Good Fortune

WILL A BROKEN COOKIE BE A LUCKY SIGN?

6 P.M. MYERS + CHANG, BOSTON

FEELING LUCKY

Kin I got my flu shot then took the T to the restaurant. My stress level was minimal. I just expected good conversation and food. Tyler I exercised earlier that morning, watched some of the Alabama football game, and took a quick nap. I was surprisingly calm, up until the moment I walked in. Kin He was taller than me. He was dressed nicely and had a nice voice. Tyler I thought she was cute. She has very kind eyes. Kin I reached out to shake his hand but he asked if I was cool with a hug — which I was. Tyler We rushed into the typical “who are you” starter-pack questions.

SWEET THOUGHTS

Kin We talked about our families, college, careers, favorite TV shows, dating histories, faith/religion. He visited my church not long ago, a neat connection. He is from Louisiana and I’m from Alabama so we connected on Southern life. We talked about how Southern beaches are the best. Tyler We both grew up in the South and went to school in New England, one reason I think we were matched. We were both humanities majors, and want to find meaning in our careers. Kin We talked more than ate. There wasn’t really a dull moment. I felt like I was talking to someone I had known for longer than a few hours. Tyler I thought she was cute, but she got cuter when she told me that she’s a third-grade teacher. She’s only a year older than me and already has a master’s from Harvard. She wants to become the US secretary of education one day. I appreciate the ambition. Kin We both enjoy sports and we talked about the NBA. Frankly, liking basketball is a huge green flag for me so that was nice. Tyler I like sports, but probably not to the extent she does. Kin We got shrimp dumplings, bok choy, ginger fried rice, scallion pancakes, and salmon rolls. We also shared a lemon and ginger mousse. All of it was super good. Tyler I ordered two Tiger Tails, a rye whiskey mixed with cinnamon, lime, and orange. Although she avoids alcohol, she didn’t seem to mind. Perhaps that’s a deal breaker for her, but if we were to date, at least I’d always have a designated driver. Kin The mousse had a fortune cookie on top that I tried to break in half but it ended up crumbling in my hands. It was mildly embarrassing, but Tyler made sure to laugh it off with me. Tyler I think she was embarrassed, but I found it endearing.

FUTURE PLANS

Kin I was meeting up with a friend after, and he was too.

Tyler I escorted her to the T stop, a 10to 15-minute walk away.

Kin We divided up the leftovers — he left me the most, which was considerate. He told me that he would like to do this again — so we exchanged numbers.

Tyler We hugged and parted ways.

SECOND DATE?

Kin Yeah, we have been texting since the date and planned another date. Tyler We’re planning a second date!

POST-MORTEM

Kin/A Tyler/A