The Porsche & Penthouse Scam: Part 2

Summary

The Dating Detectives Episode: The Porsche & Penthouse Scam: Part 2 Release Date: August 11, 2025

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Introduction

In this gripping second installment of "The Porsche & Penthouse Scam," hosts Mackenzie Fultz and Hanna Anderson delve deeper into the deceitful endeavors of a cunning con artist named Brian. Building upon the foundation laid in the April episode "Dressed to Deceive the Porsche and Penthouse Scam," this episode unravels the intricate web Brian spun to manipulate and exploit unsuspecting women in the dating scene.

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Recap of Previous Episode

To set the stage, Mackenzie provides a brief refresher on the first part of the scam narrative. The April episode introduced Allison, a newly single mother who met Brian on the dating app Field. Brian, posing as a wealthy British real estate developer, charmed Allison with tales of his glamorous life split between New York and the UK. However, his facade began to crumble when he started making inconsistent excuses for financial unavailability, such as his money being tied up in escrow or losing personal items unexpectedly. This led to Allison discovering suspicious charges on her credit card and ultimately realizing she had been duped.

Notable Quote:

"He'd make excuses like his money was in escrow or he'd lost a suitcase, always finding ways to justify his unavailability." – Mackenzie [03:05]

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Layla’s Encounter with Brian

The spotlight shifts to Layla, another victim of Brian's deceptive tactics. Like Allison, Layla was re-entering the dating world after a long-term relationship and chose to join Field, seeking meaningful connections. It was here that she crossed paths with Brian, whose British charm initially disarmed her.

Meeting and Initial Connection: Brian's profile boasted a successful career in real estate development, and his sophisticated demeanor attracted Layla. Their conversations flowed effortlessly, transitioning from the app to WhatsApp, where Brian's love bombing tactics intensified. He made Layla feel special, frequently complimenting her and involving her in playful banter.

Notable Quote:

"He's very charming and tries to include both me and my friend in all conversations, making us feel like part of his life." – Layla [12:42]

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Red Flags and First Signs of Deception

As the relationship progressed, Brian began exhibiting behaviors that raised suspicions. He would often cancel dates last-minute, citing issues like financial constraints or unexpected commitments. On multiple occasions, he expressed financial troubles, requesting Layla's assistance with wire transfers and cash withdrawals.

Suspicious Requests: One of the earliest red flags occurred when Brian requested Layla to help him pay his lawyer by wire transfer, promising to reimburse her later. His excuses were increasingly inconsistent, particularly his reliance on wire transfers from a UK bank account, despite claims of frequent travel and business dealings in New York.

Notable Quote:

"He tried to set me up with my divorce lawyer, Leslie, claiming he wanted to help pay for my divorce so we could move in together." – Mackenzie [04:15]

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Persistent Manipulation and Escalation

Despite Layla's growing unease, Brian persisted in his attempts to integrate into her life. He cleverly involved Layla's friend, Allison, revealing that he had scammed both women using the same tactics. This revelation solidified Layla's realization that Brian was a systematic con artist targeting vulnerable individuals on dating platforms.

Intrusion into Personal Life: Brian's manipulative strategies extended beyond financial exploitation. He sought to become a part of Layla's daily life, arranging meetings involving her children and orchestrating scenarios where he could stay at her home under false pretenses.

Notable Quote:

"He kept introducing himself to our kids, making himself a part of our household, all while asking for more money under various guises." – Layla [75:33]

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The Financial Exploit: From $300 to $2,000

The scam intensified when Brian began requesting substantial sums of money. Initially asking for $300 to cover immediate expenses, he escalated his demands to $2,000 under the guise of purchasing VIP Wimbledon tickets—a narrative that seemed plausible yet was fraught with inconsistencies.

Breakdown of the Scam: Brian fabricated stories about his financial transactions, including selling his penthouse and dealing with escrow issues. Layla, eager to trust and help, found herself repeatedly handing over money, only to later discover that Brian had manipulated the system by creating disputes through platforms like Venmo to reclaim the funds.

Notable Quote:

"He claims his UK bank keeps flagging his transactions and can't use Venmo or PayPal, forcing me to send cash directly." – Layla [67:58]

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Realization and Confrontation

After multiple instances of financial requests and mounting red flags, Layla decided to confront Brian. She blocked his number and attempted to sever ties, only to find Brian persisting in his efforts to maintain contact. The final straw came when a dispute was filed on Venmo for the $2,000 transaction, leading to the loss of funds from Layla's bank account.

Taking Action: Layla's determination to protect herself and her children culminated in decisive action. She confronted Brian about his deceit, blocked him on messaging platforms, and reported the fraudulent activities. Her experience serves as a stark reminder of the sophisticated tactics employed by modern con artists.

Notable Quote:

"I realized I couldn't let him continue to exploit me and my children, so I took firm steps to cut him out of our lives completely." – Layla [88:32]

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Hosts’ Insights and Conclusions

Mackenzie and Hanna reflect on Layla's ordeal, highlighting the importance of recognizing red flags in online dating. They emphasize the need for vigilance, especially when financial requests are intertwined with emotional manipulation. The hosts also tease the upcoming "Debrief" segment, where they will further analyze Brian's patterns and offer guidance on safeguarding oneself against similar scams.

Final Thoughts: The episode underscores the cunning nature of contemporary scammers who exploit trust and emotional connections to achieve their fraudulent ends. Layla's story is a cautionary tale for listeners to remain cautious and trust their intuition when navigating the complex world of online dating.

Notable Quote:

"Never ignore your gut feelings. If something feels off, it probably is." – Mackenzie [91:15]

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Looking Ahead

As "The Porsche & Penthouse Scam" story continues, listeners can anticipate deeper dives into Brian's deceptive methods and hear firsthand accounts from other victims. The Dating Detectives aim to shed light on the intricate schemes of modern con artists, providing invaluable insights and protective strategies for those navigating the tumultuous waters of online dating.

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Summary

"The Porsche & Penthouse Scam: Part 2" offers a compelling continuation of the saga involving Brian, a master manipulator preying on women re-entering the dating scene. Through Layla's firsthand account, the episode exposes the multifaceted tactics used to gain trust, exploit financial vulnerabilities, and entangle victims in a web of deceit. The hosts effectively blend narrative storytelling with critical analysis, delivering an engaging and informative episode that underscores the importance of vigilance in the digital dating landscape.

Transcript

[Mackenzie]

The following program contains names, places, and events that have been anonymized or fictionalized for the purposes of protection and safety. The following program is provided for entertainment purposes only, and any commentary from the hosts are strictly conjecture and should not be held as making any definitive statements about the truth or identity of any particular individuals or circumstances. If you or a loved one are involved in an abusive relationship, please call the National Domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for support. Hello? Hello, Hello.

[Alex]

Happy dating, detectives. Monday, you guys, It's Monday.

[Layla]

It's a national holiday, and today's a special.

[Mackenzie]

Not that every Monday isn't special, but it's special because I think this is the first time we've had an episode like this.

[Alex]

Yeah, it's.

[Layla]

You guys are going to die. It's a secret. I did.

[Mackenzie]

This is a sequel episode, but also.

[Alex]

Kind of a prequel. But also kind.

[Layla]

No.

[Alex]

Okay. Sequel kind of a prequel.

[Mackenzie]

You're so right.

[Layla]

Just listen to tell us after what.

[Mackenzie]

You think it is. So we did an episode in April called Dressed to Deceive the Porsche and Penthouse Scam. Our guest was named Allison, and she came on with her divorce attorney, whose name is Leslie Barbara. Now, Leslie's been on the podcast before.

[Alex]

You guys loved her.

[Layla]

Yes.

[Mackenzie]

Not to keep dropping episodes, but if you type in Leslie Barbara, it'll take you even further back because we did an episode with Leslie.

[Alex]

Yeah.

[Mackenzie]

So not only did she give us insight on divorce and, like, legal tips for moving in with your partner, like, how to protect yourself, but she also has gone through a dogfish marriage herself. So she told her story. Then she said, do I have a client for you? Brought her client in who told us her story.

[Layla]

And.

[Mackenzie]

And this is a continuation of that story. Should I do, like, a little recap of that last episode?

[Alex]

Yeah, okay. Yeah, do the recap.

[Layla]

So that.

[Mackenzie]

So y' all go back and listen to Dress to Deceive, if you have not already. It was on April 21, but if you did listen. And you just need a refresher. So our guest was named Allison. She was a newly single mom who jumped back into dating on Hinge and met this guy with a British accent, which you can't blame anyone for. I'm sorry. I love a British accent. It makes it hard to keep your walls up.

[Alex]

Absolutely, darling.

[Mackenzie]

Actually, after you just did that, I'm maybe not as into British accents anymore.

[Layla]

No, I ruined it for you.

[Alex]

I'm so sorry.

[Mackenzie]

Just kidding.

[Alex]

Never again.

[Mackenzie]

So this British guy claims to be a Wealthy real estate developer. And he talks about, like, his glamorous life. He splits his time between New York and the UK she was based in New York. But then he would cancel dates or he would make excuses. Like, he kept saying his money was an escrow. Remember that? He was like, oh, yeah, he's an escrow, so I can't pay for anything.

[Alex]

Always an excuse why he didn't have access to his money.

[Mackenzie]

Yeah. Or like, he lost a suitcase. He would just need Allison to help out in ways that seem. Seemed justified.

[Layla]

Yeah.

[Mackenzie]

At the time. Before you start realizing that you're doubting this person. You know, like, when you first meet a wonderful person, you don't assume that they're scamming you. So then Allison gets sick, and she ends up in the hospital, and her ID goes missing, which is super weird. And then there are some charges on her credit card. And he continues to make excuses and, like, promises to pay her back for things that she's paid him before. In fact, he even says, like, I'm sending you a wire transfer because you'll remember he's from the uk so he's like, I can't just venmo you because I have a British bank account and book, like, all these things.

