HIS PERFECT MATE: The perfect is the enemy of the good.

JILLIAN SILVERBERG: 24 / graduate student

LAST THING SHE READ: Ruth Reichl’s Delicious

WHAT MAKES HER A CATCH: She’s a nerdy bibliophile who can bake kick-ass chocolate chip cookies.

6:15 P.M. M.C. SPIEDO, SEAPORT

> POETIC LICENSE

Eric: I saw this as the potential for new romance, ripe like the pomegranate which bound Persephone to Hades. I saw this as a chance to live life, experience new things, and ultimately have a fun story to tell. And if I’m going to have a first date, why not make it epic?


Jillian: It seemed like one of those “what do I have to lose?” moments in life.

Eric: I read the entire 30-volume memoir of Giacomo Casanova, that I may be sufficiently impressive in the amorous arts. Before the date proper, I took a series of long walks and lilted on the beautiful musical musings of Nikhil Banerjee, getting lost in the flow of his resonant sitar playing.

Jillian: The only “special” thing I did was straighten my hair.

Eric: We arrived at the same time. I saw a girl looking around with that “is this the right place” gaze that only comes with the nervous anticipation of meeting somebody.

Jillian: He looked friendly.

Eric: A long shock of flowing hair, crimson shade. An hourglass figure, sharp as a blade.

Jillian: After we sat down he admitted that this was his first ever date.

> SECOND STANZA

Eric: Think of it like two musicians playing for the first time. We felt each other’s rhythms, sought out the cadences and chord progressions to expect, stuttering, stopping, going into improvisations just a bar too long.

Jillian: We talked about literature and traded favorite book titles. He was writing a novel, had been [in] the play version of the movie The Room, and went Emerson College.


Eric: I discovered her literary, film, and various interests, which, more often than not, coincided with my own. A shared love of reading, Tolkien, Rock Band, opinions on feminism, Gamergate, a love of nerdy things, a penchant for long-windedness.

Jillian: We both went for pasta dishes and sides. The food itself was definitely the highlight of the date.

> A COUPLET OR NOT?

Eric: Continuing with the music metaphor, after we got a feel for the tempo and rhythm, we got into a pleasant groove.

Jillian: We walked back to South Station together to get to the T. I invited him to walk with me. I thought it would be a nice thing to do.

Eric: When we were walking back, I got the vibe that this isn’t going to develop further romantically.

Jillian: I knew that I was not interested. His lack of dating experience was admittedly a turn off. It was nice that he was honest, but I am looking for someone with more dating experience.

Eric: We got along, she was attractive, but that little spark that sets aflame the passions was unfortunately absent. I can’t speak for her, but I didn’t feel it. Oh well, c’est la vie.

Jillian: The date ended with him saying that he will find me on Facebook.

> SECOND DATE?

Eric: Not a date, but maybe hang out as friends and see where the winds of life take things.


Jillian: If he wants to be friends I’d be cool with that.

> POST-MORTEM

Eric: B+

Jillian: C+

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