Each month, we set two daters up, give them free food and drinks, then wait for the magic to happen. This month’s Blind Date we set Cecily and Xavier up at Monolith Brewing.

Meet The Daters!

Name: Cecily

Occupation: Sales representative

Star Sign: Gemini

Why are you going on Rooster’s Blind Date?  My best friend told me to do it when I moved back to Denver. 

What’s a good way to win you over? Being funny, personable, and having a good social dynamic. 

Most irrational fear: The ocean. I was almost eaten by a blue whale. I looked directly down its throat at its thistly teeth.

What’s your greatest strength? Being able to connect with people.

Do you want kids? Yeah, maybe when I’m 30. But not right now. 

What do you geek out on? True crime and reality TV. 

Immediate red flags: Being mean  or unpolite to the service industry.

Immediate green flags: Humorous, has a good social circle, and drive. 

What is your toxic trait as a partner? Sometimes I say things before I think. 

One thing you can’t live without? My Dog, Jay, and my best friend, Grace. 

Why did your last relationship end?  He moved away and it got hard. 

Celebrity crush: Ryan Gosling! Always has, always will. That man can dance! I love a guy who can dance.

Guilty pleasure: Reality TV. Lately it’s been Say Yes to the Dress.

Name: Xavier

Occupation: Manager at Trees dispensary

Star Sign: Pisces

Why are you going on Rooster’s Blind Date? I did Hinge and wanted to try something new.

What’s a good way to win you over? Smiling and laughing a lot. 

Most irrational fear: Horses and fish. I don’t like that horses have their eyes on opposite sides of their head. 

What’s your greatest strength? Making people laugh. I’m pretty unfiltered and goofy.

Do you want kids? Eventually, but not right now. 

What do you geek out on? I like movies, TV shows, and sports. 

Immediate red flags: Rude to service workers, and can’t enjoy a joke. 

Immediate green flags: Smiling, laughing a lot, and  likes my jokes. 

What is your toxic trait as a partner? I interrupt people a lot. I don’t mean to.

One thing you can’t live without? Mac Miller and Mexican food. 

Why did your last relationship end? She was a big rave girl who liked to stay out until 10 am. 

Celebrity crush: OG Crush is Selena Gomez in Wizards of Waverly Place. Now, Olivia Dean or Ella Langley 

Guilty pleasure: Lime Scooters! I’ve had  5 concussions from them. 

ROUND 1

Walking into Monolith Brewing feels like stumbling into a really cool lamp store that serves really good beer. Dozens of lights hang from the ceiling, giving the brewery a perfect first-date glow. Just as the weekly bluegrass jam starts up, our daters, Xavier and Cecily, arrive eager to meet someone new off the apps. After a few jams and a few beers, we pull them apart to see if they light each other up. 

How are things going so far? 

X: Good! She’s really cute, funny, and can hold a conversation. There haven’t been any dead points, which is a good sign. On all the past Hinge dates, I’m always just asking questions. 

C: I think it’s good. He’s very easy to talk to and likes to keep the conversation going. I still don’t really know him very well yet, but as we get to know each other, that will change. 

What were your first impressions of the dater? 

X: I like that she’s brunette and has tattoos. I think she’s really cute. I was nervous about that. She got my first joke right off the gate, which is a good sign. 

C: I thought he was a little bit nervous, but he was very nice. He introduced himself right away, like a normal human being. I feel like that’s generally the kind of vibes that he threw out. 

What was the first thing you noticed about your date?

X: Her eyes. She’s got a dot on her forehead that I think is really cute. Oh, and her accent. I can tell she’s from the South. 

C: He’s very tall! He has very cool tattoos. He has these cool star tattoos on his arm. I can’t really tell if they are stars or dots or something. 

Is this the type of person you’d normally date?

X: I would say so, yeah. I’m usually into shorter brunettes. The whole time we have been talking about music, me being born on Leap Day, me crashing on Lime Scooters. She seems like she likes her new job. She has a good voice, so I imagine her being good at her job. 

C: Not really, no. I’ve dated quite a variety of people. I don’t try to date the same type of person. I wouldn’t say he’s the same as anybody I’ve dated before, but that’s not a dealbreaker. 