[Alex]

That's true, though, right? Like, is that how true.

[Mackenzie]

It is true.

[Layla]

Okay. Yeah.

[Mackenzie]

Because I remember when I was in London, I, like, was like, oh, I'll pay this girl back who, like, bought me a drink. And then it became a whole headache because I didn't have a bank transfer, and I had. I did have to venmo my friend to bank transfer her, but it was only, like, $10. It wasn't the thousands that this guy was doing. Okay, yeah.

[Alex]

So that's legit. That it's harder internationally.

[Mackenzie]

It is harder. Which is this guy knew what excuses to make. So he promises wire transfers that never come. He also tries to set Allison up with the divorce lawyer, who he should.

[Layla]

He.

[Mackenzie]

He made a real mistake this time because he's like, I'm going to help pay for your divorce because I want you to move in with me in my beautiful new apartment, which is in escrow, which is why we can't move dinner. You can't see it, but it's. It's happening. So he says he's going to wire transfer money to the lawyer. He starts making all these excuses why the wire transfers aren't going through. So now the lawyer, Leslie, who if you know Leslie, you know that she's not messing around, is like, this guy's a Phony, like there's no money. So Leslie, the lawyer and friend of the show, realized she, too, had been duped by the same man because she's not getting her money for working on this. But we leave off the first part of Alison's story where he finally pays her back out of the blue and in cash. You know what? Let's just play a clip from the last episode so we can all hear where we left off. So this is a conversation with Allison and Leslie, her lawyer, as well as us, so you'll hear all our voices.

[Layla]

Roll it.

[Mackenzie]

He's just doing everything he can to try to get back in my life.

[Layla]

And so he brings me these love letters.

[Mackenzie]

He brings me my money. He actually paid me back $2,500 in cash.

[Layla]

And I think he only did it because he knew that was the only.

[Mackenzie]

Way I was going to see him.

[Layla]

Yeah.

[Mackenzie]

The day he paid me back, I.

[Layla]

Was like, I wonder where he got it from? But I really needed the money, so.

[Mackenzie]

Obviously I'm going to take it. And in the back of my mind.

[Layla]

I'm like, he had to have gotten this money from another woman.

[Alex]

And it.

[Layla]

You know, I feel bad about that, but I happily took it and then cut my ties with him. Why do we think he's putting his.

[Alex]

Head on the pillow now?

[Mackenzie]

Like, I think he's at another girl's house. At that other girl's.

[Layla]

Yeah.

[Mackenzie]

Yeah. And he's probably getting her for a lot more money if he's got a motorcycle and a bunch of, like, a new wardrobe. You know, I'm sure he's using the same scheme over and over again.

[Alex]

Where did he get the money?

[Mackenzie]

We left that episode with so many questions. Where did the money come from? Who else was he seeing? And you guys know at the Dating Detectives, we're not always known for having closure, but now we're going to get some. I mean, she said she thought he was just using the same scheme over.

[Alex]

And over, and it turns out we were 100% right. He was scamming another woman. That woman's name is Layla, and we actually have her here with us today to tell us her side of the story.

[Mackenzie]

Just so you guys know, this is going to be a two parter, because it's a lot, but. Sorry, it's actually like a three parter because you've got the first. Well, it's a four parter. You go to Leslie's episode, to Allison's, to part one, to part two.

[Alex]

But also, you're welcome.

[Mackenzie]

I know it's fun it's like the Lord of the Rings of dating detectives, right? I don't know. I don't know Lord of the Rings well enough to make that comparison.

[Layla]

Now we get into the story.

[Alex]

Because I'm on the edge of my pants.

[Mackenzie]

Now we get into the story.

[Alex]

Okay, Layla, we are ready to hear your. You have the floor. Please take us on a journey, Lord. I'm already anxious.

[Mackenzie]

Let's go.

[Layla]

Okay. So I was getting back into dating. I had been in a decade long relationship. Nine years married and 12 years together. We had two boys together, two young. I have two young kids right now.

[Mackenzie]

And so right now, like today or in the. Right now in the story. Okay, got it. Yeah.

[Layla]

Current time.

[Mackenzie]

They were young then and now.

[Layla]

Yeah, yeah. Because this, this only took place like six months ago. So I have a five and a nine year old. So here I am jumping back into dating. But I had been out of my marriage for three years, and so I had a little bit of a journey. Like, I started off with some platonic dating sites and then I decided to go for something a little bit more racy because I was still just trying to find myself and figure out what my needs were again, how my body works. After a decade long of being with the same person, you want to like, sort of experience new things and see what you missed. I had never experienced dating apps before. I had never been on a dating site. I never got to do the swipe left, swipe right. So I was just like, I wanted. I wanted it. All right.

[Mackenzie]

It's kind of a culture shock too.

[Layla]

It totally was. Have to jump into it. It a thousand percent was because I didn't know what. What is a catfish. So there's things like that. So I decided to join field and get.

[Alex]

What is that?

[Layla]

I'm familiar.

[Alex]

Really?

[Layla]

It's racier than your.

[Alex]

Is it kind of like tender? It's.

[Layla]

No, it's a little bit. It's just people that are like, they're more sad sexually forward and you talk about everything you want before it actually happens. Right. You're. You're descriptive. Like, everybody has a different kink. And so.

[Alex]

So we're basically saying this is the expectation.

[Layla]

Yeah.

[Mackenzie]

Your boundaries are clear.

[Alex]

I want a wife. But really they don't.

[Mackenzie]

There's a lot of people, like, I need to see proof that you've had your STI tested or I'm looking for a threesome. Like, it's very.

[Layla]

Yes. Safe.

[Alex]

Okay.

[Mackenzie]

I mean, as safe as a dating app can be, you still have to watch. Watch out.

[Layla]

But yes, yeah. And so I joined. I joined, like, I had been on for about a year by the time I had basically matched with somebody, I had matched with Brian in December of 2024. And we sort of start, you know, like, banter and conversation, and it was flowing conversation. But the funny thing is, is so I'm. I'm in New York as I'm talking to him. It's the holidays. I then have a friend that's staying with me from Europe. And she had just gotten out of a long relationship as well. And so she decided she wanted to join field the exact same time. So I was helping her do her field profile. Cause I now, I guess have experience having been on it for about a year. And so you've been in the field? Yes, keeping it, keeping it in the field.

[Alex]

And I do read it there.

[Layla]

So I'm helping her do her profile and everything. And she actually matches with Brian as well.

[Mackenzie]

Okay.

[Layla]

So they're having conversations at the exact same time, but we don't realize it until like a day later because I'm like, who are you talking to? Show me some of the people you're matching with. Right, Because I'm. I'm helping her with her profile. And then I want to see what, how she's talking to these people as well. And I'm like, oh, my God. Brian and I are also talking. We realize we're talking to the same person. And she's like, well, I can stop talking to him if you want me to. And I was like, no, keep the conversation flowing. Because the thing is, is that I was, I was then going to leave my friend to stay in my place for the remainder of the holidays. And I had planned to go out of town to like, hang out with another friend and get some beach time and go away. So she was going to stay in my place. And Brian had talked about how he was going to get back before I got back from my vacation. And so I wanted to see if he would suggest that they meet up while I was out of town, which he. He actually did end up doing that. But their conversation simmered down over the next few days and ours kept on flowing to which we then got off of, like, not off of feel. We were still on it, but our conversations switched over to WhatsApp. And so we just continue talking on WhatsApp at this point.

[Mackenzie]

And he didn't say anything to either of you that made you feel uncomfortable with the fact that he was still talking to someone else. That's kind of iconic to be like, no, we're both gonna just suss this guy out. And teamwork. Make this makes the dream work.

[Layla]

Exactly. We didn't, because they had not continued the conversation. We had sort of, like, done a little joke on him, but then it re. It also ended up where we revealed that we were both talking to him at the same time. So we did a little thing where I told her to mention that she was staying at her friend's house in the city. And I mentioned, oh, my friend is from the UK staying with me right now. Oh, yes.

[Mackenzie]

Okay.

[Alex]

And then.

[Layla]

And then he was like, oh, that's fun, that's nice, whatever. And we didn't say it right away, but I was like, I think you're actually talking to my friend Paula when he's like, oh. And he actually started, like, as a joke. So, like, he was really funny and charming and we would joke around. Our banter was really good to the point where he was now calling her wife number two. So he would call me wife number one.

[Mackenzie]

So he leaned into it.

[Layla]

He leaned into it in the best way possible. And just the fact that he was also now joking around with my friends, that made me like him even more because he was like, including us, both of us, into all the stuff, like all the conversation. I thought it was really cute and endearing.

[Alex]

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[Layla]

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[Alex]

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[Mackenzie]

So he's got two wives on field and you're all laughing and loving.

[Alex]

Yes, the banter.

[Layla]

Yes. I go on my vacation. We continue our conversation. We're on WhatsApp at this point and he suggests that we do a FaceTime call. And we do. I'm at my friend's place in Florida and I'm sitting on her porch and we have this WhatsApp video chat. And he looks pretty cute. Like I, I will admit he, like he looks pretty cute. I think he's attractive. Right. There are a little bit slight differences, but I think he's attractive. He's also not my typical type, but the thing that I am attracted to is I like sort of this tattooed, tall boy look. I'm a, I'm a bit of a heist, but I do find, I, I do find him attractive. And, and so we're talking and it's still sort of like this cute banter and we have this conversation and it only lasts like 10 or 15 minutes. He actually did seem like he was like in a, it was like a quick like check in. Like a quick like, is she real? Is she attractive? Confirmation. Confirmation. Yeah. It was like 10, 12 minutes long and then we got off.

[Alex]

That's perfect. I think more people should do that and get that confirmation that they are real. And then you kind of know, now you have a face.

[Layla]

Yeah.

[Mackenzie]

I don't want to leave my house if I don't know that you're normal.

