A recent blind date in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, turned into a humorous exploration of expectations and reality as two singles navigated their initial impressions and shared experiences. Jeremiah P., a 42-year-old antiques business owner, and Victoria D., a 35-year-old financial services analyst, met at Mamma Luca on an evening marked by laughter and candid conversations.
Jeremiah, who described his strategy for dating as inspired by the character Michael Scott from *The Office*, shared his excitement before the date. “I had a Mary Katherine Gallagher moment as I was sitting in my truck, trying to psych myself up with some ‘Free Bird’ on the radio,” he recalled. Meanwhile, Victoria expressed her own mix of nerves and anticipation, having found traditional dating apps unsatisfactory. “Nobody seems to take those seriously nowadays,” she noted.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, Victoria was surprised by Jeremiah’s casual attire, noting, “He didn’t really dress up for the date — he wore a big Carhartt coat to a fancy Italian restaurant.” Despite this initial impression, the two quickly moved past the usual introductory questions. “We were beyond the ‘Have you ever been married? What do you do for work?’ type of questions,” Jeremiah explained, indicating a more relaxed atmosphere.
As the night progressed, they engaged in light-hearted banter about their inexperience with blind dates. “We started joking about how neither of us had ever done anything like this before and we weren’t sure if Cupid was a scam,” Victoria added. Their conversation delved into more meaningful topics as well, revealing shared values around family and a love for travel. Jeremiah mentioned his recent foray into pottery, while Victoria expressed her enjoyment of arts and crafts, creating a connection over mutual interests.
The dining experience featured a selection of dishes, including shared mozzarella sticks, Margherita pizza, and Victoria’s Bolognese. Jeremiah found the food delightful, particularly the gnocchi he sampled. Their ability to converse easily marked a successful evening, yet there were signs of mixed feelings. Jeremiah sensed a lack of chemistry, stating, “At the end of the night, I think we both knew a fair bit about one another.” Victoria reflected on her initial reservations, noting that while she went in open-minded, she felt Jeremiah was not her type, remarking on his somewhat messy eating style.
As they concluded the evening, Jeremiah contemplated suggesting a second location but opted to keep things simple. “I thought about putting forth the idea of us hitting another place, but I didn’t think the timing was right,” he said. Victoria, on her part, enjoyed the company but did not feel any romantic connection, stating, “There was nothing romantic at all, but I enjoyed his company.”
Ultimately, both left the date with different impressions. Jeremiah expressed a desire to see Victoria again, even as friends, while Victoria felt they did not share enough common ground to pursue anything further. In their evaluations, Jeremiah rated the experience a B+, while Victoria gave it a C.
For those interested in trying their luck with blind dates, the Boston Globe has extended an invitation for participants to apply through their Cupid initiative, offering a chance to explore connections in a similar light-hearted manner.
