reigns supreme.

But here’s where it gets worse. After the date, he bombarded me with texts and calls, turning into a full-blown clingy mess. Baby Reindeer vibes. I had to block him eventually. And to top it all off, he tried pulling the same creepy stuff on a co-worker of mine! Fortunately, she was already in on the whole “hair sniffing” thing and shut him down immediately.