[Layla]

Yeah. Yeah. And, and for me, like me being a mom, I don't want to take time away from my kids. I don't want to waste my one free night a week going on a date with somebody and being like, you are nothing like your pictures. You know, I don't want to do that. Right. Everybody's time is very valuable and I feel like With a single mom, it is that much more valuable. So as soon as we get off our video chat, he's back to whatsapping me. And we're, we're, we are literally love bombing all the way, all day, all the time.

[Alex]

On his side or both.

[Layla]

I think, I think I'm reciprocating, but I'm not. I'm. I'm allowing him to, like, after a call like that, after you have your first video chat, I was not going to message him right away. I was going to let him message me. And so it was just that he just, he, he just kept the conversation flowing, which I also really liked. Not that I love love bombing, but I think that it was like, it was just further confirmation that we are vibing off of each other. My friend and I then that day are to drive from one part of Florida to the other part of Florida to go meet up with another friend. And we were going to have the three of us celebrate the New Year together and do all the things that go girls do, right? And so we go on this road trip and, you know, we're still talking all the time. And he even starts to make up a name for my friend that's driving the car who I'm spending the last few days with. He was like, making up like cute pet names. Like the way that he was doing it with my friend Paula, he would say, like wife number two. He was also doing it with, you know, my other friend. And then we get to this other part of Florida and he's doing it with this other friend also. He starts calling her Cheza. And so he's just entering my life, basically. That was his thing. He was like entering and getting cozy into my life and making himself part of it. Right?

[Mackenzie]

They're his friends too.

[Layla]

They're his. They're his. Yeah. Like, I'd send him pictures of us together. Then he was sending me pictures as well. Like him with a cocktail on a rooftop. So he was supposed to go from the UK to LA for a couple of days, spend New Year's there, because he claimed that he had a friend there that he was going to spend New Year's with. So he's sending me pictures of him with a cocktail at his hotel. Shows me the hotel room, shows me the bathroom, like the shower of the hotel. And I was like, oh, that's really, like, that's a sexy hotel. Like, that's a sexy bathroom. I love that shower. Like, you know, so we're, we're also very much like being flirty. And a little bit of sexual back and forth with each other at the same time.

[Mackenzie]

And how long had you been talking at this point?

[Layla]

Like, five days, nonstop. But by the time I actually got back to New York, it was almost like two weeks. So it's from December 20th. And I got back. I wanna say, like, I think it was January 6th. I got back. Yeah, we're, like, deep in conversation all day, all the time, everything. Good morning, good night, all of it. And sharing pictures all along the way. Once I get back, we decide to set up a date. And we decide that we're gonna finally meet in person, which we do. And it's January 8th. At this point, I tell him to meet me somewhere at a restaurant on the Lower east side. And he gets there before me. He's already having a coffee, and I was a little bit late, and he said, you know, what do you want to drink? And he ordered me something. We sit down together and we have a great date. We're talking the whole time. We're sort of joking around with each other. And there was a little bit of, like, elbow nudging. And at the end, there's always, like, that moment where you're like, is he going to ask me to split with him? Like, should I offer it up just to, like, reach? Yeah, to some.

[Mackenzie]

Do you do the reach?

[Layla]

When I was away, he pointed out a few things that he noticed. Like, I was wearing expensive jewelry. Like, I'd be petting my friend's dog, and I'd take a picture of the dog, and he'd notice my bracelets, my watch, all my things. And he'd be like, oh, is that a just un. Clue? Like, oh, yeah, I. I got one for my ex girlfriend. So he'd point out little things like that. Yes. But he never revealed anything at this point in terms of what his financial status was or anything. Right. So we're. So we're just assuming. I mean, I know that he works in real estate development, but I don't know, like, you could be really good at it, or you could just be starting out in it. And I don't. I didn't know where he was at this point because he's also just like a young guy. He's 33. And mind you, I'm 42, so. Well, there's a big age gap here. And when I was 33, I might have been established, but I'm not. I wasn't as established as I might be at 42. Right. So I'm not assuming anything at this point. And Also, like, I met him on field, so I'm not, I'm not on hinge like we were talking about before, like checking off boxes, like, does this guy make enough money for me to have a future with. I'm still just getting out of the 12 year relationship and figuring myself out. Yeah, so I didn't actually, I didn't actually care. I didn't ask any of these things. But we're sitting at the date and he starts telling me that he just sold his place in Williamsburg. He's still in it, he hasn't moved out yet, and that he was going to then start staying in a Rove, which is like a high end Airbnb. So I didn't even know what a Rove was. I asked him, well, what's a Rove? And he's like, well, it's like an Airbnb, but it's like larger square footage and it's more luxury. He says. And then also that he had just bought a penthouse in soho. And so, yeah, he starts telling me this, and at this point, that's when it clicks. I'm dealing with somebody that is a high roller and he wants me to know about it. He's trying to impress me. And so he starts to reveal that he's now moving into a very large place. And so.

[Mackenzie]

So, so then are you like, okay, so maybe he can offer to pay for the coffee?

[Layla]

So I didn't even, I didn't even bother. But he, he basically does this. He takes his card out because we're actually sitting at the bar. And so he holds it up to the ball for our guy with his middle finger and his index finger, just letting them know he's ready to pay. So that's what we do. We then start walking towards my place because my place is actually on the way to him taking the L train to Williamsburg. So walking. And I say to him, okay, well, this is as far as I'm gonna go. And if you just continue down this way. Because he's told me that he's lived in New York for two years, but that he was just away for the holidays with his family. And I'm, I'm thinking in my head, like, okay, he doesn't seem that familiar with where he's going. And he's kind of asking me, he's kind of asking me, where am I going? And I say, well, if you just continue down this way, you're gonna get to 14th street and you can take the L train and you'll get to Williamsburg. It's like super easy. So close to you. One stop, you're good. You can get off at Bedford, but I don't know his address at this point. I'm just assuming if you're in Williamsburg, you get off at Bedford, you're fine. And so we then kiss. And it's also very good. Really good kiss. And it's cute. And then we say goodbye and he goes. And as he leaves, he's already texting me. He's texting me while he's still walking to the train. And so he's 100% love bombing. And he tells me also that he gets a little bit lost on his way. He says he, I'm sorry, he's a.

[Mackenzie]

33 year old man with an iPhone. I imagine, like you can find this.

[Layla]

Stuff like, bro, he claims that he got to the train, but he went the wrong direction. So he didn't go towards Brooklyn, he went uptown towards Chelsea. So it becomes more and more clear that he's not totally familiar with where he's going. But he did say he had lived here for two years before. And I didn't quite clock it. I just thought, okay, he just doesn't, like, some people just have no sense of direction.

[Alex]

Yeah. Yeah, that would be me. That'd be me.

[Layla]

Yep.

[Mackenzie]

I love the Paired app and I want to tell you about it and I'm going to be honest about my own relationship a little bit. So my boyfriend John and I, we're like besties, you know, like, we hang out and have a great time together. And something we noticed recently is like, because we have so much fun together, sometimes when there is something more serious to talk about, it's so easy for us to just avoid talking about it because we're like, we're having the best time hanging out. Like, why would we bring up money right now? You know what I mean? The Paired app is this awesome way to connect with a partner. So Paired is the number one couples app and it helps you improve your relationship by just taking a minute a day, a few minutes a day maybe if you want to use more of their features. But it gives you like a question prompt that you both answer separately. And then when both of you have answered, you see each other's answers. So one of the ones we got recently was a quiz about money stuff. It said you or me, money matters. And sometimes it's like fill in the blank. Sometimes it's quizzes. So this one was kind of like, who is most likely to create a budget? Who was most likely to stick to a budget? Who was most likely to check the bill before settling the bill? Who's most likely to invest money in stocks or bonds? For one, it said who's most likely to save every penny? And we both put neither. So the point is we had some things that we wanted to check in about and paired kind of prompted the conversation because after we got our answers, we both could kind of chuckle at them, we could discuss them. And then it made it really easy to bring up a topic that both of us maybe were uncomfortable talking about. I don't know. Money is tough. Money's tough for even the most healthy couples. So paired is just like a really easy way to connect. And sometimes it's not serious stuff like that. Sometimes it's really silly stuff, sometimes it's nostalgic. Might, it might say post a picture of your partner when you were really proud of them or when you thought they looked really cute. And it's just like one to three questions a day to create open, stress free, honest conversation. So practice making a relationship a priority every day with paired. Head to paired.comdatingdetives to get a seven day free trial and 25% off if you sign up for a subscription. That's P A I r e d.com dating detectives to sign up today.

[Layla]

And so we continue talking. That's where we leave off. And then the next time we see each other is a like two or three days later and I'm working from home at this point and we decide in the middle of the day that we're both flexible on timing, we want to see each other again. And so we literally just decide day of that he was going to come over and okay, we met on fields. We know what this was. You knew what this was. And so he ends up coming over by like 11:30am and he also tells me he has a meeting with the broker and whatever. And so we both have limited time. We're like just trying to get it in and then get back to our regular lives. And that's exactly what we, that's exactly what we did. But so afterwards we're laying in bed and he also tells me that he has the health thing going on. So we started talking a little bit more about family and a few like just a little bit of family stuff. He gives me a little bit of family history. He tells me that his father passed away when he was one. And he tells me that his mother had gone through or is going through chemo and had gone through breast cancer. Like she had, she had gone through all of it. She's now a clean bill of health, and that he's close with her. And he also goes on to tell me that he has this issue with his lung where I. He called it the lobe. So in the past, he had had a surgery where they had to remove a mass in his lobe, and it ended up being where it was like a cancerous situation, and he had to have it removed. And in the first experience that he had with it, he went in for a biopsy, and they decided in the biopsy that they were just going to remove the entire thing instead of taking a biopsy, testing it, and then doing a separate surgery to remove it. He said that he went in just for a biopsy the first time, and they actually ended up taking out the mask completely, and that was kind of it. So he tells me that he's now having to do something like this again, that they saw a shadow. They don't know what it is yet, but that he's gonna have to go and do a biopsy at some point. Oh, no.

