

Ellen Louie, 25, is a software engineering intern. (Photo courtesy of dater/ )

Kevin Likins, 25, is a sales-floor associate and a recently published novelist. (Photo courtesy of dater/ )

Interviews by Timothy R. Smith

Ellen Louie, 25, is a software engineering intern at a local start-up who would love to go on a date with a Shakespearean actor. Laurence Olivier, anyone? So we set her up with Kevin Likins, also 25, a recently published novelist. The two of them went to Kapnos Taverna in Arlington.

Kevin: I actually had a bit of an adventure getting there. I parked at the Ballston Common Mall, but I forgot that they’re undergoing renovations right now and I went on this epic journey around Ballston. I hate being late to anything. The idea of being late on a blind date was particularly mortifying. I was sprinting the last block to get there on time.

Ellen: I purposely got there a little early thinking then I wouldn’t have to try and figure out who is my date. So I waited until 7:32 or so, and no one had approached me to ask me if I was Ellen. I figured at that point I should walk into the restaurant. When I asked [if my date was there] they said he was right behind me and there he was. I was kind of thinking, How did you sneak by me?

Kevin: We exchanged names and shook hands.

Ellen: I’m normally a hugging person, but I was so shocked to turn around and see someone sitting behind me that I just extended my hand. He seemed nice. I brought up how I was happy that they chose this restaurant because I had heard about it and I’d wanted to try it for a while.

Kevin: She seemed a bit quiet. Maybe not the most comfortable with the situation, which is completely understandable. She seemed to get more comfortable as we found things to talk about.

Ellen: He was also a pretty funny, goofy guy. He told me how he had recently self-published a book on Amazon, so we talked about that a little.

Kevin: It’s a superhero story. I was flattered how much she asked about it.

Ellen: We talked about what I did. We talked about our childhoods. His mom was a Foreign Service officer, so he moved around a lot growing up. He lived in several different countries. We talked about traveling as well.

Kevin: She ordered the falafel, seared Brussels sprouts, and I ordered the pit-roasted lamb. It was absolutely delicious. Neither of us drink, so I had a Coke and she had water.

Ellen: We also got dessert. He got an apple cake and I got the strawberry sorbet. We did briefly talk about why we were matched together. One of those things we might have been matched on was we both don’t drink. To me that’s kind of a weak matching point, but that’s just me.

Kevin: The conversation flowed very nicely. There weren’t any awkward silences. [But] I don’t think she was at all interested in a romantic sense. She made it pretty clear early on that she wasn’t really looking for anything. She had signed up for [Date Lab] a year and a half ago and had forgotten she signed up, which kind of deflated me a little bit.

Ellen: Obviously it’s been a long time since I applied [to Date Lab]. I’m honestly pretty happy alone. I don’t feel anything lacking in my life that makes me feel the need to seek out another person. If I meet someone, that’s great. If not, I’m still happy anyway.

Kevin: She was a very charming woman. She definitely knew how to hold up her end of the conversation. As we were walking from the restaurant I asked if she wanted to exchange numbers.

Ellen: He said his least favorite thing about dating was the uncertainty after a date as to how it went, what the other person was thinking. So when he asked me if I wanted to exchange numbers I said I know you like knowing where you stand. I said, “You’re really nice, and while I could see us being friends, I didn’t feel a spark,” so we didn’t exchange numbers.

Rate the date

Ellen: 3 [out of 5]. I could actually see us being friends, but I personally didn’t feel any romantic chemistry.

Kevin: She was nice and everything, but being told that she’s not looking for anything put a damper on the evening.

Update

Kevin and Ellen did not meet again.