Alexis is a 24-year-old volunteer coordinator who lives in The Annex. “I don’t really have a personal style,” she says, “but I can make a five-dollar shirt look good.” Alexis enjoys cycling, watching documentaries, and checking out summer festivals. She’s looking for a nice guy who’s a bit awkward who wants to make the world a better place. Her dealbreakers are smoking and supporting Rob Ford.
My friend Mike told me I needed to meet better guys, so he offered to set me up with his friend Aaron. He showed me a picture, and my first reaction was “Super cute!” I’d never been set up before, and was apprehensive about the idea, but Mike described Aaron as nice and a bit dorky, which is just my type.
A few days later, Aaron phoned to ask me out. Even though his mom interrupted the call at one point—he was living at home at the time—we had a surprisingly not-awkward conversation. I don’t like anything fancy, and my ideal date would be genuine connection and witty banter in the least pretentious setting possible, so when Aaron said he liked The Annex, I suggested we go to Snakes and Lattes, a Bloor Street café with board games that’s always packed. I was so nervous that I showed up 30 minutes early to make sure we’d get a table. When Aaron showed up, he seemed nervous, too, which made me like him right away.
We asked one of the café’s “Game Masters” to suggest a few games to try. Unfortunately, he overestimated our abilities, and we failed to grasp the first game. We recovered with a few self-deprecating comments here and there. We played game after game for hours, laughed a lot, and maintained great banter about work, school, and my enjoyment of the word “portage.”
Later, we walked to the subway, where Aaron announced his plans to hug me before he actually did it; I thought that was cute. A homeless lady loudly interrupted us mid-hug, but we just laughed.
Aaron texted me later that night to say that he’d had a great time, and asked if I’d be interested in hanging out again. He also texted me to say good morning the next day. We agreed to hang out again after he got back from a weekend camping trip.
When I didn’t hear from him, I figured he’d either been eaten by a bear or he just wasn’t that into me. Mike told me that Aaron had decided to “stall” because he didn’t see how we would work out until he moved downtown, and was too nervous to bring it up. Aaron finally texted me, saying he would call me to set up another date, but he never did.
Weeks later, I found out from Mike that Aaron wasn’t over his high-school girlfriend, and that he figured the best thing to do was just never talk to me again so I’d figure it out. It hurt a lot, but I know I’ll find someone who makes me happy one day.
Alexis rates her date (out of 10): 7
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