At 23, after a few heartbreaks, I took a long break from dating. Apps and going out didn’t work—until a friend convinced me to give Hinge one last shot (thanks, Sarah!). A few days in, I found a profile of a girl who liked family, beaches, and sports, just like me. Her bio said, “Give me a sport, and I’ll think of a pickup line.” So, I messaged: “Hey! I really like soccer, so give me your best one.” Half a day later, I got the notification: Hinge—Alissa sent you a message. Her reply? “A ‘like,’ a message, and now a pickup line? I call that a hat trick.” This is when she piqued my interest. Witty enough to not be a Google search, cheesy enough to let me know she wasn't cut and dry. I valued that intelligence both then and now. And THAT is how it all begins…

Alissa and I messaged back and forth for about 3-4 weeks, getting to know each other and wondering if the person behind the screen was truly genuine. We worked in different parts of San Francisco, and I daydreamed about running into her. Eventually, I couldn’t wait any longer. “Would you maybe want to meet in person for a drink or dinner?” She was hesitant. Of course she was and I wondered if I made too aggressive of a move. “What if she thinks I’m crazy? Too attached? No not me, I have to play it cool. On paper (literally) she's perfect.” She responded with a cool and collected, “Sure! We can go to Perry’s near my work if that's ok.” If you know me, you know I loathe parking in SF, and I was driving a huge SUV. I’d just gotten Alissa’s number (moved on from just messaging in Hinge…big move I know), so I called to explain: “Hey, I’m having trouble finding parking and I’m not familiar with the area.” Her response? “No problem! Do you need me to help you find something?” This was my moment to be suave (spoiler: I was not suave). We finally found parking and made it to Perry’s. Alissa had been speaking in a low tone all day, blaming it on “a long day,” so I adjusted, trying to be upbeat and full of questions. But most of my questions were met with one-word answers or short replies. The only real burst of energy came when she spotted her boss at the restaurant and shrank in embarrassment. Focused on the conversation and nervous about the first date, I did what any rookie would do: I ordered a seared tuna sandwich. In my defense, they're rare finds, and I'm an opportunist—but it definitely killed my chances for a kiss. By the end of the meal, I was convinced she wasn’t into me, especially after watching me devour that anti-smooch sandwich. As the date wrapped up, I offered to walk her to her car, thinking she’d leave remembering me only as "the tuna sandwich guy” (OOF what a gut punching thought). As we walked together I got my thoughts in order and cleared my head. Public relations was arguably one of the hardest jobs I’d ever done but I learned so much. How to speak, AP style, bylines, media training and the most important of all languages: body language. As I started studying her on the walk to the car, she was doing all of the cliches that she probably wouldn’t have ever known until she read this. Twiddling her hair, playing with keys, one foot meticulously in front of the other, direct eye contact…the list goes on. “Me?? No way is she into me or am I over analyzing? But the whole time she seemed uninterested?? I’ll take whatever witchcraft is at play and take a risk”, I thought to myself. As we said our goodbyes, I mentioned that I’m a hugger. She gently wrapped her arms around my shoulders, and I was completely mesmerized. With a soft smile, she said, “It was really nice to meet you.” Just as she was getting into her car, in true rom-com style, I awkwardly blurted out, “This is going to sound weird, and I promise I’m not usually like this…but can I kiss you?” She looked surprised, giggled, and replied, “Yes, you can. Thanks for asking.” And that's that! I sealed the deal on the best girl to land on planet earth. Thank you to all who read this through and I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing. Cheers and see you all soon!