[Alex]

So he starts sharing in the same spot.

[Layla]

Yeah, it's in the same. The left. The left. Yeah, the left side. Yeah, in the same spot. So he has to go and take care of this.

[Alex]

Now, when he was sharing that, did that make you feel, like, connected to this guy? Because that's a little bit more vulnerable.

[Layla]

Vulnerable, yeah, definitely. I mean, especially, like, the way that we met and. And I. I think that after all of our fun conversations and cute sort of poking at each other in conversation a little bit sometimes, it was definitely one of the more serious conversations that we had. And I liked it. Like, I didn't mind him opening up. It wasn't like, oh, why is this guy still talking to me? Get out of my house already. I have things to do. It wasn't like that at all. We had a little bit of time, and we decided to lay in bed just sort of there naked, talking to each other. But we leave off saying we want to see each other again. So it felt like we were into each other enough to want to continue to see each other. He says he wants to have me over for dinner. And, like, literally three hours before I'm trying to finish up my day and everything. And he says, hey, I'm not actually feeling well. I think I might have Covid. And this is, like, out of nowhere because we're still talking to each other all day, all the time. And he says, I think I might have Covid. I'm not actually feeling well. Can we postpone? Yeah.

[Mackenzie]

And that's like, double scary if he has a lung situation.

[Alex]

Yeah, right.

[Layla]

I guess.

[Mackenzie]

So.

[Layla]

I think I was thinking more about myself and, like, how pissed off I was that it was like, it was three hours before. Right. Like, I actually. You know, when someone. Totally understandable to me, right? It was three hours before. Like, luckily, I didn't have to set up a babysitter so that I could go do this with him or anything. Right. But, yeah, I guess you're right. Like, on a. On a more empathetic side of things.

[Mackenzie]

Well, I mean, yes, But I also am like, does he even have lung cancer? So, you know what I mean? We don't know when, right?

[Layla]

So. Right. Well, we're gonna get. We're. I think we're gonna get there. But right now I'm still just thinking everything is, like, going well. Basically, like, things are going well. So this was. This, for me was the first red flag, which was like, you're canceling two to three hours right before the date. And that bummed me out because everything was pretty consistent. You know, he paid for the date. We're continuously talking, you know, like, the video chat. Everything seems to go in. In a trajectory right in the right direction. So he cancels on me, and I'm. I give him attitude. I'm not pleased about it. And so I sort of start to be standoffish at this point. So I make plans with one of my girlfriends. We go out for drinks. We're sitting at the bar, and I'm kind of like, my being standoffish. I think he's noticing because his response time to things are more drawn out, and it's, like, actually driving me a little bit crazy. So I'm now addicted to the love bombing. So anyway, like I said, his responses and his text time is now further apart. So I'm getting more and more frustrated because it's almost like he's making it seem like I've done something to him, when actually, like, you should be like, let me make it up to you. I realize you have plans tomorrow. Let's just try to figure out the next possible day. But he doesn't ask me that. He doesn't say, can we figure out the next possible day if today doesn't work and tomorrow doesn't work when I'm feeling better, like, let's just lean on that. He doesn't say that now. He's just giving me the cold shoulder. So we ended up not talking for the rest of the night. And so I decided to not message him the next day or Anything like that. And so finally I hear from him, and I give him this whole thing where I. I don't. I, Like, I didn't appreciate it. And if you're going to cancel dates, especially when it's like, two hours before, I think it's disrespectful. And so I just think that maybe we should just leave it at this. Right. Which maybe I was being a little bit harsh, but when I want to make up my mind, I'm kind of. I kind of, like, make up my mind, and then I just don't turn back.

[Mackenzie]

And that's okay. Especially, like, you're a mom. Like, your time is valuable, like you said, and you have your boundaries.

[Layla]

Yeah, I don't have time for bullshit.

[Alex]

Have you seen that meme? It says, I'll get over it. I just have to be dramatic first. Like, that's me.

[Layla]

That's, I think, dramatic too. I think I'm easily like that. Where, like, I want to. Like, I want to be bitchy. I actually really want somebody to fight for me. So I wanted to be dramatic for a second, and then I actually ended up blocking him on WhatsApp.

[Alex]

I blocked Petty.

[Layla]

You're like, I'm done.

[Alex]

Petty.

[Layla]

Do you want to be best friends? I decided. I decided I wanted to block him, and that's exactly what I did. So I block him, and not even 10 minutes later, he sends me an imessage. So we're always on WhatsApp. I get an imessage from a number I've never seen before, and it's a US number, because before it was always the UK number. Like a 4. 4 area code. Yeah. And so he says to me, you blocked me. Wowee. Like, it was like. Like, wow. Like, did it really warrant that? And it didn't. But what was interesting to then find out at this point is that he does have a US number the entire time. Sure. That's when I was like, what's happening here? So you have two numbers, like, what? Not what are you messaging me from now? And then I just said, I'm not sure we need to do this now. Like, we don't need to, like, then start texting each other. And I feel like I made my point and, like, that was it. Right. So. So we sort of, like, let it go at that point. And then a couple days later, I hear from him again. I actually unblocked him on WhatsApp because I came to the realization that I had been so immature. And then he does start writing me on WhatsApp. He goes, I see that you unblocked me. And so he says, well, listen, I don't want any bad blood. I want to be on good terms and we don't have to continue talking to each other, but, like, I just don't want any bad blood. And I agreed with him. Like, there's no bad blood. But somehow in this conversation of us saying there's no bad blood and blah, blah, blah, blah, we just flow right back into starting talking all over again like it never happened. So he. He's. He has a charm. He has a charm. And then he starts doing, like, our little inside joke things. And it is cute. Like, I guess this is kind of, in a way, him not necessarily fighting for me, but the fact that he started to write me back again and let me know that he doesn't want to let this go. And after dating a lot, after my relationship, if I pulled one of these bitchy little attitude things and said goodbye to somebody, a lot of times, they just. They're not like, come on, give me another chance. They're not doing that. They're like, I'm just going to find the next woman that's going to give me attention right around the corner. Are like, I'm just going to.

[Mackenzie]

Never give me any problem.

[Layla]

The next one that hurts me, the next one that swipes on me. And so here's this person not doing that, and he's not just looking to go to the next person. He's putting attention on the one he's. He kind of has at this point. And so I liked that. He's showing me that he's fighting for me without telling me he's fighting for me. Mm.

[Mackenzie]

Mackenzie and I, we try to eat healthy, but it's a little difficult because we're not pro chefs, nor do we have any interest in being pro chefs.

[Alex]

I don't want to cook nothing ever.

[Mackenzie]

I'm not interested if I'm gonna cook, though. And I know that that is the way to eat the healthiest and, like, the most nutritious and fun, honestly, to be creative. I guess I want one of those meals plans that makes it really easy. And Green Chef has been such a good one because it makes the meal so yummy and also so foolproof.

[Layla]

Dude.

[Alex]

There, hold on. If you guys are on, like, a salad kick, like I am. The miso tahini sp. Spinach salad with pecans. Or pecans, however you say it. Oh, my gosh, Sounds really good. And I love that it's spinach instead of lettuce.

[Layla]

But anyways, it's like, I love miso.

[Mackenzie]

Like, that sounds really. See, it's like unique. It's not just your same old salad that you were gonna make when you. Or honestly, more likely, I usually buy ingredients for a salad and then they go bad. No, I never do.

[Alex]

No, same here. And they're. When the Green Chef comes, it's like it's fresh, organic, seasonal produce and 100% responsibly sourced proteins to help you feel your best.

[Mackenzie]

And it only sends you what you need. So you're not gonna run out of ingredients. You're not going to have them go bad. And it's also the kinds of ingredients that you're like maybe not gonna buy yourself if you were shopping in a normal grocery store. They're like fun. It's fun stuff and it's healthy.

[Alex]

And you don't. At the grocery store, you don't have to buy like an entire bottle of something. Like they give you just enough for the meal that you're making. And that. Oh my gosh, I, I can't, I hate things in my fridge are just going bad.

[Mackenzie]

I love that. I just made their like lemon herb shrimp and it had orzo. It was really good. It was just like a. Anything you want. They've got a lot of options.

[Layla]

So good.

[Mackenzie]

And they have 80 plus dietitian approved weekly meal options. So you're definitely gonna find something that fits your lifestyle and your taste buds. And the recipes change every week with week to week flexibility so you can adjust your plan to match your mood, your schedule. So we use this and you should too. Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green chef. Head to greenchef.com 50datingdetectives and use code 50dating detectives to get 50% off your first month. Then 20% off for two months with free shipping. That's code 50dating [e-mail] 50dating detectives.

[Alex]

Okay, now I'm hungry.

[Mackenzie]

Bombas makes the most comfortable socks, underwear and T shirts.

[Layla]

Warning, Bombas are so absurdly comfortable, you may throw out all your other clothes.

[Mackenzie]

Sorry, do we legally have to say that?

[Layla]

No, this is just how I talk. And I really love my Bombas.

[Mackenzie]

They do feel that good. And they do good too. One item purchased equals one item donated. To feel good and do good, go to bombas.com and use code audio for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O-M B-S.com and use code audio at checkout.

[Layla]

So I know I'm going through things like they are only a week Span. But this is actually all the month of February.

[Alex]

Wow.

