I’ve always liked Latino men for their passion, so when Andrés messaged me on Hinge I thought, at least we can have some fun. He asked me out for ice cream first — I will not accept an ice cream or a coffee date — so I told him I didn’t like sweets. I may have taken this as me blowing him off, but after a few more messages I asked for his number. “Thought you’d never ask” he said.
Andrés said all the right things when we were texting… like the best part of his day was hearing from me; or that I was killing it as a first generation grad, homeowner, and dog mom who matched with him. He asked me on a proper dinner date but cancelled the day before by sending me a photo of a positive COVID test. We texted for another week and sent photos that made us feel connected. I already knew more about him than the last guy I dated.
Andrés showed up early for our first date, which I liked, but I’m usually the one to get there first. He had an accent, which I was surprised by, even though maybe I shouldn’t have? He was born out of the country but moved here when he was six. I was excited and anticipating this date because we had been talking pretty consistently. However in person, he came across as a bit stiff. He used his knife to push the food onto this fork. He was skilled at this method, as if he’d been eating this way his whole life. Seasoned at etiquette, not something he saw on TikTok once. When he ate he did not speak and put his utensils down during conversation. I must have looked like an uncultured swine at the dinner table.
The waiter asked if we wanted a second drink and he quickly said no and asked for the check. In my mind the date was over. He paid like a gentleman even though I offered. When we got to my car he asked me to let him know when I got home, hugged me then turned around and walked away before I could even say anything. I laughed and said goodbye to the empty space surrounding me.
I text him when I got home. To my surprise, he said “That was fun. Would love to do it again.” I was shocked. Not one part of me thought this guy enjoyed the date. I thought maybe next time we could do something besides dinner, but he didn’t really drink, so what else was there to do? My coworker helped me respond the next day. Overall gist, no connection in person.
Single at 30 