The Confessions of a Hopeless Romantic: Listen to Your Gut

“Do I know you?” was the line that simultaneously started and ended my life, and I don’t mean that metaphorically. Yes, that is right. I am dead, and I am writing this from beyond the grave to warn young women like me to be wary of seemingly harmless inquiries from strangers and playing along with them. I made that mistake. Although it led to the greatest adventure and most fleeting love of all time — all in a single day — it ultimately ended in my death because I trusted someone I didn’t truly know. I fell victim to “Do I know you?” and I am telling my story so that others do not make the same mistake. You cannot trust everyone. Many people who use that line have bad intentions and never actually know you at all. Heed my words and let me be the last.

This is my story.

It was one of those almost-too-perfect summer days. I sat at my usual coffee shop, lost in my favorite book, half-aware of the latte cooling in my hand and of the world around me. All of a sudden, I heard …

“Do I know you?” came a voice from behind. I turned around in my chair, and there he was, a charming, harmless-looking man in a suit.

I gave him a good look and knew that I had never seen him before in my life. But I knew I wanted to act like I did to carry the conversation on, thinking that it would be a harmless conversation.

“Maybe? Who are you?” I asked.

“Damian,” said the man. “Sorry, I guess I confused you with another woman whom I met here last week on this day. We had a great conversation, but I regretted not getting her number after I left. I came back, hoping to find her again. I actually never got her name either, so I am going up to every woman I see that looks like her, hoping that she recognizes me and we can spend the day together. Sorry to bother you. I will let you be.”

The man was about to walk off when I shouted, “Wait! I am her! My name is Delilah and I remember now! I enjoyed our conversation and regretted not getting your name and number too!” I knew that it was a lie. Blatant. But he seemed innocent. Too innocent. Too perfect. But that’s what I wanted, wasn’t it? I had just broken up with my longtime boyfriend of five years after cheating was disclosed, and I needed a pick-me-up. This guy promised an adventure, and maybe this guy could be the man that I was waiting for my entire life: my Superman, my knight in shining armor, and my true love. I didn’t even know his last name. That should have been my first warning. But I didn’t care. Not that day. I had to take up the offer and believe in the magic.

“Great! Delilah, are you ready for the best day of your life? I have so much planned for today! You are going to love it!” claimed Damian. He extended his hand out to me.

“Yes!” I shouted. Without thinking, I immediately grabbed his hand, and we left the coffee shop, leaving behind my coffee, my book — and everything safe.

I followed him into his car and asked, “So, where are you taking me?”

Damian responded, “Somewhere majestic. You are going to love it. Trust me. But, it is a bit of a hike. Are you up for that?”

Obviously, I wasn’t dressed for a hike — a sundress and sandals isn’t exactly trail-ready — but I still said yes. “Of course, only if you carry me during the difficult parts of the hike.”

He grabbed my hand and kissed it, saying, “Of course, my lady.”

My cheeks flushed rosy pink, and my heart skipped a beat. It had been a long time since anyone made me feel like this.

Is this man really the man of my dreams, an answer to my prayers? This man cannot be this perfect, and this day cannot be any more perfect, I thought.

Without thinking of any danger, I exclaimed, “Let’s go!”

Damian shouted, “Onwards to forever!” Then, with a grin, “To adventure!”

When he said that, I thought he meant that this day would mark our love story and the beginning of the rest of our lives together. I never imagined it might mean the commencement of a new adventure, a new life… in another world. Alone… just for me. I did not see the danger, and I went along with it.

We drove for what seemed to be an hour, listening to music without saying a word, until we arrived at an empty campground. Damian got out of the car and opened the door for me, saying, “My lady.”

Oooo… a gentleman! I thought.

He closed the door behind me and said, “Follow me.”

Without hesitating, I followed him… in my sundress and sandals, which are great for hiking. We walked deep into the forest and up a steep, rocky path.

On the path, I pretended to fall and exclaimed, “Carry me! It’s too hard for me.”

Without hesitation, he picked me up and said, “Yes, my lady. Your wish is my command.”

