Going on a first date during a global pandemic is a risky endeavor. There are a lot of detailed, very unsexy conversations about quarantine and temperature checks, mask etiquette, and "where do we go if everything is closed??" Ben and Kaitlin had first started chatting casually on Hinge. Ben commented on a photo of Penelope performing on a dreamy, Brooklyn rooftop. Chats led to video calls, two to be exact. On both Zoom calls, they barely spoke about themselves. Instead, they effused and gushed over their love of theatre. At one point, Ben said, "If this doesn't work out, I would still love to be your producer." Kaitlin swooned. At the end of their second Zoom call, they agreed it was time to take the risk, to meet in person, out in the perilous world. It was early August so they wondered where they could go that was air-conditioned and uncrowded. "Let's go see apartments!" Ben suggested, adding that it would be hilarious to pretend that they were married and looking for their dream Greenpoint home. A bold proposal but Kaitlin, a clown and lover of chaos, was in. August 1st. Ben was late, stuck in traffic on the George Washington Bridge. Kaitlin was early and scrambling to find a place to pee. She found a small coffee shop and was surprised at how little she had to do to convince the barista to let her use the bathroom. (The pandemic had its small perks.) Ben finally arrived, very stressed and sweaty. He did a double-take when Kaitlin took her mask off to take a sip of her iced coffee. "She's hot," he thought. Kaitlin gazed at his worn-out, old boat shoes, and observed his labored breath and the sweat cascading down his brow. "What a mess," she thought, "but let's see where this goes." At the apartment viewing, they toured three apartments, a basement gym, and a dog washing station, all while making a terrible show of how married they were. "Oh, yes, we've been together for 3 years. Isn't that right, honey?" "Yes, this closet will be perfect for all your suits." "I don't know if this bathroom will fit your toothbrush collection." It was exhausting and, by the end, the realtor could smell something fishy. She was definitely wondering why these two idiots were wasting her time. If you're reading this, Ereny, we are still very sorry. The dynamic duo gracefully brushed off the 2-hour awkward ordeal and proceeded to their dinner reservation at the Naked Dog. Ben doffed his face-covering and Kaitlin exhaled. This was the first time she had seen him in person without his mask. "Oh thank god... he's cute," she thought to herself. She quickly quipped something to make Ben laugh and a glob of spit came soaring from his mouth, across the table, right onto Kaitlin's cheek, just below her left eye. Ben's face turned white and he frantically apologized. Now, a mistake like this would be mortifying under normal circumstances, but during a pandemic, a glob of spit on the upper cheek could mean life or death. Ben, visibly panicked, immediately started listing all of the people he'd been in contact with within the last two weeks. He swore that he checked his temperature before he left. Kaitlin shook her head, laughed, and nodded. "Don't worry about it," she says, "I trust you." Trust in the time of a pandemic, this was the new love at first sight.