Maybe it was due to global warming, or maybe it was because things were about to heat up (in a good way) between this man and I, but December 14th was a rather warm night for the holiday season. It was the Monday before finals and I had a three day break to prepare for them. I came home with the intention of kicking back, relaxing, and watching my shows such as "General Hospital", "The View", "Wendy Williams", and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show". His KIK message came out of nowhere: “Hey! What are you doing right now?” I replied saying: “I just got home from school. Gonna watch some TV and relax.” Apparently he had something else in store when he said: “Let’s meet up and hang out!” Part of me was taken aback, having only chatted with this man for two weeks. The other part of me was excited to finally meet this man face to face. “Sure! Where do you want to meet?” I asked. “Meet me at Union Square at 6:30”, he said. I told him that it sounded perfect to me, and that I will see him there!
I decided to walk to Union Square from my house since it is not a far walk at all. On my way there, my nerves were getting the best of me. I hoped and prayed that this man was as kind and funny in person as he was online or through messaging. I got there first and decided to wait for him in front of the Reebok store on 14th Street and Union Square West. Alex arrived about ten minutes later. The first thing I noticed was his height. Even though he’s only two inches taller than me, I noticed it right away and I loved it! He came right to me and we hugged as if we knew each other forever; as if I was meeting an old friend, but for the very first time. We asked each other how our days were as we started to make our way towards 5th Avenue. We had no idea where we were going or what we were going to do-- spontaneity at its very best! As he proceeded to put his arm through mine, we made the decision to walk to 5th Avenue and 34th Street, hop on the train and see the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center up close and personal.
It was a beautiful sight; the tree blanketed with thousands and thousands of lights shining brightly through the misty and humid air. It started to rain, but only light enough to sprinkle our faces. After admiring the tree for a few moments, we looked into each other’s eyes and smiled. His smile definitely lit up the entire surrounding area of the tree, which made the sight even more beautiful. I put my arm around him and he reciprocated. He told me that he was happy to be right there in that very moment, and I could not agree with him more. We decided to document this moment by Snapchat-ing and Facebook-ing and sharing it with our close friends and loved ones. Suddenly, he made the suggestion to walk 5th Avenue again so that we can watch the light show that they project on Sax Fifth Ave, playing on loop every 15-20 minutes or so. I thought it was a great idea, as the last time I saw the light show was about six years ago. We found the perfect spot and waited for the show to begin.
Again, the sight was beautiful but what made it even more special was standing next to this beautiful man and watching it along with him. When the show was over--which lasted only about five minutes-- we realized that we were both starving. It was about 7:30 pm and neither of us had eaten dinner at that point. At first we were going to eat at the TGI Friday’s on 5th Avenue, but Alex had informed me that the last time he went to that particular one, he did not have the greatest service. Ultimately, we decided to head to the Olive Garden in Times Square.
We only had to wait about five minutes before getting seated. I can honestly say that I have not gone on too many dates before meeting Alex, but so far, this was hands down the best first date that I have ever been on. I was having a really great time. Alex decided to order himself a beer and I just wanted a water, along with the bread sticks which were amazing! We both decided to eat the same thing: chicken parmigiana! It was delicious, probably the best chicken parm I’ve ever eaten.
While enjoying our dinner, we talked more about ourselves. I told him about my family and how I have the best--and somewhat crazy--family in the world. They are so open-minded and embracing simply because my family is very diverse. Different races and sexual orientations run through my family and it is genuinely one of the greatest things about us as a unit. I asked him to tell me about his past relationships, recalling the time I asked him what kinds of guys he’s into. He responded with “faithful and honest.” He told me about his past loves and how they did not work out for different reasons. I told him that I was sorry that he went through the things he went through, but at the same time, if those things did not happen, we probably would not be sitting in this Olive Garden at this very moment. I still have this thought to this day and it makes me smile thinking about how fate brought us together.
We decided to split the bill and make our way to CVS. He informed me that he was looking to buy a sleeping mask. Unfortunately the CVS did not have any sleeping masks and we decided to call it a night. We walked to the train and parted ways. As I made my way home, I could not stop smiling. This was one of the best nights of my life, one that I will remember for as long as I live. I got home before he did and waited for his text to let me know he got home safely. Sure enough and thankfully, he did. We talked for a bit about how great the evening was and how we were so happy to have met. I told him I wanted to see him again soon and he agreed without question.
In fact, we were both so eager to see each other again, that our second date was the very next day. It was also the day we had our first kiss.
