Jamie’s Perspective It all started with a party I definitely wasn’t invited to. I had been having a frustrating day when my high school friend Caitlin decided what I really needed was a distraction. Her solution? Drag me along to a birthday party for someone I had never met at 1776 Bar and Restaurant (now The State). Naturally, I got all dolled up in the process—because sometimes the best cure for a bad day is a good outfit and a night out. At the party I found myself seated across the table from Elias. Being the friendly person I am, I introduced myself. He seemed a little shy at first, but I immediately noticed his kind eyes and his smile. Not long after, I realized he looked a bit uncomfortable. The girl sitting next to him—who he had also just met—was aggressively hitting on him. It only got stranger when she started talking about how much she liked clowns… and how he would make a very good-looking clown. Obviously, the only reasonable thing to do was jump into this ridiculous conversation. Partly for the entertainment value, partly to help buffer him from the increasingly bizarre clown discussion, I started talking with him more. And the more we talked, the more the rest of the bar seemed to fade away. I learned he was a behavioral research analyst, that he played Magic: The Gathering and guitar, and that he definitely had no interest in becoming a clown. What started as casual conversation somehow turned into hours of talking about everything and nothing. Even though we were surrounded by a packed bar and partygoers (and still… the clown girl), it felt like we were in our own little world. Eventually the night ended, and Elias asked for my number. On the drive home, I texted him to tell him I had a great time. Our first date was the very next day. Elias’s Perspective I went to a birthday party for my best friend’s girlfriend at the time. I knew a few people there, including Caitlin, who I had met before. That night Caitlin brought a friend with her—a beautiful red-haired woman I had never seen before. Jamie immediately caught my eye. Her smile lit up the dim bar and honestly had me a little hypnotized. At the same time, another guest at the party had started trying to talk to me. I vaguely remember something about her liking clowns. Strange. Meanwhile, I could hardly focus on anything except Jamie. Everything she said fascinated me. From talking about Rocky Horror Picture Show to casually mentioning she had been an art auctioneer on cruise ships, every story pulled me in further. At one point Jamie stepped away to grab another drink, and the birthday girl came over to me and said, “Elias, you need to get her number otherwise I will for you!” I laughed and told her not to worry—I was already planning on it. When I finally asked Jamie for her number, I made sure to tell her something important: we had just spent four hours talking in that bar, and I had enjoyed every single moment of it. Before I even made it home, I already had a text from her. We kept the conversation going and made plans to see each other again… the very next day. I couldn't be happier that she crashed the party.