Dating Diaries: This date was nothing but spilled popcorn and an awkward kiss
the daters: Duncan and Tara
Duncan says: “By the time I met Tara, I had definitely gotten to the point where a first date didn’t make me nervous anymore.” He adds, “My dating life before that wasn’t very mature. I would meet people at parties and not follow up. This was one of the first times I actually asked someone out the right way.” He says, “I’m looking for someone who likes to laugh and can keep the joke going. I want to feel like we’re living the same version of the night. Also: witty, some pop culture knowledge, yada yada yada.
How we met: At school
Where we went: A pub and the cinema
Tara was my type, and the fact that I met her at a screenwriting class made her even cooler. At that point I hadn’t met so many girls who were both hot and interested in that kind of thing. When class ended for the semester, I DMed Tara with a gut feeling that there was a mutual interest.
We went out for an innocent coffee which went fine, and she said she was going to a club the next night. She told me to go. Naturally, I recruited a team to come with me. We drank a little too much beforehand and tried to get in through a side entrance before cutting our losses and going for fast food instead. That was right before Tara and I both went home for the summer.
“She said she was free the next day”
Ever since then I hoped to run into her again. A few months after our first date, before school started, I saw her at a party—I knew there was a chance she’d be there—and asked if she wanted to go out again. She said she was free the next day. I was thrilled that she immediately felt like going out again. It made me feel like the enthusiasm was still mutual.
We were supposed to meet at my house in the afternoon, but I was having lunch with a friend at a random pub. Tara’s house was near the pub so when I told her where I was she said she’d just come and meet us.
“She stood there awkwardly while we tried to get at least one of our cards to work”
Tara looked great. I had asked my friend if we could pay our bills before Tara arrived but when the server came over both our cards were declined, or rather they fell through. Repeatedly. Tara showed up while this was happening. She stood there awkwardly while we tried to get at least one of our cards to work. Unbeknownst to us, my boyfriend and I were actually holding each other’s cards and using our own PINs. I’m not sure how my friend and I had switched debit cards the night before, even though we’d been out drinking. Finally, my friend offered to transfer the waitress, and Tara and I moved on. She handled my inability to pay for lunch and the presence of my attractive girlfriend very well.
“Movies are for people who already enjoy being alone together”
Our plan was to go to a movie, which is usually a terrible idea. Never go to the movies on a date unless you’ve hung out with that person at least three or four times. Movies are for people who already enjoy being alone together. But I knew Tara loved movies.
We planned to see a prestige Oscar bait picture, but it was sold out, so we decided to see a horror movie. A horror movie is a particularly bad choice for a first or second date. You want to cross a few bridges with someone before doing one of those together.
The atmosphere was decent, but it was hard to get over the initial chaos because I couldn’t afford my lunch for her. I was upset and felt like I had lost my influence. It only got worse when she had to pay for the tickets and food as I had yet to find out what happened to my card. I found it difficult to attend.
“I went in for a kiss and spilled popcorn all over her. Catastrophe.”
Then, during the movie, I went in for a kiss and spilled popcorn all over her. Catastrophe. However, it turns out during the movie my friend who I accidentally switched cards with the night before found Tara on Instagram and DMed her saying she had found out she had my card. That made me feel a lot better.
I’m not exactly sure why my friend DM’d Tara instead of texting me. I’m notorious for never having phone records, but I think she did that partly because she was a good friend, and it made the situation less vague than me just saying, “Oh, I’m having lunch with that debit card girl changed! ”
After the movie, Tara went for sushi with friends. I can only imagine she had fun with that recap.
Duncan rates his date (out of 10): 4
