

Anda Greeney, 32, an entrepreneur and Erica Meissner, 27, a project analyst. (Photo courtesy of daters)

interviews By Amanda McGrath

Erica Meissner, 27, a project analyst, says she’s witty and confident (but humble), and seeking someone “social, ambitious, tall and impulsive.” Anda Greeney, 32, an entrepreneur, says hanging out with him is “guaranteed to be an interesting date” and describes his type as “ the smarter and more successful, the better.” We sent them to B Too on 14th Street NW.

Anda: I enjoy dating. I like the process, even if there’s not a connection. I’ve been on hundreds of dates in D.C. But I’m not seeking something serious. I’m the founder of a start-up focused on the coffee market in Yemen; that’s my No. 1 priority.

Erica: When I got there, I knew exactly who I was looking for. Anda is a really unique name; my mom and I kind of stalked him online and found out all about him.

Anda: You did a five-star job matching us up. I like tall, smart girls, and she wasn’t a pushover.

Erica: He’s tall but very thin; I go for guys who have a more masculine, in-your-face athleticism.

Anda: We talked about why we’d been matched.

Erica: He’s very confident, on the verge of cocky. It wouldn’t have surprised me if he had just said, “I want a hot chick.” He said a couple of times throughout the date, “I’m so glad you’re not fat,” or “I’m so glad you’re not ugly.”

Anda: I have ways to make sure [a date] is fun. Part of that is changing locations.

Erica: At B Too, we stayed at the bar. Then we went to ChurchKey. We had good conversation. He always had a follow-up question, which made me think a little bit deeper.

Anda: I’ve been on dates where I’m the one holding up the conversation, like Atlas. But she had no problem holding up her side.

Erica: He’s very smart, educated. But he’s a little creepy. Like he grabbed my hand and took my ring and put it on his finger for two hours. I wasn’t reciprocating, but he wasn’t reading the signals.

Anda: She was going canoeing the next day. I was like, I want to come, can I get an invite?

Erica: He asked about it two or three times. I t was odd.

Anda: I don’t hang out at 14th Street much. It’s too boring. I was like, “Let’s get a Capital Bikeshare. I’ll stick you on the back and pedal to Columbia Heights.”

Erica: I was like, “Why can’t I just get on my own bike?” But I was game. I was on the seat, he was standing to pedal. People were honking.

Anda: We went to Red Derby, which is a cool bar.

Erica: He tried to kiss me at one point. I turned my head and laughed it off.

Anda: We had a couple beers. It [was] maybe 12:30 at that point. She was losing steam. I suggested we go to IHOP.

Erica: He was very persistent about [asking] whether we’d have another date. By the end of the night I was like, “I’m not interested in a second date.”

Anda: If she’s not interested, I want to understand why; it won’t hurt my feelings.

Erica: He challenged me when I said my type was more masculine.

Anda: She’s emotionally mature; I was like, how is that working for you with more masculine guys? I’m in touch with my emotions and other people’s emotions. Manly and self-reflective aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, but more often than not they are.

Erica: It felt like he was trying to convince me I was wrong so I would give a different response. He’s a successful guy who gets what he wants most of the time. I think he just wanted to “win” at this date.

Anda: We hung out late. It was like 1 a.m.

Erica: I gave him a hug. On my way home he sent me an audio recording of him playing piano. He asked for my email, but I don’t think I’m going to give it to him.

Rate the date

Erica: I would say a 3 [out of 5]. I was laughing throughout the night. But the creepy things and the air of arrogance turned me off.

Anda: I’m gonna say 5. But I’d revise it if she gave me fewer

stars.

Update

Anda sent Erica the location of a lecture he thought she might like. She didn’t respond. A few days later he texted her a picture of a Belgian ale he thought she’d enjoy; that time she did respond, but it seems unlikely much more will happen.