Finally! A new mode of dating! And finally a friend was willing to go with me. Actually it was her idea. She knows the woman who hosts the hilarious yet accurately named monthly speed dating event in our neighborhood: "The Internet Killed Your Social Skills."
It works like this:
10 dudes and 10 ladies wearing sticky unattractive name tags, armed with a sheet of paper and a mini-golfing mini-pencil.The ladies stay in their seats while the men rotate. The hope is to see into your dates' souls during the length of one hip song.Then onto the next.
You write down the name of your dates on the paper, and at the end of the night you circle who you are in love/lust with. If they circled you too the host/matchmaker lets you know a few days later. The rest is up to you.
My experience went like this:
I shared my booth with another girl and her first speed date looked really familiar. His face, his name, this bar. Wait a minute...oh yes. Of course. I've been on a date with that guy, Dave, last year! He was date #15. We met on OkCupid. Wait another minute...we actually had our date at this VERY SAME bar! What are the odds?
I should stop asking that because I think we all know since beginning this project the odds are very much in my favor just about every time I leave my house.
SWITCH! Dave is now my speed date. He sticks out his hand. I contemplate not saying anything to him, but who am I kidding? So I lead with the fact that we've actually been out before at this same bar. "Oh right" he says, but I don't really think he remembers. It's okay. It wasn't a bad date or a good date, it was pretty average. I would have gone on a second date but he never followed up.
Here he is still single. And here I am still single. Interesting. I don't really feel anything after talking to him again so I don't circle his name.
Afterwards, I tell my friend, Amy, about this amazing coincidence. She smiles at me like it's old news. "Of course, you've been out with one of these guys - you've dated everyone in Brooklyn!" Luckily I still maintain a fabulous sense of humor.
Out of the 10 guys some were nerdy, a few were sweet, but most were not my type - except my last speed date, Seth. He was cute, he was funny, he was somewhat age-appropriate. I fell for his smirk and his newly inked tattoo. I know, I know. But tattoos are sexy, ok?
So we chat. I circle his name. After the dating game is over I stick around to chat with him. He buys me a beer. I find out, of course!, that he is good friends with Dave, date #15.
My 100 first dates, like some time travel theories, are moving forward in a circlular pattern instead of a linear one. My life is getting very sci-fi. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing.
Seth asks me for my number and says we should hang out. I agree. He gives me a giant hug and picks me up. I love this, because I'm a tall-ish girl and we never get picked up. I ride home on my bike happy that speed dating was a successful experiment.
Within a week we have a drink date scheduled. I'm excited and nervous. Stay tuned for Seth, date #54 who is BFFs with date #15.