A single guy got matching tattoos with his new love interest on their first date on Hinge, only to be ignored because she seemed “too aggressive” when she flew back to his hometown to meet her for a second date.
Cora Hayes, originally from Melbourne, was backpacking through Europe when she matched with Jack online. They met in Edinburgh and the pair decided to get ‘the exact same’ lemon tattoo within 24 hours of meeting.
The couple immediately ‘clicked’ and decided to meet again after the 22-year-old completed her trip to England.
But after planning a romantic getaway and paying £140 to fly from Birmingham back to Edinburgh for the couple’s second date, the saleswoman panicked when she was ‘ghosted’ two days before the flight.
Although she didn’t know anyone else in Scotland, Cora decided to fly back on June 20. She heard ‘nothing at all’ from Jack, who later accused her of ‘being too pushy’.
Cora Hayes, originally from Melbourne, Australia, was backpacking through Europe when she matched with Hinge date Jack
The couple got matching lemon tattoos despite only knowing each other for 24 hours
The 22-year-old made the best of a ‘horrible’ situation by befriending two girls in her hostel and convincing them to get the same lemon tattoo to ‘change the narrative’.
Cora shared a clip on TikTok explaining the situation with the caption, “I can’t believe this happened,” before showing off the lemon tattoo and covering her mouth in disbelief.
Another clip shows the solo traveller standing in an Edinburgh hostel with the caption ‘currently in a hostel 10,000 miles from home with nothing but the clothes on my back and this bag. Still vibrating.’
The saleswoman, who is from Melbourne, Australia, was disappointed that her four-day whirlwind romance with Jack ended abruptly as they planned to visit the Scottish Highlands together.
Jack attributed the cancellation of their plans and ignoring her to “family issues,” but Cora believes he made it up, as he later admitted she had “been too pushy.”
Still, she finds it empowering to have spent four days in Scotland without him and to have met new people. She says Jack will never forget her now because of the tattoo.
Cora said: ‘We clicked right away. I got along well with him and we clicked.
‘When I arrived in Birmingham I thought: this could be something.
Despite her ordeal, Cora still made the trip to Scotland to explore the historic city of Edinburgh
Cora and her Hinge date Jack show off their matching lemon tattoos on their first date
The 22-year-old checked into a local hostel and embarked on a solo tour of the city
Cora also took a trip to the Highlands – a destination she planned to explore with Hinge and her date Jack
‘We started talking about tattoos in the bar and one of his friends joked that Jack would never get one, but he said he would.
‘I said I would get one too and it became a joke of the evening that we would get one the next day too.
‘The next day we went to a tattoo shop and got matching tattoos of a little lemon.
There was no reason, but we both agreed it was going to be the lemon and we got the exact same tattoo at the same time.
‘I messaged him saying I had some free time while traveling and could I come back. He said ‘yes, come back. I’d love to see you again.’
“We spent the next few days planning what we were going to do. We were going to drive to the Highlands of Scotland. We both agreed that I would come back.
‘I booked flights and during this whole thing we were in constant contact, sending him my flight details and making sure the days worked and everything.
‘All this time we were still messaging and everything was going well.’
Cora shared a clip on TikTok explaining the situation with the caption, “I can’t believe this happened,” before showing off the lemon tattoo
The 22-year-old vowed to make the most of it and checked into a hostel in Edinburgh, where she shared her trip on TikTok
In a happy ending to the story, Cora met two female fellow travelers who also had matching lemon tattoos
However, the bachelor claims that Jack cancelled their plans just two days before her flight, citing “family issues.” He then completely ignored her, leaving Cora in a “panic” with no accommodation booked.
Cora said: ‘It was two days before I left and his messages became less frequent, just random. There was no problem. I had a kind of premonition.
‘Then I got a message saying, ‘Hey, I’m really sorry, family matters have come up, I can’t make it this weekend. I hope you get home safe.’
‘He knew I wasn’t going back to Australia for another month, but he didn’t try to move the dates.
‘I think he made it up because he apologized later and said he thought I was too strong and he didn’t want to get hurt because I live in Australia. Who would make up a lie instead of just being honest?
‘This was our first and last contact after the ghosting, which started on June 19, the day before I flew and continued throughout my time in Edinburgh.
“I was really panicking. I didn’t know what to do or whether I should go back and just not see him.”
The 22-year-old decided to fly to Edinburgh anyway and shared a hostel room with two girls for four nights, who also got matching lemon tattoos.
Cora paid £140 for the flight from Birmingham to Edinburgh to make her second date with Jack possible
Cora now says it’s “really encouraging” that her tattoo has a different meaning, while Jack’s is still a reminder of his bad behavior
However, she heard nothing more from Jack, despite him apparently still checking her social media stories, indicating that she was back in Scotland.
Cora said: ‘My boyfriend suggested I go back to Edinburgh because there was so much more to see and I just couldn’t see or speak to him.
‘I booked a hostel to stay for four nights. I haven’t heard from him at all. I posted Instagram stories from Edinburgh and he looked at them. I haven’t heard from him at all.
“Whatever you think of the situation, ghosting is not an excuse. That’s the part I can’t wrap my head around. Just tell me it’s not going to work.
‘To leave someone in the dark like that is just crazy to me. I don’t understand how you can do that. I find it horrible – when they are in your hometown.
‘There is a positive outcome. I also ended up meeting two girls from Australia in my hostel and told them why I was back.
“The next day they got the same lemon tattoos I got. Now I can change the story. It was a very sweet ending.
“It’s very encouraging. It’s kind of like f**k you. For him the tattoo is still the same story, but for me it’s turned into a story about friendship and girlhood. He’ll never forget me.”
The solo traveller admitted she still “loved Edinburgh despite that one situation” and urged others to “know their worth” if they are ever similarly ignored.
Cora said, “He’s shown his true colors. He’s the type of person who ghosts you after you pay money to visit him at his request.
‘I absolutely loved Edinburgh, despite that one situation. When I went back I still used Hinge to meet other people. Everyone I met there was so nice.
“I blamed myself and thought I wasn’t good enough. I blamed myself. But the way someone treats you is a reflection of themselves and not you. You just have to know your worth.
“Just remember that you are a good person and you are loved. There are so many other people. There is a lot of love, even if it’s not romantic love.”