11 . 01 . 25

Joe and I first crossed paths after he moved to Estero from Manhattan in the summer of 2022. My first impression of him was that his hair reminded me of AC Slater from “Saved by the Bell.” We met for dinner at Bice in downtown Naples. I later found out that he almost stood me up, but his mom convinced him to go on the date (thanks, Carla!). I had somewhat low expectations of someone who took mirror selfies and seemingly spent more time styling their hair than I, but conversation was flowing, and we had natural chemistry. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Joe was actually a deep, creative and cultured individual, and that he and I shared many of the same interests. Following dinner, I proceeded to show him all my favorite spots in town to grab a nightcap. Unbeknownst to me, Joe was not used to drinking regularly but showed NO sign of not being able to keep up. After hours of talking, laughing and dancing (all of which were mostly on my end) - out of the blue - Joe starts projectile vomiting a bright red stream of carpaccio! It was then that he admitted: he was never a fan of carpaccio but had pretended to enjoy it during dinner, because he knew how much I liked it. He ate at least half of the appetizer with a smile on his face. In hindsight, I'm not sure if it was the alcohol, the food, or a combination of both that caused the ballistics of the night. But, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit flattered that he was trying so hard to impress me up until the very end (Although, I do wish he had tried harder to make it to a bathroom). We spent the rest of the summer searching for treasure during the aftermath of hurricane Ian, discovering new cocktails together at an enjoyable pace and indulging in all the best restaurants... (hold the carpaccio, please!)