Cara, a 27-year-old actor and swim instructor, is a little bit classical; Erik, a 29-year-old consultant by day and musician by night, is a little bit rock ‘n’ roll. On their Meet Market date at STK in the Meatpacking District, the two found common ground with music and performance – though maybe not enough to turn up the volume.
Erik said:
The moment I walked into STK, I was amazed at how busy it was. This place was trendy with lots of pretty people.
About five minutes after I sat down, Cara showed up. She’s a very attractive woman – I believe my exact thought was “Hellooo, nurse!” But beyond her beautiful looks, she’s also a great communicator, and steered the conversation like an expert. I was more than happy to let her take the lead on that one – I like to let people talk.
Cara seemed like a lot of fun; she was bubbly, smiley and inviting. I think she, like me, makes people feel at ease, and is up for a good time and makes the best of anything. In this light, I’m hesitant to say we had great chemistry. Maybe we did, and I’m just not giving it enough credit. We laughed a lot and had a blast taking photos. It seemed like Cara was having fun but maybe wasn’t so attracted to me. Which is fine – you can’t win them all.
At the end of the night, I tried to get her to take my number, but she wouldn’t, so I took hers. I’d definitely see her again. We’ll see what happens.
Cara said:
All I can say is: Blind dates are awkward. But that was before I met Erik.
I arrived at STK on a Monday evening, and the place was really busy – a pleasant surprise. Erik was seated in a corner booth, drink in hand. He was very friendly, and our conversation was never dry, which is important to me.
It turned out he works at a temp agency that I’ve been in touch with before, so we had things to start off with right away. This segued into music – he plays the guitar, and I sing. We became so engrossed in conversation that it took us a while to focus on the ordering – a good sign.
I liked that Erik wasn’t afraid to initiate things. Case in point: I had ordered a side dish that didn’t arrive, and he remembered and flagged down the waitress politely. I could tell that this was just his nature.
Overall, the food was amazing with great company to match. At one point we were so comfortable that we shared headphones to listen to a song on my iPod. It was like we were really good friends.
Though there were no romantic sparks, Erik is fun. I gave him my number, and he assured me we would hang out again in my ‘hood. I hope we do.
This week’s couple Meet-o-meter
4 HEARTS I’ll die if you don’t call
3 HEARTS Definitely maybe, baby!
2 HEARTS We’re better off friends
1 HEART I’d rather kiss my super
NO HEARTS It’s not me, it’s you!
Cara 2 HEARTS
“Blind dates are odd, but that was before I met Erik.”
Erik 3 HEARTS
“My first thought was, ‘Hellooo, nurse!”