We locked eyes for a moment and stared into oblivion. We exchanged a quick kiss that melted the world away. Damian then acknowledged that we should keep going because he planned a special date for us. I agreed, and he continued to carry me to this beautiful meadow near a pristine lake. The scene looked like something straight out of a painting: soft, green grass with flowers everywhere, crystal clear water, and birds chirping in the distance. Next to the water, there was a picnic blanket with a basket filled with food and champagne. This date looked like a dream come true! As we approached the blanket, he set me down and opened up the basket. The basket had all kinds of sandwiches, a charcuterie board, and … cake.

Damian set the food out. He reached for the champagne bottle and asked me, “Do you want to do the honors, my lady?”

I replied, “Of course, my lord. I would love to!” I grabbed the bottle and stood up. Damian came up, stood behind me, and wrapped his arms around me as I opened the bottle. The champagne sprayed out, and he kissed me on my lips from behind. And I kissed him back.

After a while, he took the bottle from me and said, “Let’s eat.”

He poured both of us a glass, and we sat there eating, talking, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. The food was delightfully scrumptious, the warmth of the sun made us feel calm, and the conversation was even more of a breath of fresh air. We immediately hit it off: we talked about our families, our shared passions of writing and our journey of becoming a budding writer, and how we both longed for our own true love story. We both candidly joked that this could be it, and that we were the answer to each other's prayers.

I thought to myself: this is going waaay too perfectly. He could be the man of my dreams or he is just being overly agreeable to keep the conversation going and hide his true, dark intentions. Whatever it is, I do not want it to stop, and I hope that he really is this perfect, and this is the beginning of our lives together and the beginning of our love story. I want my happily ever after, and I want it to be with him.

We continued talking and laughing without realizing that the day had turned into night. Damian lay back on the ground to gaze up at the stars. I lay on my back next to him, leaning on his shoulder. We gazed at the stars and sat there in silence.

I closed my eyes and sighed with a sense of relief, thinking: Now there are stars! How could this date get any more perfect?

Damian asked of a sudden, “Oh, the cake! I forgot about the cake! Do you want cake?”

With my eyes still closed, I replied, “Yes, I would love cake. Thank you!”

Damian sat up and reached for what I thought was a knife as I continued lying there with my eyes closed, reminiscing about how perfect the date was going. Instead of using the knife to cut the cake, he used it to quickly slash my throat. I did not see it coming, and I died instantly. I did not see the danger coming at all, and I believed wholeheartedly that I had found my one true love… in Damian. I could not be any more wrong, and I never got to eat that cake. Damian got up, washed his hands in the water, and left me and the picnic there to rot. He got into his car and drove to only God knows where.

Since I was new to town and estranged from my family, no one knew I was missing… or even dead. I had no one. Because of this, my body was not found until a week after with the picnic… and the cake intact, uneaten. When they found me, I saw it all unfold from the other side. A hiker found me and immediately called 911. The police came quickly. They said my smile was still there when they found me — a fool’s smile, frozen in forever. They realized immediately that this was a job done by a serial killer on the run who lures different women to seemingly perfect, harmless dates… only to kill them. He had already killed eight other women in different states, and I happened to be number nine because I wanted to believe in the fairytale that he was trying so hard to create, unaware that it was a dark, grim façade until it was too late. I am writing my story to warn women not to fall for men immediately and not to go to private places with them. Stay in public places and do not give them all your trust. Trust your instincts, and if things seem too perfect, then things could be off. Luckily, he was never seen again. And as far as anyone knows… he never struck again. Maybe our date was too perfect for him — the thrill, the kill, the illusion of love. Maybe he decided nothing else could ever compare. Or maybe… he’s just waiting, searching for his next “Delilah.”

To my killer: I hope you’re living your happy ending with your one true love — and I hope it’s enough to stop you from killing her, or anyone else. Let me be the last victim. To the life I left behind, the one I thought was just beginning: I loved every second of it. I only wish I’d listened to my instincts and not trusted Damian. To other young women desperate for love: please, don’t be me. Don’t become a cautionary tale, a victim. My end could’ve been avoided if I’d just stayed cautious — if I hadn’t traded my gut instinct for fantasy. What felt like the start of my fairytale was really the beginning of my afterlife — quiet, eternal, and alone. I did not see it coming. But I hope you do. Please make me the last victim. Heed my words: Damian’s still out there. So, if someone ever asks you, "Do I know you?" — pray they don’t.