We've told everyone about the first night we met, but not too many people have heard the story of our first date. After losing pool in exchange for Derek's number, we got to talking. A few days later, we arranged a nice date that consisted of Piada and a Movie.

When we arrived to Piada, I immediately realized my mistake; I was about to eat a bowl of Spaghetti and marinara in front of this guy I very much wanted to impress, and I knew getting red sauce all over my shirt was not the way to go about it. While internally panicking, I was soon put at ease by how easily the conversation flowed, and it was a welcome distraction from my potential marinara mess. Somehow, I managed to stay spotless throughout dinner, and we were on our way to see the movie.

We arrive to the theater, get in line to buy our tickets and popcorn (I now know how much Derek LOVES his popcorn), and suddenly Derek realizes he forgot his wallet in the car. He dashes off to retrieve said wallet, while I'm standing in line thinking to myself "well I could pay...". The thought did not cross my mind that he may be trying to leave the date halfway through, but he was gone awhile. Several minutes later, Derek is back by my side, and sheepishly states "I was looking in the car for awhile, and then I realized it was in my pocket the whole time." Nothing he could have said would have been more endearing in that moment.

After watching the movie "Annihilation," we both agreed that a dark sci-fi movie would not usually be first date material, but it was a great indication of our shared love of movies. On the drive back, we agreed that we didn't want the night to end, so we went to my apartment and started to play a 2-person card game. Over the years, I've learned that Derek and his family are card sharks; however, that night I presumed he was a novice considering he couldn’t shuffle cards to save his life. We ended the night with me trying to teach Derek how to shuffle cards; while he is still learning after five years and many dates later, I learned that small moments and simple dates can make a great love story.

~~Kate