A singleton got matching tattoos with his new love interest on their first date on Hinge, only for him to ignore her for “being too pushy” when she hopped on a plane to his hometown to meet up for a second date.
Melbourne native Cora Hayes was travelling around Europe with a backpack on her back when she met Jack online and they met in Edinburgh. The duo decided to get “the exact same” lemon tattoo within 24 hours of meeting each other.
The pair had an “instant connection” and decided to meet up again after the 22-year-old completed her trip around England.
However, after planning a romantic getaway and shelling out £140 to fly from Birmingham back to Edinburgh for the couple’s second date, the sales assistant was left “panicking” when she was “ignored” just two days before the flight.
Despite not knowing anyone else in Scotland, Cora decided to return anyway on 20 June and heard “absolutely nothing” from Jack, who later blamed her for “overstepping her bounds”.
Cora Hayes, originally from Melbourne, Australia, was backpacking through Europe when she met Jack, the Hinge guy.
The couple got matching lemon tattoos, despite only knowing each other for 24 hours.
The 22-year-old managed to make the best of a “terrible” situation by befriending two girls at her hostel whom she convinced to get the same lemon tattoo to “change history.”
On TikTok, Cora shared a clip explaining the situation with the caption “I can’t believe this happened,” before showing off the lemon tattoo and covering her mouth with her hand in disbelief.
Another clip shows the solo traveller standing in an Edinburgh hostel with the caption: “I’m currently in a hostel 17,000 miles from home with nothing but the clothes on my back and this bag. I’m still vibing though.”
The sales assistant, who is from Melbourne, Australia, was disappointed that her four-day whirlwind romance with Jack came to an abrupt end as they had planned to visit the Scottish Highlands together.
While Jack blamed “family issues” for cancelling their plans and leaving her out, Cora believes he was making it up as he later admitted she had “been too intense.”
However, she believes spending four days in Scotland again without him and meeting new people was “empowering” and says Jack will never forget her now thanks to the tattoo.
Cora said: “We had an instant connection. I got along well with him and we understood each other well.”
‘When I came to Birmingham I thought it could be something.
Despite her ordeal, Cora 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 had intended to explore with her Hinge date, Jack.
‘We started talking about tattoos at the bar and one of his friends was joking and saying that Jack would never get one, but he said he would.
‘I said I would have one too and it became the joke of the night that we would have one the next day.
‘The next day came and we went to a tattoo parlor and got matching tattoos of a little lemon.
There was no reason, but we both agreed on the lemon and got the exact same tattoo at the same time together.
‘I texted him saying I had some free time while I was traveling and could I come back. He said, ‘Yeah, 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 up to the Scottish Highlands. We both agreed that I would go back.
‘I booked flights and throughout this whole process we were in constant communication. I sent him my flight details and made sure the days were compatible and everything.
‘Throughout that time we continued to text each other and things were going well.’
On TikTok, Cora shared a clip 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 things and checked into a hostel in Edinburgh, sharing her journey on TikTok.
In a happy ending to the story, Cora met two traveling companions who also got matching lemon tattoos.
However, the Bachelorette claims Jack cancelled their plans just two days before their flight, blaming it on “family issues” before completely “disappearing” and leaving Cora in a “panic” with no accommodation booked.
Cora said: ‘Two days passed before my flight and his messages started to become less frequent, randomly. There was no problem. I had a kind of feeling.
‘Then I got a text saying, ‘Hey, I’m so sorry, family stuff has come up and I can’t make it this weekend. I hope you get home safe.’
‘He knew he wouldn’t be back in Australia for a month, but he didn’t try to change the dates.
“I think she made it up because she later apologized and said she felt like she was too aggressive and she didn’t want to get hurt because I live in Australia. Who would make up a lie instead of being honest?
‘This was our first and last contact after the phantom phenomenon, which began on June 19, the day before my flight, and continued throughout my time in Edinburgh.
“I panicked. I didn’t know what to do or whether I should go back and 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 with her.
Cora spent £140 on the flight from Birmingham to Edinburgh to make her second date with Jack a reality.
Cora now says it’s “very empowering” that her tattoo has a different meaning, while Jack’s remains a reminder of his bad behavior.
However, she didn’t hear anything from Jack, even though he was apparently still checking her social media stories showing that she was in Scotland again.
Cora said: ‘My friend suggested I go back to Edinburgh because there was so much more to see and I just couldn’t see him or talk to him.
“I booked a hostel to stay there for four nights. I didn’t get any response from him. I was posting Instagram stories in Edinburgh and he was watching them. I didn’t get any response.
‘No matter how you feel about the situation, disappearing is not an excuse. That’s the part I can’t understand. Just tell me it’s not going to work.’
“Leaving someone in the dark like that is crazy to me. I don’t know how you can do that. I think it’s horrible… while they’re in your hometown.
‘The result was positive. I ended up meeting two Australian girls at my hostel and told them the reason for my return.
‘The next day they ended up getting the same lemon tattoos as me. So now I can change the story. It was a very sweet ending.’
“It’s very empowering. It’s like saying ‘fuck you’. For him, the tattoo is still the same story, but for me it’s changed to a story of friendship and childhood. He’ll never forget me.”
The solo traveller admitted she still “loved Edinburgh despite that situation” and urges others to “know their worth” if they ever fall victim to similar “ghosting”.
Cora said: ‘He has shown his true character. He is the kind of person who ignores you after paying money to go see him at his request.
‘I definitely loved Edinburgh despite that situation. When I came back, I kept using Hinge to meet other people. All the other people I met there were really 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.
“Remember that you are a good person and that you are loved. There are many other people out there. There is a lot of love out there, even if it’s not romantic love.”