[Layla]

So this is all of January. We're into February already. And we have now met up for a couple of coffee dates and stuff like that. It seems like daytime is kind of like our sweet spot. And I think also my kids are in school during the days, and so if I don't have them, then I might see him. But if I do have them, I'm. I'm only able to see him during the day, basically, when they're at school and in between whatever meetings I have for work or. Or like, whatever things that are going on during my day. But we're definitely trying to carve out time with each other now. Just want to say that there have been a couple of instances where we plan to meet up during the day, and he's either a little bit late or like, you know, he gets lost on the train again. Like, there's a whole bunch of things. Right. And so whatever. But anyway, we're leaning into Valentine's Day, and he tells me that he's supposed to have his biopsy that day, like later that afternoon. So he says to me, I can't spend Valentine's Day with you. I want to, but I. I actually don't really do Valentine's Day very. And this is like, not a popular thing in the. In the UK and whatever. And so, like, I'm not really used to it, but I would like to see you. Is there any way that we can meet for a coffee or whatever? And he says this, like a day or two before Valentine's Day. And I was like, yeah, absolutely. I totally understand. So I agreed to meet with him. And so a couple hours before, he says to me, you may kill me, but I have a favor to ask. He says, my bank in the UK.

[Alex]

No, no.

[Layla]

He says, My bank in the UK only lets me take out $300 a day, right? And he says, there's one branch in Manhattan, and he says, it only lets me take out $300 a day. He said, but for the penthouse that I just bought. A surveyor came to the penthouse and is now asking me to pay him in cash, $1,200. And he said, I thought I could just give this guy a check. I thought I could bank transfer him the money from my UK account and he would give me a week for it to clear and everything, but he's asking me for 1,200. So here he is over text four hours before we're supposed to meet on Valentine's Day for coffee, and says, can you give me twelve hundred dollars in cash? And I said, no, that's a little bit steep, but do you have any other ideas? And he says, well, does your bank branch let you take out more than the $300 that my bank branch? And I said, yes, obviously, I said that. I think it's 3,000 a day. And he says, if I wire transfer you 1,200, can you take it out for me in cash? I said. I said, sure. I said, sure. So in that time period, he shows me a screenshot of him making a wire transfer, because he's got. Not now. He has my. My bank information, my routing, my whatever, all the info. The only thing that he did wrong was he misspelled my last name with a Z instead of an S. And so I'm thinking, okay, it's still gonna work. Whatever. No big deal, right? It doesn't get wired to me. But then he uses the Z instead of an S as an answer and be like, oh, maybe it's that, but let me do it again. So he's buying time where it's like, I'm sort of, like, pressed for time, where if I'm going to do this for him, I am now working in an anxious way. And so the second one still doesn't come through. Okay? And so I say to him, I'm not going to take out this money. I'm so sorry it hasn't come through. You know, you're going to have to figure out some other way. I'm being very firm on this, and he's being very convincing. And I finally agree to $300. I said, just take out. Ask the surveyor to, like, buy some time. Ask him for four more days. Take out $300 today. I'll give you another 300. Take out 300 tomorrow and the next day. The next day. And tell him you'll have it by XYZ by that day, okay? And we agree. I'm going to give him 300 bucks. So he meets me in Soho. We go for coffee. We're talking, but he's. He's also not drinking coffee because he says that he can't eat or drink anything before his biopsy. So he buys nothing. But the coffee is like. We're sitting at a restaurant and I'm having a mimosa, a coffee, and I order an appetizer, okay? Because I. It's just like, okay, you can't eat, you can't drink, but I can.

[Alex]

That don't mean I can't.

[Layla]

I'm gonna do it right And I'm gonna do it. So I do this. He doesn't offer to pay this time. In his defense, he didn't order anything. But I feel. I also feel like sometimes a real gentleman will at least be like, here, let me. Let me get this for you. And the fact that I. It's also Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day.

[Mackenzie]

And did he bring you any present?

[Layla]

Nothing. Not a single rose. And he knows that I have $300 on me for him, but. So he doesn't offer. So even in that moment when I put down my card to pay for it, I'm already feeling bad about how this is going. Right. I'm already feeling a little bit used, but nothing like. Because, remember the pre. Like, other times before that. We haven't had any other date. We've met for a coffee here and there. Like, we once met for a coffee while he was again on his way to have, like, his blood pressure taken and all these tests at the hospital. So he's really using this lung thing to, like. To, like, milk the system. Milk me for all I've got, basically.

[Mackenzie]

Yeah. Because what are you gonna. You're not a heartless person. You're like, oh, he's got a lot going on. Like, even if it feels wrong, it's still right.

[Alex]

But.

[Layla]

But there are some red flags that are starting to show up. We go and we go to the MoMA shop, and, like, we're. You know, so whatever. We're, like, walking around and stuff. So we're at the moment, and I think, okay, we're about to leave each other. I'm going to hand him this money while we're inside a store. And then that way I'm not, like, handing him money, like, in the street. Like, it'll be.

[Alex]

No, I get it.

[Layla]

I thought that would be weird. So I handed to. So I handed it to him in the store, and then we walk out onto the street, kiss again, goodbye, and then he disappears into the sunset. Whatever. So he, like, disappears.

[Mackenzie]

He goes to get lost on whatever.

[Layla]

Train he turns on that day.

[Alex]

Yeah.

[Layla]

And so it's totally fine. I. I didn't feel good about it. I didn't feel good about how that day was. But again, we separate from each other, and he's already messaging me and all that stuff. And, you know, so I didn't. I didn't feel like suddenly he would just make off with my money and I'd never see him again. He's still establishing communication. And even that night, you know, we're still. We're text messaging a lot with each other, even that night. And I'm sending him pictures of my friend and I. And I was also checking in to see how he was doing and stuff, to see how the biopsy went and all that.

[Alex]

Because you care. Like you're curious and interested.

[Layla]

Yeah, of course I am. I. I do care. I'm not. Not quite cold, not heartless. Yeah.

[Mackenzie]

Well, did he send you any pictures from the hospital?

[Layla]

That's all I'm. No, nothing. No, nothing. Not from the hospital.

[Mackenzie]

Something to note.

[Layla]

Something to note, yes. Anyway, so this is February 14th. I'm supposed to leave on, I think it was February 18th, to go visit my family in Toronto. I'm bringing my kids with me and we're going to see my parents. So we decide that we're going to see each other February 16th and we were supposed to go out for dinner somewhere. Does it again. He cancels on me three hours before the dinner.

[Alex]

Ah, no.

[Layla]

Now I'm annoyed.

[Mackenzie]

What's his excuse?

[Layla]

I'm really annoyed because of the fact that I, I did not feel great about Valentine's Day. I did not feel great about giving him this money. Right. And so now that he's canceling, I'm seeing these things sort of happen. And he's doing it again, even though I was so pissed off the first time he did it. And I say, let's not communicate anymore. Like, let's not do this anymore.

[Alex]

Like, screw the 300 bucks. Like, whatever.

[Layla]

No, I didn't say that. I said, I said, let's not talk about anything other than when you want to correspond, when you're going to give this to me. So I'll see you when I get back. And I was expecting that to be our only correspondence, even though when I was in Toronto, I was checking my WhatsApp a lot to see if I had missed a message or something. But at this point, I had muted his messages. I, I didn't want to be a baby about it again and like, block him, but I did not want to keep looking at my phone every time it beeps. So I, I muted.

[Mackenzie]

Did. Was he, did he push back at all when you said that or was he like, okay, no, he didn't push back this time.

[Layla]

And when I'm in Toronto, I didn't hear from him the entire time. So I was like, okay, we're just done, you know, like, this is it, we're done. It. But it was fun. I was sad but not torn up about it. So here's what happens. I get back on 22 February. The next day, I'm at a birthday party during the day with my kids. And he messages me and says, hey, are you back? I'd like to see you so I can explain myself. And I actually said to him, my first thought was, first he said, hey, are you back? And I said, hey, thank you. It's nice to hear from you. Thanks for remembering. And I'm thinking in my head, he's trying to coordinate, giving me the $300.

[Alex]

Yeah, yeah.

[Layla]

To hold up to that last thing that we said to each other was that we were going to coordinate when I got back. And I was like, oh, this is kind of cool. He remembers the exact date that I'm back. And so he's trying to coordinate that. And then he goes on to say, well, I want to explain myself. I've been an ass. And I do want to explain it. I've just been. I'm not myself. He says to me, I want to see you tonight. Do you have your kids? And I said, yes, I do have my kids. And he says, well, can I see you tonight? Like, is there anything that I can do? And I said, well, maybe after they go to sleep, we can talk. But just talk. Don't try anything. And he said, oh, so you don't want to make passionate love and this and that. And as cute as. This is. As cute. But it was cute, right? Like.

[Mackenzie]

Like, okay, it was cute.

[Layla]

It did not come out creepy. It was like he was just trying to be funny. Right. A lot of our conversations always are very. It's like banter, funny, whatever.

[Alex]

And you had a little bit of a. Of a soft spot for him by this point. A little bit, right?

[Layla]

Yeah. And I think. I think that, like, a lot of women tend to want a little bit of, like, we get the ick from. No, we get the ick from someone's just, like, going all in so, so much, right? Like, we kind of like a little bit. It's like that.

[Alex]

We like the plain.

[Layla]

We like a little bit of cat and mouse. So he's flirting. He's flirting. He wants to explain himself. I say to him, okay, bring a bottle of wine with you. And then I put my kids to bed. I'm running a little bit behind. He says, okay, I'm gonna take an Uber over. And then he says to me, oh, my Uber's not working. I'm gonna take a lift. He starts to build up into something. So he's always sort of building up into the next sort of drama or the Next sort of thing, right? So he says, oh, my Uber's doing something. It's not working. I'm gonna take it a lift. All right? So he, he then says to me, I need to grab something out of my car. I'll bring wine with me. He says he's grabbing his backpack out of his car, and I think that's really weird. I'm like, why are you keeping your backpack in your car? So he's now letting me know he has a car. He keeps his backpack in it, Right. Something is happening with his Uber. He's leading into things. Okay. So I'm. I'm like, learning a little bit more.

[Mackenzie]

Why does he have to tell you.

[Layla]

All this stuff anyway?

[Mackenzie]

Like, it's good that you're learning more.

