The idea of a meet-cute, or meeting a partner in real life for the first time, has almost turned into a fantasy at this point.
With dating and social media apps doing most of the heavy lifting, the notion of meeting someone naturally in public, at a bookstore, a coffee shop, or even a store aisle, feels more like something people joke about than something that actually happens.
Still, every now and then, someone thinks they might be in the middle of one. That’s exactly what one woman thought was happening while browsing at a Coach store. Instead, the interaction took a sharp turn, leaving viewers cringing right along with her.
What Went Down in the Coach Store?
TikTok creator @tapatiodorito shared a storytime video that got more than 763,400 views, after what she described as an almost meet-cute turned awkward inside a Coach store.
She explains that she had just stepped out of the store moments earlier, still processing what happened. Her wallet had recently been stolen, and she decided to treat herself to something new.
“I got out of the Coach store like 60 seconds ago because my wallet was recently stolen and I wanted to treat myself to something nice and buttery and soft,” she explains. She says she knew exactly what she wanted and began browsing after an associate pointed her toward a display case.
Then someone approached her. “He comes up to me and he’s like, looking kinda good,” she says. According to her, he leaned in close and asked quietly, “Excuse me, miss, can I get your help with something?”
She immediately stopped what she was doing and agreed, assuming he wanted to strike up a conversation. The two walked together toward another section of the store, and she even tried to make conversation, asking if he was shopping for someone else.
“He said, ‘No, I’m shopping for myself,’” she recalls.
At first, it still felt normal. He asked her opinion about a bag and mentioned swapping out the chain; then it hit her. “I realized what had happened and I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t work here.'”
She says the man looked at her and responded, “You don’t work here…?” before accusing her of “rummaging” through the display case.
“Excuse MEEEE! Is it illegal? Huh? Is it illegal to be browsing the shop like another customer?” she recounts.
She ends the video by showing the wallet she bought, wrapped neatly, with a detachable card case.
“I hope he sees this somehow because WHATTTT WAS THAAAATT,” she wrote in the caption.
Commenters Thought They Were Watching a Meet-Cute Too
Many viewers admitted they were fully invested before the turn.
“I thought he was gonna buy you the purse,” one person wrote.
“Girl why’d I think you were about to have a Y/N moment I was kicking my feet,” another added.
Some questioned the interaction altogether. “As someone who does not talk to strangers I was wondering why you spent so much time talking to this stranger lol,” one commenter said.
Even Coach’s official account chimed in, writing, “What a plot twist. Love the wallet!”
Do People Still Meet Like This Anymore?
The reaction sparked a bigger conversation about how rare real-life first meetings have become. In Reddit communities like r/dating_advice, users largely agree that spontaneous encounters aren’t as common as they once were.
“Most of the people I know who recently met in person met at school, work or through a friend. I don’t think people are getting picked up at the grocery store or anything,” one person wrote.
Another added, “I think there is a problem that young people no longer have big social events or public places in their areas to go to.”
@tapatiodorito I hope he sees this somehow because WHATTTT WAS THAAAATT #coach #wallet #shopping #fyp ♬ original sound – tapatiodorito
Others pointed to fear of rejection. “I find that most guys are afraid of rejection so normally they won’t approach a girl,” one commenter said.
Meanwhile, a few still insist on trying. “I exclusively ask out women irl. It doesn’t work, but I refuse to return to online dating,” another wrote.
As for @tapatiodorito, the moment didn’t turn into a love story—but it did strike a nerve with viewers who briefly believed they were watching one unfold.
The Mary Sue has reached out to @tapatiodorito for comment.
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