Where do you normally meet partners?

X: Through Hinge, bars, and through friend groups or mutual friends. Usually dive bars, not clubs. 

C: The bar. I really like to talk to people and put myself out there. I’ll have people approach me, but I’m not scared to approach someone. I’ll be like, “Hey, you’re cute, what’s going on? Let’s talk!”

What are you most nervous about for tonight? 

X: I was nervous that it would be awkward and we wouldn’t have much to talk about, but right off the gate we haven’t had any dead periods. It’s easy to talk to her.

C: I honestly wasn’t really nervous. I cold call for a living, so this is just another chance to get to know someone. I’m a social person anyway. I like to get to know who’s out there. 

Did you get any advice for the date?

X: Be myself and don’t hold back. I was saying I was going to filter myself, and everyone told me not to. I’m bad at that anyway. 

C: No. Everyone wants to know how it is. I’ve never heard of an actual blind date before. Usually it’s through an app, or somebody knows somebody, or you can see a picture or description or something. I’m showing up and vibing. I’m just a girl; what can I do? 

How did you prepare for the date?

X: I got off work 30 minutes before. I went home, put on cologne, change my pants. I was wearing some baggy ass hipster pants. 

C: I didn’t. I speed-ran through my makeup in 5 minutes. I’m wearing the clothes I wore to work, and I arrived on time. 

How did your date dress tonight?

X: She dressed well. It’s pretty straightforward. Nothing too crazy. I like it. 

C: He dressed nicely. He also came from work. 

What are three words that you’d use to describe your date? 

X: Cute, good laugh, a little sassy.

C: Kind, personable, funny. 

What are you looking forward to in the next round?

X: Feather bowling! And getting to know her. What she likes, what she doesn’t. That sort of stuff. 

C: I just want to get to hear a little more about him. Have him share some stories. 

ROUND 2

So far, so good! Xavier is relieved to find himself on a date where he’s not forced to ask all the questions, and Cecily, who is naturally a people person, is enjoying the chance to get to know someone new. After some Maria’s Empanadas, a shot, and a couple more beers, we check in again to see if the good vibes are turning into something more.

How were Monolith Brewing’s beers and Maria’s Empanadas?

X: The beer is really good. I liked the Celestial Meadow a lot. The empanada salsas are spicy! She was taking them like crazy. I started to sweat a little bit. She’s making me feel really wimpy. 

C: The beers and empanadas are a 10 out of 10. The salsa is hot! I’m a hot salsa girl from Texas. Their habanero mango is so good. The beers are fire. Everyone’s so sweet and the music is fun.

How’s the date going?

X: It’s still going good. The conversation is flowing, we’re laughing, and that’s all I really care about. There are no awkward pauses where I’m not asking every question ever. 

C: It’s good! I’m just still trying to figure out how we connect and what we connect on. He’s talkative and nice, and he’s been very forthright in his answers which has been nice. I couldn’t tell you if I would go on another date or if I won’t, but I’m having run right now. 

Do you two have anything in common? 

X: I used to work for a country radio station and she likes Tyler Childers, so a little bit of country music. We both went to CU. 

C: Yes. We’ve been able to connect over our education, weirdly. I’m a Montessori kid and he’s from a “Friends School.” I don’t know what that is, but it sounds exactly like what I experienced, which was nuts. 

What do you like about your date? 

X: She has a sense of humor, she only laughs at jokes that are funny, and I like the little dot on her nose. She has a good smile. 

C: I like that we’re able to just chat. More so, he seeks to understand me. 

What do you not like about your date?

X: She’s looked at her phone a couple of times. I don’t even dislike it, though. Just if I had to choose something. 

C: I’m not sure if I will go on another date with him. My attraction level builds over time. I don’t not like anything, but I’m just not sure what my future is with him. 

What’s the most attractive thing your date has done so far?

X: Her eye contact throughout the conversation. Straight up. It makes me connect with her more, and it’s more personable. I feel like I get to know her better by looking into her eyes.

C: He’s a really active listener, he’s very intuitive, he can hold a conversation and be nice and normal. I don’t feel threatened. He’s very welcoming. 

