Each month, we set two daters up at a restaurant, give them free food and drinks, then wait for the magic to happen. This month’s Blind Date, we set Jackie and Filip up at Linger

Meet the Daters!

Name: Jackie

Occupation: Marketing

Sign: Libra

Why are you going on Rooster’s Blind Date? I’m trying to date outside of the apps because they make me feel like an NPC. 

What’s a good way to win you over: ‘Yes, and?’ people. 

Most irrational fear:  Cotton balls. The fibers crunch together, and it’s so gross to me. 

What’s your greatest strength? Being a goofy little dude. 

Do you want kids? No. Hard no. 

What do you geek out on? Bike community, libraries, the Midwest, the sun, amazing skin care routines, and second-hand clothes. End of list. 

Immediate red flags: Someone who has a bad attitude or is condescending.

Immediate green flags: Having a balance of silliness and depth.

What is your toxic trait as a partner? I am a D3 overthinker. I’m not going pro, but I have some skills. 

One thing you can’t live without? My one-eyed cat, Finn. He’s the sweetest boy ever. And my other cat, Pooter. I’m very glad she’s illiterate because she would be upset reading this. She would retaliate.  

Why did your last relationship end? Lifestyle and goals mismatch. 

Celebrity crush: Luke Cook. He was in the Sabrina reboot. 

Guilty pleasure: Watching Real Housewives while I cook because I have to see what’s happening with my girls. 

Name: Filip

Occupation: Data Analyst

Sign: Leo

Why are you going on Rooster’s Blind Date? My friend, Nick Ellis, referred me.

What’s a good way to win you over: Genuine interest, intrigue, and sharing passions. 

Most irrational fear: Walking through the aisles of Walmart or Target and falling and hitting my eye on the metal hooks that hold up items. 

What’s your greatest strength? My ability to analyze. I do it too much. 

Do you want kids? Not in this life. 

What do you geek out on? Martial arts, history, and mathematics. 

Immediate red flags: Impatience. That’s easily the biggest turn-off.

Immediate green flags: Intrigue. Passion for aspects of life. 

What is your toxic trait as a partner? There are often times when I play devil’s advocate, a trait I wish I didn’t have. 

One thing you can’t live without? Good memories to call upon on a rainy day. 

Why did your last relationship end? She wanted kids, I didn’t. 

Celebrity crush: Female: Zaazi Beetz. Male: Mahershala Ali. 

Guilty pleasure: UNREAL coconut bars. I find myself crunching on them far too often.  

Round 1

Petrichor: a pleasant, earthy smell after the first rain after a hot, dry day. It smells like summer, it smells like renewal. At Linger, formerly Olinger Mortuary, it smells of the rebirth of authentic human connection. Our daters, Jackie and Filip, brave the afternoon storm seeking something more real than the dating apps have to offer. After some mocktails and skewers, we pull them apart to see if a connection has bloomed.

How are things going so far?
F: I think really well! We’re vibing, and I’m really interested in getting to know this person.
J: Good! He’s really nice. I was nervous that he would be nervous, but our conversation has been really easy. 

What were your first impressions of the dater?
F: My first thought was, ‘Thank goodness it’s a person and not an idea,’ so I could get over the anxiety in my head.
J: He seems very self-aware. He’s very intentional in the way that he speaks, too. I can tell that he thinks before he speaks, which is not always my MO, personally. It’s a nice quality.

What was the first thing you noticed about your date?
F: I saw her tattoos through the puff of her shirt. I like that. I have tattoos as well.
J: He was wearing a tie! He was so dressed up. I don’t think anyone has ever worn a tie on a date with me before. But, I also mostly date dirtbags and musicians.

Is this the type of person you’d normally date?
F: I think that’s really hard to say after just half an hour. So far, she’s not the type of person I wouldn’t date.
J: Honestly, we haven’t gotten too much into hobbies yet, which is funny. But he said he likes going to shows, so that’s a plus. I like the mustache.

Where do you normally meet partners?
F: In the past, it’s been on dating apps. I’ve abandoned them. The involvement of private equity and, specifically, Match.com holdings has terrorized the dating scene of most metropolitan American citizens. Match.com is literally under lawsuit right now for fraudulent business practices. They are alleging that people with premium accounts obtain twice as many positive results as those who don’t.
J: In the past, it was on apps. But I’ve been off them for a while. The last person I dated was introduced by a friend. I told Filip, I also tried to make a connection from Facebook Marketplace. A couple came over to pick up a couch, and they seemed really nice, so I asked if they had any single male friends to set me up with. I also got a guy’s number because I told him I liked his mullet.

What are you most nervous about for tonight?
F: Putting myself out there again, but with a caveat. I’ve been on dates, but this is almost more of a reality check or gut check to see if I’m really showing up as my authentic self. So far, I think I am.
J: The fact that I knew literally nothing about this person. No name, no hobbies, no idea how old he is. Just nothing.

Did you get any advice for the date?
F: No. Nada.
J: My friends were saying to try to view it as an experiment and not a date. I’m feeling somewhere in the middle.

How did you prepare for the date?
F: I listened to some Fleetwood Mac, I showered, and I took a nap. I thought it was a nice opportunity to dress to the occasion and build in the idea of look good, feel good.
J: I did some journaling to try and get my wiggles out and I tried on a couple of different outfits.