[Layla]

But he's, he's planting seeds. He's leading into the new stuff, right? So he's on his way, and I said, okay, make sure you have the wine, whatever. He goes, oh, shit. I left the wine by the wheel of my car when I went to go grab my backpack from the trunk. All right, fine. Comes. Okay, I'm forgiving. I'm. I'm like, whatever. I forgive him.

[Mackenzie]

Comes over.

[Layla]

I have like some old bottle of champagne or something. We start drinking, like, hanging out a little bit. But he's telling me about how bad he feels about his, his health conditions, how bad he feels about his mother's health conditions. He says he doesn't know what's going on. A lot of things aren't working in his favor. There's a lot of pushback in terms of the purchase of his place, the penthouse, of course. And a lot of woe is me. A lot of woe is me. He also says to me that now he's no longer in his Williamsburg place, but he's in. In this Rove slash VRBO place. Right? So in the time that I'm only gone, like, I don't know, under seven days, a lot of stuff is making him depressed and a lot of things are going on.

[Alex]

Yeah.

[Layla]

Nonetheless, we have a really fun night together. We're intimate. We fall asleep on my couch, and I wake up at 4 o' clock in the morning and I was like, oh, no, my kids are gonna be up soon. They have to. They usually get up around 6am and so I tell him, we gotta get up and go to the bedroom and I'll lock my bedroom door. We'll sleep for a couple more hours, right? So we, we go to the bedroom. I lock my door. Sure enough, my kids are up at 6am they knock on the door and I'm like, oh, you know, whatever. I go out, I start doing my mom stuff, I start getting ready for the day, but I'm locking my bedroom door every time I walk in and out of it because I need to get dressed and I need to get things here and there. I leave him in my house and I go do my mom's stuff. And he gets up and he leaves the house. Okay, he leaves the house. He's texting me, and he starts to tell me things. Like, he starts to.

[Mackenzie]

He.

[Layla]

For some reason, he left his jacket at my house. And I don't know why. Okay?

[Mackenzie]

He wanted to have an excuse to come back. Yeah, you leave an earring.

[Layla]

So in my head I'm like, it's like, okay, it's a warmer day in February, right? But then also I'm like, yeah, exactly. He wants to come back. It's like a guy giving you his T shirt. Or like, whatever. Like they, oh, I gotta get back. Yeah, can I get that back? And if they just want to see you again, okay, fine. But he also messages me and says, I don't know where my keys are. I don't know where my row of keys are.

[Alex]

Did he leave?

[Layla]

And he doesn't know where his row of keys are. So the place is staying at. He can't find the keys now. And so he asks me to look in his jacket pocket. This is the. This is why he left the jacket. He asked me to start looking in his jacket pocket for the keys. I'm looking for the keys everywhere. And I. I'm like, no, they're not here. And I'm looking under the bed. I'm looking like. I just look everywhere for him. I'm like, absolutely not. They're not here. He's like, they're not in my backpack. They're not in the pockets. They're not in anywhere. And then he tells me, okay, he's going to reach out to these people at the Rolls and ask them if he can get a copy of it. Or maybe the front desk has a copy of it or something like that. I actually have an appointment at the DMV that day, so we're corresponding while I'm waiting at the DMV for hours and hours and hours.

[Alex]

Always for hours and hours at the dmv.

[Layla]

Oh, God, it's a nightmare. It's the worst. Just waiting for your number to be called and you're like, you know, you're just dying. So he says, I got into an argument with The Rove people, he said they are not going to be back. So I think this was like, I can't remember what day of the week it was. He says, can I stay with you till the 27th? So from the 24th to the 27th, he wants to stay with me. And I think it's okay because my kids are actually with their dad during that time. Right. So I have this time to myself.

[Mackenzie]

Sure, yeah.

[Layla]

So it's okay. So I say, okay, fine. That's fine. And I guess he knew this. And so he left his jacket behind and planted all of this, right? So he says the people aren't gonna be back till Tuesday morning. But he also so happens to have a medical appointment Tuesday morning. So he's got another appointment. Like, every time I see him, he's got another appointment. And I don't understand how this stuff can prolong so hard. How many appoint do you have to have before to just get the. To get a biopsy? Like, right. I have had biopsies before, and yes, one is to take your vitals to make sure everything's okay. But he's saying to me again, he has another doctor's appointment, even though he's already had a biopsy. According to him, he's already had a biopsy. And it. He says to me, he tells me it didn't take. The biopsy didn't take. They have to do another one. Is that a thing? I don't know if it's a thing. That's the thing. I don't know if it's a thing.

[Mackenzie]

Well, at that time, are you having these, like, what you're saying right now? I feel like in the moment you might be annoyed, but you might just be like, okay, I guess I'm not a doctor. Or were you like this?

[Layla]

I wasn't annoyed. I wasn't annoyed. I was feeling like after not seeing this person for. Or talking to him for, like, I guess just under a week, I was like, okay, I guess we're back to being a thing. But even that night that he came over on the 23rd, I was like, well, why did you reach out? He goes, because I missed you. And I was like, okay.

[Alex]

Well, that.

[Layla]

All right. Okay.

[Alex]

Okay. I guess that's right.

[Layla]

Yeah. Like, yeah, get. Get closer. A little bit far away. So, yeah, that made me feel great. So he's now telling me, they're not going to be back till the 27th. I need somewhere to stay. Can I stay with you? And I said, yes, okay, you can stay with me. Now here's the kicker. He actually said, can I stay with you till the 26th? Because the night of the 26th, I actually want to stay in a hotel the night before my biopsy, before I go back, he says, because he thinks that his blood pressure was too high and like, all these things took place maybe that affected whatever they were doing at the hospital, that he wanted to be calm and chill and he wanted to stay in a hotel the night before he actually went to the hospital and he wanted to stay in a hotel in. In Jersey City, near the Rose, because these people were going to come back the morning of his surgery, the morning of the biopsy. So he wanted to be.

[Mackenzie]

Got to get the keys, go to the biopsy.

[Layla]

Yes, exactly. So they agreed to meet him 7am that morning of the 27th to get the keys again. So he stays with me, and it's great. We are having a great time. Although I do notice that we don't go on a date. We're watching a ton of TV and we're not having sex the way that. That people newly together are supposed to be having sex. Right. Like people in the beginning stages of a relationship are having sex all the time. Like, you can't keep your hands off of each other.

[Alex]

Honeymoon phase.

[Layla]

Yeah. You're just like. You're intoxicated by each other. The sex that we're having is like. It's almost like. It's not passionate. It's not every hour. It's not like he's kind of just.

[Mackenzie]

Like, oh, it's not.

[Layla]

Let's do it.

[Alex]

Is it like marriage sex where it's.

[Layla]

Just kind of where, like, he's not looking me in the eyes? He doesn't. I don't feel passion off of him. Right.

[Mackenzie]

I have one quick question. Was he working while you were living together? Because you work from home, so you, I imagine, had some work to do.

[Layla]

So at this point, it's the weekend, so I don't know. I don't. Oh, we are not actually living together yet. Right?

[Mackenzie]

Not living together while he's bunking with you.

[Layla]

Yes. Yeah, exactly. While he's bunking with me. I don't know about his work habits yet. So Monday night he wants to sleep at a hotel. Tuesday morning, he's supposed to collect the keys and meet with these Rove people. They're out of town and they have the keys, but they're coming back Tuesday morning, and he's going to grab it from them right before his biopsy. He goes, talks to them and comes back to me saying he Got into an argument with them that they said that this Rove situation is not what they expected, that there's too much upkeep and too much trying to, like, like, cater. Like, either there's an issue with the plumbing or there's a. Now there's this key problem with him, and they don't believe that they want to be doing this anymore, that it's a lot more trouble, and they thought it would be something they could go out of town, forget about, make money off of, and then, like, whatever. But it's actually, like, they actually have to play host sometimes. So he gets into an argument with them and has to remove his stuff all on the spot, all his staff. And I was like.

[Mackenzie]

Well, I was, like, worried about being too dramatic, right?

[Layla]

He's got a lot of drama. He does have a lot of drama. That is the key thing to take away from this, is that he continuously has drama where, like, drama with my. My lung condition, drama with my mommy and daddy issues, drama with the surveyor. It's almost like he's, like, very high and then he's super low. Like, super sad for himself. Sob stories and then super drama and, like, whatever. So he has to collect all his stuff. And I'm like, well, how much stuff do you. To collect? Like, how much. What do you have there? And he's like, no, I have a storage. I just. All I brought here was a suitcase. And luckily for me, I wasn't here that long. But now he's saying to me, can I stay with you? And I was like, no. What am I supposed to tell my kids? What do you mean, can you stay with me? Like, what?

[Alex]

What do you mean it's not going to work out?

[Layla]

For. What am I supposed to tell my kids? No, absolutely not. Ask. Also go to the hotel. I said, well, oh, well, this is the other thing. Actually, I kind of forgot. But, like, the night before, he couldn't check into his hotel. I had to use points to check him into the hotel. I used. I used. Wait, why?

[Alex]

Wait, what?

[Layla]

Why? I forgot.

[Mackenzie]

No, there's so much.

[Layla]

Your head spinning.

[Mackenzie]

I get it.

[Layla]

So there's so much. And that's the thing, right? That's why I'm sitting here. And I'm like, oh, I forgot this. Oh, I forgot that. It's because there was always something and it's all happening at the same time. Okay? So he goes to the hotel on the 26th, which is Monday night, and he sends me a picture of him just sitting on. He's late, lounging out with his feet up on the lobby couch, sends me a picture of the. This, I don't know, maybe it's a Holiday Inn. I can't remember. It's like one of those, like, cheapy places. And he sends me a picture of the lobby. He says, they need a card on the spot. And even though I booked it with my booking.com, they still need an incidental credit card on the spot. And I was like, give them an incidental credit card. That's how.

[Mackenzie]

That's how hotels were.

