Bouquet Bungle?

Date: Thursday, 8th August
Time: 8:00 PM

Background: After surviving the wine-soaked, clay-pigeon-shooting chaos of their first date, Tobob and AC agreed to a second date. Due to AC’s family visiting, their rendezvous was set for 8 PM. But Tobob was fine with it—honestly, he would’ve met her at 6 AM if she’d asked.

The Plan: Using the website he made for AC (because when you accidentally commit to a website, you double down), Tobob invited her to his office in Soho for a little pre-dinner tour. But before he could even think about impressing her with his workspace, he had something else on his mind—flowers.

The Floral Fiasco: Earlier that day, Tobob bought AC a bouquet that matched her new green rug (which he’d previously slated in favour of a tiger rug). Feeling guilty for his rug rant and knowing AC loved flowers, he spent 30 minutes at the florist second-guessing every petal and shade of colour. He even showed random customers a picture of the rug for their input. The result? A massive bouquet that could double as a battering ram.

Logistical Nightmare: Now burdened with a bouquet the size of a small shrub, Tobob started worrying about the logistics of lugging it around Soho. So, he casually suggested doing the office tour after dinner, but AC (for understandable reasons) insisted on doing it first. Tobob wondered if he’d made a tactical error.

Office Tour: After an awkward tour where Tobob pretended the bouquet didn’t exist, they were about to leave when he nervously mentioned he’d forgotten something. He then led AC into a meeting room where the flowers were stashed like a secret surprise. To his massive relief, AC loved them and—plot twist—admitted she now hated the green rug and planned to return it. Crisis averted.

Dumpling Delight: With the floral drama behind them, they headed to Ugly Dumpling. Tobob expected a quick 90-minute dinner, but the conversation flowed effortlessly, and before he knew it, they’d spent two and a half hours devouring dumplings. This time, they wisely stuck to one glass of wine each to avoid another drunken fiasco.

Speakeasy Surprise: Since it was too late for their planned next stop, Cahoots, AC suggested finding a nearby cocktail bar. Tobob did a quick Google search and found The Black Horse Pub & Cocktail Bar. They ended up in a cosy, intimate speakeasy attic, sitting close together in a booth, judging other clearly-on-a-date couples. Tobob couldn’t have been happier.

The Non-Move: As they laughed and shared stories, Tobob kept wondering if he should make a move but was too wrapped up in their banter to do so. AC even covered his cocktail, which he appreciated—she clearly had excellent taste.

The Goodbye That Almost Wasn’t: After getting kicked out of the speakeasy, Tobob walked AC to her tube station. On the way, she mentioned again how much she liked the flowers, making Tobob feel like he hadn’t completely bungled the night. At the station, just as Tobob was building up the courage to make a move, AC beat him to it—sort of. She gave him a quick peck and said, “Ok, that’s enough. This was awkward.” As she turned to leave, Tobob, on instinct, grabbed her hand. They shared a brief look before he let go, watching her disappear down the stairs.

The Aftermath: Slightly confused and kicking himself for not playing it cooler, Tobob headed to his tube station. On the way, he received a review of their second date from AC. He smiled, relieved that he hadn’t completely ruined it and hopeful that date number three might just be disaster-free.