River Blake, 23, from Louisiana, US, made the journey to Rapid City, South Dakota, with a one-way ticket after her date paid for the eight-hour flight, promising to pick her up to the airport
A woman has vowed to focus on her career after flying 1,151 miles to meet a man she had been talking to online for three years – only to be ghosted.
River Blake, 23, from Louisiana, US, made the journey to Rapid City, South Dakota, with a one-way ticket after her date paid for the eight-hour flight. But after he failed to show up, River was left to pay $1,290 (£1,033) for overnight accommodation and a last-minute ticket home.
She said: “I spent three to four hours at the airport running in circles – and when I realised he wasn’t coming to get me, I left. I booked a Hilton for two nights, met a nice guy through a friend, and he showed me the city. It definitely still hurts – it really rubbed me up the wrong way – but at least I got to do some sightseeing.”
River’s date first contacted her in 2019, saying he had seen her modelling work and thought she was “beautiful”. They had a lot in common and chatted away happily. On 9 February 2024, River’s date suddenly proposed to fly her out one-way and move in with him. She recalls him telling her that he was building a house and wanted her assistance in decorating it. He covered the cost of her plane ticket, and on 17 February, River embarked on her journey at 5.30am from Lafayette Regional Airport, catching three connecting flights to Rapid City, South Dakota.
“He must’ve created this dream life that he knew I’d be interested in. And built everything up, to the point of me going. I packed to go for weeks and months – he wanted me to live with him,” River said.
River reached Rapid City at 3pm the same day, spending the first hour in a cafe, working on her laptop. Her date messaged her to inform her that he was still getting ready and hadn’t left for the airport yet.
However, after sending her a selfie to assure her that he was en-route, River noticed her date was actually heading in the wrong direction. She explained: “Airport security kept checking to see if I was OK – and I wanted to stay, just in case he actually showed up.”
“He sent me a picture, saying he was definitely on the way. But I noticed the road signs showing he was heading West – but I was in the East. I knew he had to be heading in the opposite direction – and I messaged saying, ‘I don’t think you’re actually going to pick me up.’ He didn’t say anything – and we haven’t spoken since.”
River found herself stranded at the airport until 7pm, shelling out $290 (£232) for a night’s stay at the nearby Hilton. She reached out to a mate – another lorry driver – who put her in touch with a local acquaintance. The newfound friends hit the town, exploring parks and enjoying ice cream together.
“I’m still in touch with Tucker to this day. He showed me some pretty good places. I guess all’s well that ends well,” River said.
The following morning was spent chatting away with the same security guard at the airport. By 1pm, River was on her way back to Lafayette, facing an eight-hour return trip. Unexpectedly, she forked over an extra $1k (£800) for last-minute flights, finally getting home by 10pm.
River reflected: “I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. This just wasn’t my time – and he wasn’t my person, after all. I’m just focusing on my career now, and spending as much time travelling as I can.”
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