He refused to pay for the date he arranged. She agreed to 'handle it' — then left him with the check and a hefty 30% tip

A good date can quickly go downhill when people start arguing about who should pay. Nashalant (@nashalantmusic) took to TikTok on March 10, 2026, to share how her 'best first date' turned into the worst. Things had been going extremely well from the moment they sat down. Conversation and drinks were flowing, but when it was time to pay, her date left the check untouched for 15 minutes. When she asked if he would pay, he unashamedly told her that he thought it was on her. While her date was in the bathroom, Nashalant handled the situation in the best way possible. The video has since received over 490,000 likes on her page.

A dinner to remember

Nashalant and her date had planned their dinner a week ago. She was impressed that he chose the restaurant, picked her up, and made the reservation without being asked. She said, "We get seated, we get drinks, and we get a little appetizer to share. We're talking; the conversation's good... He's cute, he's funny, and he seems like he got money."

Nashalant explained that her date seemed loaded. By the time their entrees arrived, they were really invested in getting to know each other. The man even asked Nashalant whether she wanted dessert, and they shared a chocolate lava cake mousse. After a nice, peaceful dinner, the server finally brought the bill, and that's when awkwardness kicked in.

'You're paying, right?'

Nashalant explained, "This is the part where I normally would pull out my lip gloss and start applying it right as he picks up the check." However, that moment never came. Even after she was done applying her lip gloss, the check was still on the table. 15 minutes later, she asked if he was ready to go, and he said he needed to use the bathroom. Since the man hadn't paid yet, Nashalant asked if he wanted to leave his card for the payment. He responded, "My card? Oh baby, I thought this was on you." Nashalant was floored. She said, "This is a date that you initiated, and this is a restaurant that you chose, and these are reservations that you made. You picked me up; you brought me here. Therefore, you have to pay." The man followed with, "Yeah, you wanted me to take you on a date, so I took you here, but you have to pay for it."

Generous tip

The man even picked up the check, opened it, and said, "It's $160. Here you go, take care of it while I go to the bathroom." Nashalant couldn't believe the man's audacity. She grabbed her phone, and he asked what she was doing. She calmly said she was transferring funds to him to take care of it. But instead, she was ordering an Uber. He believed her and told her that he would pay for their next date. While the man was in the bathroom, Nashalant went up to the front desk, told them her date would be paying for their meal, said he promised to tip 30%, and left.

Never-ending debate

People are still debating who should technically pay on the first date. A 2024 NerdWallet survey found that 72% of heterosexual couples agreed the man should pay on the first date. While 76% of men agreed, only 68% of women felt the same. On the other hand, 65% believed that the person who initiated the date should pay, which was exactly what Nashalant said to her date. She had no problem taking a man out on a date, but she felt that he should pay this time because he planned everything.

'You played him'

Meanwhile, netizens could not believe how Nashalant's date was acting. However, a few applauded the way she handled it.  @rubiexred commented, "I would have asked for separate checks so fast and got my a*s an Uber." @miss_kate0506 wrote, "The gasp I gasped. The way he keeps ordering sh*t, too. The way you handled this was beautiful."

You can follow Nashalant (@nashalantmusic) on TikTok for more lifestyle content. 

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