So to preface this have been out of the game for 2 years and then 8 months of figuring out how to human again. But today 8 months of hard work payed off.

So this nice lady and I matched on tinder. I've been using this app for the last 8 months and I had done everything but givin up on it. This match turned out to be real woman and after some messages back and forth, she gives me her number.

I text her Sunday and she starts to text me back. The first few messages I got back seemed uninterested, but then I hit a topic she was interested in on accident. We returned about 20 messages, and then i asked her out.

Yesterday she texts me to confirm the date. I confirmed and left it at that. No reason to keep talking to her thru phone when I can ask all the same questions in person!

Today I get out of work, shower, and put on one of my favorite outfits, and sat on my couch for about 5 minutes and just breathed. I try to keep my head clear and put some headphones in and start walking. I'm singing aloud with my headphones on the way there. I remember a tip about singing in the shower or something to just get yourself prepped so I figured this would work the same and it kept my mind off of creating too many possible outcomes. I definitely had outcome independence about 2 feet from the door, but not one foot more.

So the date. We are meeting at this sushi bar that has $1 pieces, $1 sake, &2.50 sake bombs today. I chose this place because she told me her favorite food at one point was sushi, and as I'm trying to be a chef, sushi fascinates me and I haven't eaten very much of it. I figured at its something we both have in common and it's a great venue.

I walk in and tell the hosts I am meeting my friend as she arrived a few minutes before me. I see her and walk to meet her. She sees me and gets out of her seat and we meet with a hug. I introduce my self formally and we sit down.

This woman was definitely more beautiful in real life than I think her photos let on, and I was pleasantly surprised. I noticed her glasses were a cool purple that meshed well with a black base. So I told her that and got a great big smile. Which made me smile and we held eye contact for a good time.

We had some great sushi, I had 1 Sapporo to calm my nerves a bit, and we just really hit off guys! I noticed I was keeping strong eye contact the whole time, she was giving me clear ioi's. I see she has a ring on so I say ok this a chance for me to do more kino as we were at a high top across from each other and there wasn't too many options. So I grab her hand and hold it while I inspect the ring. She tells me it's her grandmothers and an heirloom. She seems to respond well to the hand touching.

A few more sushi rolls and Banter later, she's laughing at my jokes and nonstop smiling. I keep grabbing her hand for a second when I'm laughing at her joke or vice versa. Ever more often, but never over the top. I notice myself listening to every word she said, and actually taking a minute to respond, with a slower, clearer, voice.

I try to move location but she busted up her ankle the other day and she didn't want to exacerbate the problem because my option was a bay toil river walk we have in town that stars a block from this place were at. No biggie we just continue on.

I excuse myself to pee, and on the way back, I get a view of her From behind and I notice the dress she's wearing is really chic and I didn't realize in the brief minute she stood up in the beginning. So I tell her that and she blushes.

After a little bit longer she has to go so we get up and i hug her goodbye and we kiss. She completely wants a second date.

Things I would do differently are definitely walk her to car afterwards but i went to the front door and she went to the back and before I even realized what had happened I was like, STUPID! haha

Thanks for reading! sorry for the length, and thank you seddit for helping me on this journey.