BOTH Eric, a 34-year-old PR consultant, and Courtney, a 32-year-old associate media director, contemplated making a run for it before they met up at East Village French bistro Casimir. But the pair was glad they saw the date through because they ended up sharing the dining room with A-lister Matt Dillon. Given the celebrity competition, was Eric able to keep Courtney’s attention?
He said:
I got to Casimir a bit early. As I waited nervously for Courtney, I considered paying one of the homeless guys in Tompkins Square Park to sit in for me. But I decided to wait it out.
I was glad I did, because right off the bat, we got along great. We started talking about how weird it was to get set up like this, and the conversation didn’t stop from there. In fact, I had forgotten about the strange circumstances of our setup altogether because Courtney was that easygoing and fun to be with. Around the third course, I couldn’t help but notice that Courtney couldn’t take her eyes off of me. And to think Matt Dillon was just two tables away! She didn’t even notice him.
In all seriousness though, I had a great time. And although I don’t think there’s a dating future with us, I think we’ll remain friendly. There just wasn’t that unexplainable romantic spark. But I think and hope we’ll hang out a lot in the future.
She said:
When I walked into the restaurant, the host asked if I was there for the party. I almost said yes, just so I could avoid yet another potential blind-date nightmare, but I knew I couldn’t back out now.
I approached Eric and, from the second we said hello, I knew no matter what, I would at least be able to enjoy the next few hours. He was definitely cute, and we spent the next hour joking about this whole situation and then getting to know each other. The conversation was very easy and there really were no awkward moments.
During the rest of the date we covered all the basics: family, college, careers and what we do for fun. He was a really good storyteller and also a good listener, which are two very important qualities to have. I think the highlight of the meal was when I noticed Matt Dillon a few tables away and couldn’t take my eyes off of him. I completely forgot about Eric for a few moments.
The date ended on a positive note. We shared a crème brulee and called it a night.
I wouldn’t say we had intense romantic chemistry, but I did enjoy Eric’s company and I would love to keep in touch.