If You See Me Drinking, Just Leave

Thoughts on dating in sobriety

Photo by @felipepelaquim on Unsplash

It’s date night.

You’ve been seeing this quirky, charming man for a good while now.

Still, you get excited knowing you’re about to meet him.

He’s already at the table in the back when you arrive — always punctual, that one.

This time, though, you notice something a bit different.

Yes, he’s brought along a hard copy of The New Yorker to read — he’s not one to bury himself in his phone.

But, in place of the usual clear glass of water with a lemon, there’s a short glass. The liquid is brown. It’s very definitely not iced tea.

You’ve never known him to drink before — not on any of your dates or anywhere else. He doesn’t have alcohol in his house.

In fact, he told you after a few dates that he’s in recovery from alcohol use disorder. That he just doesn’t drink anymore.

And then, he warned you: If you ever see me drinking, just leave.

But you don’t leave just yet — you want to be sure. And, well, maybe there’s an explanation or maybe you misunderstood him.

This scene represents some thoughts I had as I was reading a forum about dating in sobriety.