"The date I dreaded that led to true love": check out these stories from chicks who were expecting a hookup from hell only to fall head over heels for a foxy new fella.(Heart Copy)

"One of my mother's close friends talked constantly about her charming son who lived 1,200 miles away. She carried a picture of him in her wallet, and it was quite possibly the most unflattering photo I'd ever seen. He looked chubby and had a mass of facial hair and braces. When he moved to town, she asked me to take him out and show him around. I couldn't find a way to tell her truthfully that I wasn't interested, so I agreed. Going out with him on a Friday night was the last thing in the world I wanted to do, but when I opened the door for our date, I almost fell over. There stood the most gorgeous man I'd ever laid eyes on. Not only was he totally hot, but he also turned out to be a sweetheart. During dinner, I told him about the photo and he said it was more than 10 years old. Our date was incredible, and we've been together for three and a half years."--Danielle, 29

"I was working at a dress shop that was due to open in a week, and John was the technician who set up all of our computers. He was a sweet guy and I enjoyed talking to him, but I couldn't get past his clean-cut looks and straitlaced demeanor. I usually go for guys with tattoos and facial hair. Still, when he asked me on a date, I said yes without really thinking about it. For days leading up to that night, I regretted my decision, but I could not bring myself to cancel on him. He was clearly nervous when he picked me up, but after 20 minutes of strained chatter, we started joking around and ended up laughing so hard we were barely able to eat our meal. I ended up being wowed by the things that first repelled me. I loved that he was such a gentleman and held the door for me plus picked up the check. None of the guys I'd dated before ever did that for me!"--Mia, 24

"I recently moved back to my hometown and met a man at my new job who looked very familiar, even though I couldn't place him. He was obviously older than I was but very attractive, so when he asked me out, I agreed. An hour before the date, it hit me like a lightning bolt. He was the father of one of my high school friends! I felt like I was about to go out with my dad. Gross! When the doorbell rang, I feigned a migraine. But he ...