[Layla]

Yeah. But this is like, I've never. So this is. This is the lean in. This is the lean in he's been waiting for. So it starts with my Uber's playing funny business on me. And now he's saying to me, my card gets flagged. My UK card gets flagged. Flagged every time I tried to charge it. And I was like, what do you mean it gets flagged every time you try to charge it. He goes, for some reason, I get locked out of my card whenever I try to charge something. He's like, the only things that I don't get flagged with are things that I set up in the UK before I came back to the US and so I'm like, well, why? Like, what kind of things did you set up? He goes, my equinox. 350 equinox a month gym pass. He says I don't get flagged when I use it at the mta. He says I don't get flagged. You know. Oh, groceries. He says he's fine with groceries.

[Mackenzie]

I was gonna say. Also, he paid for drinks when you guys got drinks at that time. Like, he's not. Not able to use it.

[Layla]

This is literally the only date he's ever paid for is that first time. So I've never seen him, like, all. On all of our coffee dates, like the Valentine's Day one, I paid for that. The time before that, it was actually at the Oculus. And he said, I'm running late. Can you order for us? And so I did. Oh, so these things are adding up now. And the biggest add up for me is what's happening at this current time, which is I can't stay at my VRBO anymore. And the night before, like all this, this argument and can't stay at his vrbo transpires he cannot pay for the hotel that he online booked with his booking.com account. So he says this to me and I'm like, well, I'm not paying for your hotel. Like, what? What's your hotel and he sends me a screenshot of the hotel expenses. But I also see that he booked it for two nights, Monday night and Tuesday night. Even though he told me that he was gonna stay at the hospital and he was worried that they would do the same thing they did the first time he had this procedure. Go in for a biopsy, take out the entire thing, right? The entire mass. And he says this to me. And he also says to me, my mom might come into town, but I have to let her know if I'm going to be staying at the hospital for several nights while I'm recuperating. So my mom might come to town, right? So he's also saying to me, I wouldn't mind if you met my mom. I would like you to meet my mom. During this is a lot. Okay, so all the. All the negatives. He is building me up to feel this, like, excitement to meet his mom, right? He sure is. Oh, yeah, I'm eating it up. But I'm also like, what the fuck's going on with this hotel? So he shows me the booking, and it shows two nights. And I said, well, why did you book two nights if you think you're going to stay at the hospital? And he says, just in case. Just in case. It's a just in case situation. And I was like, okay, just in case. Okay, fine, whatever. So he's expecting me to give him my credit card number over text, right? But instead, I call the front desk, I talk to them, and I say, hey, my boyfriend is there. He says his credit card doesn't work. And so I'm also feeling, like, really weird about it. Again, guys, he hasn't paid me back the $300 that he owes me, right? So, yeah, right? There's that and there's this. So I'm no longer giving this guy any more money. He already owes me what he owes me. I call the front desk, I talk to the guy, I make sure that he's actually in front of him by doing this. And he is, in fact, in front of him. And he is corroborating that Brian's doesn't have a card that he can put on file. So I say, okay, well, can you cancel the booking that Brian made? And can I just book his room for one night, not two? So cancel the two nights. I'm gonna book one room, one night, one bed, okay? And so the man agrees to do it. And I put my card on file. I allow him to use my card for incidentals. He uses my points for the room, whatever I get an email invoice of the bill. The next day, the guy went to the mini bar and he took some stuff, some snacky snacks from the front desk.

[Alex]

Those are like $40 M&M.

[Layla]

I actually. You know what? You say M and Ms, and I actually think it was M&M's. I actually.

[Alex]

Shut up because I don't know.

[Layla]

I think they were. They were Eminem.

[Mackenzie]

Wow.

[Layla]

He was like, I got a sugar mom. Exactly. Exactly. A sweet tooth mommy. So the next day, I see the bill, I send him a copy. I say, you now owe me $300 plus the. I think it was like 150 something. I said, because you bought so and so and so. So you now owe me this.

[Mackenzie]

Wait, also, is he allowed to eat before this biopsy?

[Layla]

Sorry.

[Mackenzie]

Just. I know in the moment you probably.

[Layla]

Wouldn'T think about that, but. I never thought about that. I never questioned it. I never thought about it. I never. I wouldn't have either, even. Till. Till you just mentioned it. I didn't even think about it. Nothing. I wouldn't have either.

[Mackenzie]

I wouldn't have thought of it. Except for the date where he made you pay for your whole meal because he couldn't eat before his appointment.

[Alex]

Yes.

[Layla]

On Valentine's Day.

[Mackenzie]

Goodness gracious. Okay, so you bill him.

[Layla]

So I send him an invoice for everything. And what then happens? Is. Is he. Yes. He gets into the fight with the people. The next day, he ends up saying, can I stay with you? And I. I was like, no, you can't stay with me. And he said, well, I've already canceled it with them. And I was like, I didn't tell. I was like, you know what? You should have talked to me about it. You should have spoken to me about it before you canceled it. And he goes, well, I was put on the spot. I felt like I had no choice. And I was like, so you let your ego do this before you talk to me about whether you could stay in my home with my kids? Yeah, it is with my kids. Yeah. And so I'm. I'm angry. So I'm angry. And in our conversation, he starts getting argumentative with me. And I hang up the phone. He immediately starts texting me.

[Mackenzie]

Good.

[Layla]

Immediately starts texting me. And he goes, I don't know where this has left us. You know, I don't know what to do now or where to go. And he starts guilty me and making me feel bad about it and whatever, but I don't want. I've had, like, this whole thing about my kids. Meeting people.

[Alex]

I don't blame you.

[Layla]

They met the person that my ex was cheating on me with. Oh. Immediately after we broke up. Immediately. So my kids are spending time under the same roof with a woman they've. They had never met before. And now they're live. They're basically, like, living with her. And I promised myself I would never do that to them.

[Mackenzie]

But he, like, really put you. Backed you into a corner in a lot of ways.

[Layla]

Totally. And I didn't. I didn't want that. I thought he was just gonna stay with us for a few nights on the couch and that would be it. But then I exactly was backed into a corner. And here I am thinking, like, I just wanna be this loyal partner. I open my home to him. I let him stay over. I tell my kids, my friend Brian locks himself out of his house and he needs a place to stay until he can get a copy of the keys from the front desk of his building. So my kids are like, okay, cool. And I say, he's gonna sleep on the couch. You know, he's gonna sleep on our couch. He'll have dinner with us, whatever. And you guys can vibe out on Pokemon altogether because Brian's into Pokemon also. So I use that as a selling point for them to have a common ground with each other and whatever. To get them excited about a total stranger in our home. Yeah.

[Mackenzie]

And his mom is no longer coming to town.

[Layla]

I.

[Mackenzie]

Is that his new story?

[Layla]

He says that his vitals were off. His vitals, guys, his vitals were off. His vitals keep going off because he was stressed out. So this thing keeps getting. Well, maybe he shouldn't have been eating.

[Mackenzie]

All those M M's before his regular M and M's.

[Layla]

I'd be stressed to the mitt. Right. But also because of this. This Rove thing that frustrated him and not knowing where he was going to go next and me hanging up on, like, all this stuff. So. Oh, it's your fault. Right?

[Mackenzie]

Right.

[Layla]

So anyway, so he goes through it. He doesn't have to stay at the hospital. He can't. He's not staying at the hotel. He's now attempting to stay with me again. And so I did. I told the kids my friend was going to stay with us and they were going to sleep on the couch and they were gonna be with us. I say he also has a medical condition, so he's just gonna hang out with us until he sorts some stuff out. He never, like, we're just living together at this point. That's it. He has nowhere to stay. I suggested a few times. He did buy himself a little bit of time where he said there is a Rove that becomes available in April that someone is currently in, but that Ro he could stay in. And the reason he is specifically using Rove and doesn't then say, okay, maybe I, I can find something on Airbnb or maybe I can find something on VRBO or somewhere else. The reason he's specifically using Rove is because he essentially has this penthouse, but someone else is staying in it temporarily because they rented it out from the actual owner. So he is an agreement to take it off of the owner's hands. But the owner is not always in New York. The owner then has been renting out this Rove to another couple and they're staying there for months on end. And so he's now bought it from the owner and Ro is absorbing him staying at another Rove. So the financial burden of him having to pay for a Rove is being absorbed by ro. So this is another story that's sort of spinning in my head and I'm like, wait, can you explain that again? And he's saying that these people are staying in the Rove and Rove has agreed to absorb the fees of him staying at a Rove specifically. Does that all make sense?

[Mackenzie]

I. I do understand. It seems strange that they wouldn't just say, okay, this person, like, they sold the Rove, it's no longer listed. You have like 30 days to move out. But I guess that's what they did.

[Layla]

There was an agreement in place that the owner had to stick with the agreement. So that's what happened. So he's saving money by going to a Rove in the first place, but now I'm just paying the rent. He never had to pay for anything, like any meals, anything like that. He never had to pay for anything.

[Mackenzie]

And at this point, is he working? Do we see him working at all?

[Layla]

Yes, he's making, he's making phone calls. He'll get up, he'll go to Equinox first thing in the morning and then he'll say to me, I'm actually going to work from Equinox for a bit. So he'll be at Equinox, he'll be working, he won't come back till the, till like 4 o' clock in the. @ night. There are points where we get further down the line where, like, he's doing school pickups with me, we're doing family stuff. He's meeting us at the park with our friends after school when My kids get out. Like, there's. There's a lot of stuff there. Also, during this time, he starts bringing up that he has Wimbledon tickets, that he purchased Wimbledon tickets, but he doesn't want to go back to the U.

[Alex]

Is that sports ball?

[Layla]

No. No. Yeah.

[Mackenzie]

And it's in London.

[Layla]

It's tennis. It's a bit. It's a huge tennis tournament. That's a sports ball.

[Alex]

That's sports ball.

[Layla]

Why the fuck am I supposed to know that?

[Mackenzie]

Mackenzie has all of them as sports ball.

[Layla]

Okay.

