Like many modern-day romances, Jenny and Jeremy’s began by mutually swiping right. It was December of 2018, and Jenny and Jeremy were planning, each in their own way, to spend the holiday season single. Jenny was taken in by the cats that adorned Jeremy in his picture. Jeremy appreciated Jenny’s pose but wondered why the photo was so blurry. Oh well. Jenny was apprehensive about online dating, but thanks to Mama C’s urging, she agreed she’d go on a date during the holidays to prove that she could. Jeremy was exhausted by it—and usually took the holidays off from the dating scene. But not this time.
On their dating app, they did the usual getting-to-know-you chit-chat, talked about the kind of relationship makers/breakers that seem simultaneously personal and pertinent when you are trying to vet someone you met online, and of course…shared cute cat stories. But they suddenly ran into a massive roadblock: OkCupid would not allow them to share cat photos. Numbers were exchanged, but then radio silence. Then Jenny got up her courage to send a single picture of her four cats, and it became clear that they had to meet at the only location appropriate for two cat lovers, conveniently located equidistance from their homes: The Shelter Cocktail Bar in Midtown. The date was set for 5 pm the day after Christmas.
Jenny was nervous and excited. So, of course she got to the bar 10 minutes and sat in the corner she she’d already have a few sips of whiskey in her system before Jeremy arrived. He walked in with his signature style: sexy-nerdy-hipster, with running shoes, a sexy bomber jacket and cute little glasses that hugged his bald head. She knew from chatting for weeks that Jeremy was cool enough to have a drink, but she was blown away by meeting him. She may have experienced a hot flash. She may have had to go to the bathroom to regroup. She may have sent wildly inappropriate text messages to her mom, who turned out to be incredibly right about jumping into the dating scene at just this perfect moment. His emotional intelligence (and his meditation practice!), his uncanny sense of humor, and the way he was sweetly, hilariously self-aware…it’s weird to drop phrases like “it was love at first sight” or “I knew he was the one the instant we met,” but when those clichés are true, they are damn true. He mentioned in his profile that he was an epic hugger, which gave Jenny the opening to request one just as the evening ended. It was sublime. It was the best belated Christmas gift ever. Painfully, though, the first kiss would have to wait…
Jeremy had a general rule about not dating during the holiday season after self-sabotaging expectations in the past. He had suspended his OkCupid account prior to Thanksgiving, yet he received a notification from the site, against all odds. There was something disarming and open about Jenny’s energy, and he was soon invested in their still vibrant conversation, even to the point of feeling disappointment and impatience about Jenny’s end of semester crunch. But the dialogue started anew and a date was made for December 26th. He was shy and slightly anxious when he walked into the bar, heightened by the labyrinth-like nature of the entrance. But then he saw Jenny (and that he had not been stood up), and he felt an alignment slide into place. Something…filled in. He found it easy to talk to another part of himself seated directly across from him. “Bus Stop” from The Hollies started playing from the sound system, and he told Jenny that he had thought from childhood that it was a very romantic song, something he would not have told anyone else. And hadn’t. By August 2021 she was mine! But he’s getting ahead of himself. Back in 2018 he was still floating with Jenny on the best date of his life. He felt like he could have talked outside with her until New Year’s, but eventually they would hug and melt into each other like warm magma. <3
The next date was set—for two Fridays away, a painfully long time to wait but necessary as one of Jenny’s best friends, Jessica, was on her way to visit Jenny for New Year’s Eve. They had an entire night planned with Jenny’s brother Chris and his friend: first dinner at Culinary Dropout, then The Labyrinth at the Loft Cinema. By the time dinner happened, Jenny had enough martinis to realize that she couldn’t bear to spend New Year’s Eve without Jeremy—or to wait until that Friday for their first kiss. She knew she was fighting an uphill battle—at one point he admitted he was already in bed because he had to work early the next morning. Noooooooo! But somehow, something she texted was enough, and she met him across the street at Dante’s Fire for more martinis. As midnight neared, it was clear that plans had changed—and Jessica transformed into the world’s greatest wingman as we returned to my house, ate some impromptu late-night, home-made diner food (made by Jessica!), and forewent the Labyrinth. As we talked and talked, Jenny kept wondering: When are we going to kiss??? Jessica strategically left the room. No moves were made. Finally, Jeremy said it was time to go. Noooooooo! Jenny and Jeremy walked gingerly into the catio (yes, Jenny has a catio), and Jenny realized there was no more time to waste. Beaconing him to the couch, she insisted on a kiss—and he initiated (technically). Jeremy recollects simply being pushed down into the cushions of the couch and into the arms of love.
It was the softest, sweetest kiss…the first of a lifetime. Swoon!