Mike from work had been trying to get me to go out with him for ages. I always said no because he seemed a bit off. He was also a part-time HOA manager for my grandma’s neighborhood, and she didn’t like him either.
One day, I came to my grandma’s house to help her plant new flowers since gardening was the only hobby that kept her going after my grandpa died. My heart dropped when I saw the garden destroyed, with broken decorations and my poor granny standing in the middle of it all.
“The manager guy,” she managed to say, her hands shaking. “He told me that it violated the community policies, but I just ignored him. And now… this.”
That’s when my rage turned into a calm, cold determination — I would teach this Mike a lesson. He wanted a date? He would get one. Little did he know whose grandma he tried to mess with.
I called Mike and, with a forced sweetness, accepted his standing date offer. He was surprised but eagerly agreed. We set the date for Friday evening at a posh restaurant in town. I spent the next few days planning every detail to make sure this date would be one he’d never forget.
