The Lin-Manuel Mix-Up: A Love Story in Three Acts

Act I: Swipe Right, Spotlight Right

It all began with a swipe, a shared love of musicals, and a box of Old Globe Theatre tickets courtesy of my work. Two days of Hinge banter later, I found myself blurting out, "Wanna see a Lin-Manuel improv play at the Old Globe with me?" My fingers hovered over the send button, then slammed down with all the confidence of a last-minute costume change. He said yes.

Act II: Stage Fright, Stage Right

My usual "fashionably late" entrance had morphed into a "barely not late" sprint. Heart pounding a samba. I ran up and looked around for FJ and he was easy to spot with his tall, dark and handsome mystique. Introductions were a blur and then bam, we were walking to our seats. I turned, ready to chat, only to realize… we were about to be seated with all my coworkers. Like, all of them. Even the ones I only knew through pixelated avatars. I hadn't met a lot of my coworkers at this point because I work remote. So not only was I meeting FJ for the first time but I was also meeting a lot of coworkers for the first time too.

"Surprise!" I squeaked, "Not only are you meeting me for the first time, but you're also meeting, like, half my office for the first time too."

FJ, bless his soul, just grinned. "Don't sweat it," he said, with the casual air of someone who'd been serenading me with Broadway tunes for weeks. He introduced himself to all my coworkers and charmed them as if we had been dating forever.

Act III: Improv Intervention, Love Applause

The play was filled improv-tastic skits and stories. Stories flew, volunteers got roasted, and the stage became a comedic mosh pit. Then, the final question hit: "Who had the most interesting day and wants to tell us why?"

FJ, this fearless knight in slightly-battered armor, shot his hand up. "Drove two hours for a first date!" he declared.

My coworkers' heads whipped around like theatre spotlights. "LISETTE?! You're on a first date?!" they chorused. The entire audience was in on it now.

FJ, the improv king, was undaunted. He spilled the beans: two-day text fling, parental home base, beat-up car, near-miss with traffic gods. The theatre roared with laughter. Our awkward date story transformed into the funniest skit of the night.

Strangers cheered, urging us to grab dinner. We did, and the rest, as they say, was delicious history.

Epilogue: Standing Ovation for Our Forever Love Story

So, there you have it: a first date that was equal parts flustered, fabulous, and frankly, far funnier than it had any right to be. We may have entered as strangers, but we left with a standing ovation, a chorus of "awwws," and a love story that even Lin-Manuel Miranda would envy.

And it all started with a swipe and the courage to say yes to a man who was willing to drive two hours for a date (and then wing it in front of a room full of strangers).

Cue the confetti, the applause, and the happily ever after. This is one curtain call we'll never forget.