[Mackenzie]

Oh, yes.

[Layla]

Oh, yes, It's a sports ball. He. He has Wimbledon tickets. He's bought VIP Wimbledon tickets. He's trying to sell them now because he doesn't want to go back to the UK to go for Wimbledon.

[Mackenzie]

I was gonna say sell those tickets yesterday to pay back your damn 300, $100 and then some. I would be so livid.

[Layla]

So he hasn't paid me back the $300, but then he starts talking about Wimbledon, and he says, I don't care if I sell them off in separates. I just want to make back the money, because I spent $12,000 on these tickets. He goes, $12,000? Is it the Super Bowl? So it basically is on tennis. It is. It's a huge, huge, huge tennis match. It's huge. It goes on for, like, three days. But he bought them vip, right? So he's telling me about this, and he says, whoever has the tickets, limo picks them up. The limo's fully equipped, takes them to Wimbledon, brings them back every day when they get there. They also have the VIP package where there is a caterer and there's a chef in the VIP area. It's got all the sexy stuff, right? So he wants to sell these tickets, and he said, They're $4,000 a piece, but I'm willing to sell them for, like, three. Three. So I then say to him, okay, let me help you with this, because I want. I want him to pay me back too, right? Like, I want him to pay back also. And I just. I just. Because of my shoulders, because I do see all these, like. Like, these things are coming up and these red flags are coming up, but I don't want to believe that it's any of this. And I also don't want to believe, like, okay, it's $450. Like, I don't want this on my brain. I don't want to be petty with somebody over $450. It's not thousands, okay? But it's still, like, I want to feel like I can Trust you because you told me I would have that money.

[Alex]

You set an expectation.

[Layla]

Yes, he told me you'll have it a week later. And it. The wire transfer never came through. And then he tells me it must be your bank. And so I was calling my bank, and I was kind of, like, frustrated with my bank. And they're like, no, we haven't seen anything come through. You would have at least gotten some sort of correspondence from us, like an email, a call from one of our advisors saying something looks off or something's fraudulent or anything like that, or we rejected it, anything like that. So he's telling me it's my bank, and every single week he's telling me it's my bank. Right. And again, he did the same thing where he put my last name with a Z instead of an S. And he's like, oh, it must be that. So he knew. So he's continuously weaving these webs, and so while it's not a whole lot of money, but at the same time, it is me just being like, please let me know that I can trust you. Like, please let me know that I can trust you. You're living in my house and with my kids. You've, you've met my kids, you're in my house. And now this becomes more of a thing for my kids. Have met this person.

[Alex]

Show your loyalty in some way. Give me some kind of reassurance.

[Layla]

Yeah. And then here I am dealing with the money stuff. And so I, I, I just, I'm rooting for him, and I really want the medical stuff to get sorted out. And he's telling me he can move into his place in April, so he's buying himself time with everything. Right. And so with the Wimbledon tickets, I offer to put it up on my Instagram stories to see if any of my friends who are like, help him, help him out by buying these tickets. And he, in fairness, he did seem a little hesitant and said, like, no, don't do it. And I was like, no, no, no, I'm going to do it. I want to help you out. I want these things to get sorted out because I want your mood and I want all this stuff to change, and I want you to feel like a man again. Because I was bringing up the sex stuff to him. I was bringing up how I felt this coldness, and I felt that he should be wanting me more. And I've never felt, like, less wanted, actually. Right.

[Mackenzie]

Yeah. And also, he owes you money.

[Layla]

Yeah.

[Mackenzie]

You'd understand him feeling insecure.

[Layla]

Exactly. He's. He Chucked it down to being like, I don't feel like a man right now. So I wanted to be there for him and help him get back to a good mental state. So I put it up on my Instagrams. Anyway, I get a few hits of friends that are like, my client might be interested in this, okay? But they said, okay, I, I, I'd only be interested in two tickets. Though it ended up being, and thank God it ended up being that they did not end up taking the tickets. But in that time, he found somebody at Equinox that he was in the sauna, and he starts chatting with, like, a couple of other women. And they were talking about how they were going to Europe in the summertime and they were going to be spending some time in the UK and that they want the tickets. So they exchange information, and a couple days later he says, yeah, they're totally interested in it. And I've offered to meet them in person and she's going to pay me cash. And then she started to. He tells me that she starts to show, like, concern about it being in cash. And he now tells me he doesn't have PayPal, he doesn't have Venmo, he doesn't have Zell, all this stuff because he doesn't have a US bank account because he doesn't have a Social Security number. So he can't get a bank account because he doesn't have a Social Security number, In which case, PayPal, Zelle, all Venmo, none of those things are functioning for him. And so his UK bank account is the only way to means, but it keeps getting flagged with his credit cards and his debit cards. And here I am, stupidly offering up my life again. And I said, well, tell her that she can use my Venmo. And he does. He says, no, no, no, she could just do it in person, in cash. Like, I'm just gonna see if I can convince her to do that. I said, okay, fine, but I'm here if you change your mind. And if she won't budge, sure enough, she doesn't budge. She's covering her bases. Smart cookie. I do it through Venmo. She's giving him a deposit. They agreed on a $2,000 deposit, but that the tick, 4,000 total. She sends it to me, I take it out, I go to the bank with him, and I feel the same way I did the first time when I gave him 300 bucks. It's like never, never push down what your gut is telling you. I felt so used when I took that money out at my bank teller, and he's sitting in the bank at the couch, and I'm taking it out at the bank teller, and I think I. And the same way that I did it in the MoMA the first time, with the 300 bucks, I did it in the bank branch with an envelope of $2,000 and handed it to him in the bank branch.

[Mackenzie]

Was there any part of you that was like, I'm gonna take my. What you owe me out of this?

[Layla]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Actually, as we were walking to the bank together, he didn't mention it at all, but I said, okay, so what are your calculations right now? Because you owe me this money and you're about to get this. So, yeah, he gave it to me on the spot. I took my cut. I took my money. Sorry, not my cut. That sounds weird. I took my money, what he owed me.

[Alex]

I mean, it is what it is.

[Layla]

I took my money, he gave it to me, and.

[Mackenzie]

But if you hadn't brought that up, he wouldn't have said that.

[Layla]

Yeah, for sure. And he, like, topped it a little bit. He just gave me, like, $500. And then he left right away. After he took that money, he left right away.

[Mackenzie]

What do you mean left? Like, left the bank or left your house?

[Layla]

We didn't even walk back to the house together. He left to go do something. Like, we are walking on the street after coming out of the bank. And he goes, okay, I'm gonna go do this, and I'll see you later. We don't even walk together from that. So again, I'm feeling like. Like something. Like, I don't feel good. But he did it the same way the first time he took his money and left. And we didn't go anywhere together. I just feel something is not. Does not.

[Alex]

Yeah, yeah, totally.

[Mackenzie]

It feels like you're being taken advantage of. But also, are you at the point where you're like, is he. What is he spending this money on? Like, are you starting to theorize or are you just kind of like, something feels off?

[Layla]

Yeah.

[Mackenzie]

But I don't wanna believe it.

[Layla]

Yeah. And also at this point, he's never paid for, like, one. Like, he. He. The only date he's ever paid for was that first one. So he takes that money. But I then realized, like, three weeks later that this same person that bought these tickets filed a dispute with my Venmo, saying that the tickets were phony. No. And she never got the goods. And Venmo took $2,000 out of my checking account. Alex account. Oh, my God.

[Mackenzie]

$2,000 that you had handed away to him. Oh, my gosh.

[Layla]

Yeah, you guys, we told you. We told you. I just.

[Mackenzie]

I. So often we don't get answers. And I'm not saying that we're going to get complete ANSW answers with this guy, but I do love getting another version of the same guy's timeline to see what he's. What he's out there doing when he tells us he's, I don't know, buying and selling a bunch of real estate.

[Alex]

Yeah. And I think it's appropriate to. To save the Dogfish debrief for the end of the next.

[Mackenzie]

There's more to come. There's more to come and get excited for. Well, we'll have Layla and Allison come on together and tell us. Yeah, I'm their experience together.

[Alex]

Oh, my gosh, you guys, this story is just so crazy. And I can't believe that, like, when these people share these stories and someone will always come forward and say, oh, my gosh, the same thing happened to me. And you're like, you mean that happened twice? How is that possible? And in this case, it happens to be the same guy, so continue to share.

[Mackenzie]

Again. We're gonna do the Dogfish debrief at the end of part two, but I have my suspicions that these are not.

[Alex]

The only two women in involve a hundred percent. There's no way.

[Layla]

No, that's. There's just no way.

[Mackenzie]

In the meantime, you can find more dating detectives on patreon. We have $5 a month.

[Layla]

Patreon.

[Mackenzie]

Yeah. You get two bonus episodes a month. You get our book club meetings. You get a community of people to debrief liter. You get a double debrief.

[Alex]

You can get, like, a secret society, and you get, like, access to our.

[Layla]

Like, little club online.

[Alex]

And we can, like, chat, and we get to do, like, one on ones. Like, we get to connect with you guys. It's really cool.

[Layla]

We try to.

[Alex]

The two bonus episodes are always great.

[Mackenzie]

Oh, my God, they're so fun. We kind of. It's like, you know, you let your hair down a little bit on Patreon. More cash. But then also, there's $5 a month for all of that. And then if you do $9 a month, you get all of those things, plus ad free episodes for every episode, even on the main feed. The girlfriend experience, like, the whole show.

[Layla]

No big deal. That's stupid.

[Alex]

It's fine.

[Mackenzie]

No, it's. We are your girlfriends. We are guys. We're all at brunch together, drinking mimosas and talking about this crazy stuff. That's how I want us to feel.

[Alex]

Yes, we love you guys so much. In the show notes you'll find the podcast link and more some more info so make sure you are staying in touch with us and thank you for your support. We just love you guys so much and as always, trust your tier to intuition.

[Layla]

Sam.