"The date that I regretted almost immediately."

I once went on a date that I regretted almost immediately.

The guy was late. He was infinitely more interested in his own pursuits than mine.

He chose a fancy restaurant, spent the evening talking about his hefty paycheck — knowing full-well I earned a quarter of his salary at the time — and didn’t offer to fork out for more than his half of the bill.

And then at the end of the night when (surprise, surprise) I didn’t want to come home with him, he kicked back in his chair with his hands behind his head and drawled, “C’mon, we’re both adults here” — as if the fact of my being over 18 automatically meant I would want to dive into bed with him.

(At this point, I barely resisted projectile vomiting onto his bespoke suit.)

I was shocked when I received a follow-up text the next day; Mr Bespoke Suit (or Mr BS, as he shall be known) wanted to know when and where Date Two would be happening.

I texted back something like: “Thanks for last night, but I’m thinking we’re not that well suited.” Firm but fair, in my opinion.

Mr BS wasn’t having it. He immediately fired back this tirade: “How can you know if we’re suited after only one date? I thought we had fun. Why won’t you see me again?”

I was baffled. I knew I’d have to see the guy through mutual friends, so I texted a response: “I think we have different expectations from a date/relationship, that’s all. Best of luck with everything and see you around.”

End of conversation, right?

Yeah, notsomuch.

Evidently furious, Mr BS wrote back: “You’ve obviously made assumptions as to what I expect, and frankly I’m offended you didn’t bother asking. I didn’t pick you as being so judgmental. Very disappointed.”

See what he did there?

Apparently, according to Mr BS, my decision to spend time with him or not was a matter open for negotiation.

Apparently, as long as he felt he’d picked a fancy enough restaurant, he was owed a second date.

Apparently, my decision not to make new plans left me open to feedback on my character.

Apparently, my saying “no” was an invite to harangue me into a “yes”.

And while the vast majority of men don’t think like this, it’s fair to say my unpleasant experience with Mr BS is far from an isolated incident; more than a few times men I’ve politely rejected in bars have hit back with lines like, “what, think you’re too good for me?,” “screw you then,” or the ever-creative, “you’re not even that hot.”

Blogger Lauren, of They Really Said This, can attest to similarly baffling encounters. Her experience with male entitlement is evidenced by a series of screenshots posted on her Tumblr, depicting creepy conversations she’s had with on online dating websites.

Amongst them are these horrifying excerpts:

Also this:

… And this:

Each of these messages reflects a similarly misogynist attitude to Mr BS’s, underpinned by the idea that, as Lauren wrote on her Tumblr, “Men are entitled to sex with you after a certain amount of nice gestures, and if you remain uninterested after the right combination of activities and words, you are responsible for his unhappiness for being a cold bitch.”

Just to be totally clear: that’s a bullsh*t idea. So. Can we all agree not to buy into this lie, please? Can we all agree to call men out on it when they buy into it? Can we all agree that no — even just to a second date — really does mean no?

Any creepy rejection stories you want to share?