You Have a New Match! I had clicked on my dating app accidentally the night before while trying to open another app that starts with the same letter. Instead, I launch the app. Instantly, a dark-haired Parisian wearing a slim-fitting black leather jacket smiles at me from his profile photo. What sense would it make to chat with this man? I wonder. Where would it go?
Why would he click on my obviously American profile? Are Parisians interested in chubby, half-Asian women?
I pick up my espresso and let the rich, velvety coffee aroma clear my thoughts down to the type of question that can either forge a new life path or land me as the main character on a true crime podcast: Why the hell not? Then a former classmate of mine told me she also connected deeply with an app date while traveling through Europe over the summer and has been chatting with him long-distance ever since. Apparently, swiping right on vacation is a waaaaaay more common practice than I realized.
So, how did my date with Tea Boat go? Tea Boat stared directly into my eyes and asked questions about my upbringing, dating history and romance philosophies. We both laughed, and after two hours, he reached his hand out and I took it, surprised at my impulsivity. We eventually found ourselves sitting on a concrete wall facing the river Seine, in a scene straight out of a romantic movie, shoulders touching, staring at the dark silhouette of the Eiffel Tower.
I see him glance down at my lips, and the same thought that got me into this date comes roaring back into my head β why the hell not? I turn, and he caresses the nape of my neck, and our lips touch. They touch for quite a while. As the sun dips below the horizon, the lights of Paris slowly flicker on, Tea Boat walks me to the metro station and we bid each other farewell.
