This After-Date Behavior Is NOT OKAY

Many of us have probably been on that kind of date. It wasn't horrible, per se, but you just didn't feel a spark — and that's okay. You tell the other person how you feel, and you both move on. One guy, however, wasn't taking no for an answer. In fact, his persistence took on the form of relentless text messages for a period of nearly a year. Brooke, 24, told Refinery29 that after going on a date with James in November of 2015, she wasn't really feeling the chemistry, and their age difference was kind of a deal-breaker for her. "I didn't know how old he was prior to the date, and he mentioned how he was in his early to mid-30s," she tells us. "I was 23 at the time and could just tell that we were at different stages in our lives. I wasn't super into him, so I thought about it on my way home and decided that we shouldn't go out again." So she did what many of us would have done: She texted him to politely decline another date and let him know how she felt.

She probably didn't expect him to continue his messages for a year, despite having received no reply from her.

Note: There were several more text messages, but you're probably getting the point by now.

And it's not over — Brooke tells us she's still receiving messages as of last week, well after this clear "no" that she sent him. (Keep in mind that their date and the initial turn-down happened on November 24, 2015.) "I blocked his number for a period of time, but my friend convinced me to unblock him a few weeks ago to see if he reached out again," she tells us. And, lo and behold, he sent her a text message saying, "Hi Brooke! Good morning, hope you have a great day!" His texts may not be threatening, but that doesn't make them okay (and FYI, text messages don't have to be threatening for them to be legally considered harassment). When someone has expressed clear disinterest, it's not cool to then follow up by bombarding them with messages. In fact, not only does it qualify as harassment, but it also won't make the person magically like you — and, it's creepy. We get it: Rejection sucks. But this behavior is not okay, and it's unfortunately something too many women have to deal with. Just remember: If you ever feel threatened, you can report harassers to the police. Stay safe out there, y'all.