Aaron on Robbie
What were you hoping for?
An interesting date, great conversation and a delicious meal.
First impressions?
My first question was, “Have you ever been on a blind date?” To which he responded, “Well, actually I was on a recent season of The Bachelor.” I totally fell for it before he started laughing, admitted it was a joke, and I knew then the night would be just fine.
What did you talk about?
What didn’t we talk about? We covered everything from family history to the airspace control Oprah has, and eating McDonald’s off the floor.
Any awkward moments?
When I found out neither my date nor the waitress had seen Game of Thrones.
Good table manners?
I don’t recall any slurping, spitting or unbuttoning of his pants, so A+.
What did you order?
Turned out he’s a vegan and I am not. We went to a restaurant of shared plates. I let him choose three delicious appetisers, I got my carnivorous entree and we shared a brilliant orange sorbet.
Best thing about Robbie?
He doesn’t take himself too seriously. That, with his openness, makes for the kind of person anyone could enjoy.
Would you introduce him to your friends?
I’m sure I will. He would fit right in with my humorous and eclectic bunch.
Describe Robbie in three words
Present, inquisitive, enjoyable.
What do you think he made of you?
I hope I made him laugh, and think. I’d like to have come off as a mature, spontaneous and authentic individual.
Did you go on somewhere?
Our date ended on the street in front of the restaurant. After a four-hour dinner it was late – him with additional plans and myself with a hike back uptown.
And … did you kiss?
We hugged. I don’t think we made a romantic connection, so no kiss.
If you could change one thing about the evening, what would it be?
I would’ve worn more comfortable shoes. It was a stunning cream leather ankle boot, but at some point during the date, I thought I lost a toe.
Marks out of 10?
9. Romance aside, I don’t think it could’ve gone better.
Would you meet again?
No doubt about it!
Robbie on Aaron
What were you hoping for?
Good chat with some kind cutie who likes to laugh. Wasn’t disappointed.
First impressions?
As soon as I entered the restaurant, the host gave me this knowing look and said: “Oh my God, he’s adorable.” I sat down, already a little intimidated, but he put me at ease right away. I stumbled through some sort of, “Wow, so, what do we even do here?” and he threw back something like, “Oh, is this your first time talking?” I loved that: he knew how to poke fun without making me feel like a dope.
What did you talk about?
Four hours is a long time, you know? The usual suspects: how growing up only children has empowered and/or destroyed us. What it’s like to date in the NYC gay scene (“complicated”). His many adventures acting and singing on stage/screen. Whether the bread appetiser moment was special just for us because we were on some enchanted date, or was in fact given to every guest (everyone got it – disappointing).
Any awkward moments?
We played the “How old do you think I am?” game, and he was pretty convinced we’d been in high school around the same time. I ended up being three years older than the max of the range he guessed, which is actually a compliment I think, but also made me want to reach for my walker.
Good table manners?
I wish that were something I thought about at all. He used his hands to grab utensils and eat the food in a pretty run-of-the-mill way, which was nice.
What did you order?
I’ve been vegan for long enough that my taste buds have mostly died off. You just learn to order the only option on the menu that works. But Aaron thankfully took the reins, and most of the plates were shared, so he took one for the team at a Michelin-starred restaurant to eat mostly vegetables and garnish with me. That was really sweet.
Best thing about Aaron?
He’s got this way of telling these over-the-top, captivating stories without being performative, but he can also bring it back down to make the other person feel seen and heard. Earnest moment: there can be times and spaces within the queer community where we collectively trend towards positions of ruthless judgment rather than acceptance. Aaron’s energy is just pure light. It’s clear he’s got some seriously good vibes going on.
Would you introduce him to your friends?
I would! I hope to. If he gives me a 2, he can at least hang out with them, even if I’m not there.
Describe Aaron in three words
Present, vibrant, fabulous.
What do you think he made of you?
“How did this charming, hilarious, gorgeous, zero-red-flag-carrying gay make it this far without a boyfriend?”
Did you go on somewhere?
No, but did I mention we were at the restaurant for four hours?
And … did you kiss?
My oma reads this column! I’m clutching my pearls. We didn’t kiss. Does that mean it’s over? We hugged twice, which is basically a kiss.
If you could change one thing about the evening, what would it be?
Because of his line of work, it’s clear he’s an incredible singer. It could have been unsettling for him to sing at our table. Still, it would have been cool. I feel like our server would have been down with it.
Marks out of 10?
9.
Would you meet again?
I would. In fact, I’ve heard he hosts pretty epic dinner parties and hope to score an invite.
Aaron and Robbie ate at Crown Shy, New York. Fancy a blind date? Email blind.date@theguardian.com