How would your parents feel about the dater?   

X: My mom loves everyone. My dad looks like Vin Diesel, but like 6’6″. He’d intimidate her, but he’s like the BFG. 

C: I think my mom would like him. He seems nice.

What’s been the best part of the date so far?

X: Us talking about her friend. And that she does not like to be called CeCe. It’s Cecily. I thought she would for sure like CeCe! 

C: The carefreeness. It feels simple. Something as easy as, sure, okay, let’s just be spontaneous. 

What could make the date better? 

X: Not being interviewed during it. The one that I read before I got here was the guy who was said he was super superficial. I started getting nervous about my date. 

C: I’m having fun right now. We can go play games or something, but I’m content. 

How’s the chemistry on a scale of 1 to 10? 

X: 8. We’re talking and trying to figure each other out.  But at the same point, there’s nothing physical or super flirtatious.

C: Probably like 6. I’m just not feeling like I’m getting enough from him

Where would you like the night to go from here?

X: Probably play some feather bowling if it opens up. I’m a go-with-the-flow type of guy.

C: I just want to have fun! We were both talking about the bars we like in town. I’m willing to exlore the city with him. 

What’s a fun fact that you learned about your date? 

X: Other than she can handle insane spice? She went to Montessori school, and she likes Tyler Childers, but hates Morgan Wallen and especially Zach Bryan. 

C: He grew up going to a quote-unquote “Friends School.”  That’s not something that people normally share on a first date. 

Do you think there’s going to be a second date?

X: I’d like one, probably. Not probably. Definitely. I’m going to ask her for her number. I’ll probably straight up ask her if she wants to go on a second date. Why not? 

C: If he asked me, yeah sure. I’m always down to get to know people. I have been prone to judgement in the past, and I want to get over that. I’m in a ‘yes’ mode. I’d go hang out with him again. 

ROUND 3

Cecily quickly puts Xavier to shame in the spice department, crushing the habanero mango salsa without breaking a sweat. Between bites (and Xavier’s spicy tears), they discover some unexpected similarities from their childhood. They are still having fun, but is this leading to a second date? As we see the feather bowling wrapping up, we pull them apart one last time to find out.  

What happened after Rooster left? 

X: We hung out until about 1 am, and then the bartenders took us to another bar. We hung out there for a while. 

C: We went out with people who worked at Monolith. I liked meeting all the people who worked at the bar too; they were all really sweet.  

What was the best part of the date and why? 

X: Just talking and hanging out with the bartenders was fun. We got into a big group and hung out all together, so it wasn’t one-on-one like it was for the previous few hours. 

C: I thought the restaurant was really good; the empanadas were super good; Monolith was super fun! I think it was mostly just super fun because we had more time to talk about in-depth things. 

Would you have changed anything about the date?

X: No, I don’t think so. I was a little hungover for work the next day, but that’s fine. 

C: Maybe a little bit more of an outside environment, but I wouldn’t want to change the flow of things. 

Was there a goodnight kiss, hug, or exchange of numbers? 

X: No kiss, but a hug and exchange of numbers. I texted her to see if she wants to go on a second date and she said yes. 

C: We exchanged numbers, no to all the rest. I’m not sure if I was completely attracted to him, unfortunately, but he was a nice guy.

Will there be a second date? 

X: Yes. We haven’t detailed out anything, but probably something fun again. 

C: I am happy to continue a friendship with him, but I don’t think there will be a romantic connection. 

Any advice for future blind daters? 

X: Go in with an open mind and be yourself. Don’t try to hound the person with questions. Just let the conversation flow. 

C: Come in with an open mind. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Just say yes; the person could be really cool. 

CONCLUSION

While this may end up as just friendship, we’ll still call this date a success. Xavier and Cecily stayed out until 1 am and made some new friends along the way. Monolith is a great place for a first date. And if the date doesn’t work out, you might just get adopted by the bartenders instead.

Are you tired of ordinary dating? Do you like free food and drinks? If you are 21 or older, then you may be entitled to a  Rooster Blind Date!

Click HERE to sign yourself or a friend up!