As a millennial, I can confidently say the idea of organically finding a partner through one's interests, work, and social circles is long dead and buried. We're all way too online for that. With that understanding, it should come as no surprise that I found my love, light, and landlord - Nicole - while swiping on Hinge.

For those of you who met their significant other by more old-fashioned means, the process is as follows: You see someone's picture, and then you (really should) read their profile. If you like them, you swipe their picture to the right - if you don't, they get tossed to the left. Nicole had significantly better pictures than I did - good work, Nicole's friends! - and listed interests pretty similar to mine. She also had a chemistry joke on there that I didn't get, so I kind of moved past it and kept it moving. But she considers it important that you, dear reader, be aware it was a very good joke.

Our conversation began with her misreading the title of my favorite book and telling me it was one of her favorites as well. After realizing her mistake, she kept the lie going for several weeks regardless. In any case, we moved fairly quickly from extraordinarily smooth flirting to planning a dinner date. November 11th - Veteran's Day - would be the day.

We chose to meet at the Halfway Cafe in Watertown, which is incidentally located across the street from a funeral home that has been repeatedly used by my family. Nicole was quickly made aware of that fact. I arrived first, and chose to wait for her in my car. Nicole, on the other hand, made a beeline for the entrance immediately upon parking.

Scurrying out of my car to get her attention, she graciously turned around and we exchanged pleasantries before hurrying inside. To our surprise, it was trivia night. We both pretended we weren't gigantic know-it-alls, of course. I did a great job of concealing my nerves - after all, Nicole's really pretty and it was our first date - and she didn't even notice me spilling my drink in the popcorn.

The night ended with Nicole leaving to get her COVID shot at 9:30 on a Thursday. At the time, I assumed she simply had set an end for the date in case I turned out to be crazy. To my surprise, she later assured me that scheduling a COVID shot at 9:30 on a Thursday is in fact a thing people do.

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