How did your date dress tonight?
F: Great! It seems like she’s very authentic to herself. She came with a good vibe, and I think that’s most important.
J: Very fancy! He dressed up. He dressed a little bit businessy. I never go to dinner on a first date, so if someone showed up wearing a tie to that, it would be silly. Like, sir, this is an Arby’s.

What are you looking forward to in the next round?
F: Getting to know her a little more. Understanding more about what brought her here to Denver and learn more about what she’s passionate about. And Pad Thai, hell yeah!
J: Finding out more about how he spends his free time. We already did the what do you do for work discussion. He’s very ambitious. He has this business he wants to start, and he has two jobs already. I like that. 

Round 2

So far, the nostalgic scent of the rainstorm is working its magic. Jackie is impressed with Filip’s tie, an unexpected upgrade from most of her Tinder dates. Plus, she likes his mustache (or as one very memorable grandpa called it, the womb broom). Filip is instantly drawn to Jackie’s tattoos and seems eager to show off his own. There’s an intention and thoughtfulness behind their conversation, which they both agree is a welcome breath of fresh air. 

How was dinner at Linger?
F: Really good. Good. I like the skewers. I grew up near this super authentic Greek restaurant, so anytime Souvlaki is involved, it brings back some good memories. 
J: It was so good. I haven’t been here in a few years, and I didn’t realize how much veggie stuff they have! There were so many options for me. The drinks were really awesome. I can’t wait for dessert.

How’s the date going?
F: Really well. I think we’re vibing pretty well. She has a different taste in music, but I think there’s some overlap.
J: It’s good! It’s a little hard with this format because you get into a flow, and then you have to break it up. You want to keep going when you’re in your flow. He’s very easy to talk to.

Do you two have anything in common?
F: Yeah. We both like reading and being connected and involved in the community. Music is a huge connection and motif in our lives.
J: We have random things in common. He rides a motorcycle, and I have my motorcycle license. He does combat sports, and I like boxing class. Oh, karaoke is the other thing we both love!

What do you like about your date?
F: She’s funny and kind. I like her approach to life. I like her variety. She’s able to jump from deep topics to laughing about butt humor. That’s pretty important to me.
J: I really like that he’s very thoughtful. He also laughs a lot, which is good. I’m glad that he’s laughing at my jokes.

What do you not like about your date?
F: She’s very self-affective, so I can’t say that there’s anything that I can say off the cuff.
J: I don’t really think there’s much to not like. He’s not immediately goofing around too much, but I can tell that some of it is there.

What’s the most attractive thing your date has done so far?
F: She offered a brief tattoo tour of her sleeve, and I thought that was physically attractive. And she laughed at my dumb 7th-grade humor and followed it up with her own joke.
J: His eye contact is very good, and that’s very attractive. It’s kind of a power thing.

How would your parents feel about the dater?
F: I think they would say if you’re happy, we’re happy. I’m extremely close with my mom. I’d like to be closer to my dad. It’s a distance thing. He lives in Europe.
J: I think they would really like him. He seems like he has it together. He does have tattoos, so maybe they wouldn’t like that. But he has less than I do, so it’s probably fine. He has a good job, he seems like a kind person, so I’m sure they would like him.

What’s been the best part of the date so far?
F: Just like being able to relax into the date. Obviously there are cuts in the date for these interviews, but being able to relax into the date feels nice.
J: I was so nervous not knowing anything about this person, but he has been so easy to talk to that it’s just like nice talking to someone new and having it be a pleasant experience.

What could make the date better?
F: I think something like walking. There was one that I went back and read, and they went to a racecar track.
J: I like moving around on dates, like I get a lot of pent-up energy, so it would be nice to move.

How’s the chemistry on a scale of 1 to 10?
F: One of the nerdy math parts about me is that I don’t believe in scales of 1-10. I believe in this thing called fuzzy logic. I will use fuzzy logic to answer a descriptive question with a descriptive answer and allow interpretation through inherent natural English processing and just say very well.
J: I would say a 6.5. For me, I have a hard time feeling romantic towards someone right away. So, I’d need more time to get to know each other.

Where would you like the night to go from here?
F: I don’t know.  A walk around the neighborhood, and then I want to go to bed. I had 3 energy drinks today, and that’s not good. If there’s a karaoke bar around here, absolutely. I only know of the ones in Aurora, and you have to pay by the hour for that.
J: I can’t wait for dessert, obviously. But, I would like to exchange numbers and probably go home, but meet up with him another time.

Round 3

Maybe the summer storm is a good luck charm. Jackie and Filip have found their groove somewhere between deep topics and butt jokes. As they continue their date, we notice the flashes of lightning outside creeping closer and closer. Is it just the weather, or the spark between them building up energy and exploding across the sky? Using fuzzy logic, we’ve decided it’s their spark. 

What happened after Rooster left?
F: We stayed and ordered dessert and checked out the rooftop, but it started to rain.
J: We stayed and talked for a little while. We had our dessert, which was so awesome. And then we went to the roof since neither of us had been there. We hugged. I found out he is 6’7”, and I am 5’3”, so that was logistically very challenging.

What was the best part of the date and why?
F: I think it was the opportunity to meet someone new and have some really nice, authentic, and pleasant conversations.
J: It was such a confidence booster to go into this thing where I truly don’t know anything about this person and spend a few hours together finding common ground. It was a nice reminder that good people exist in the world, and dating doesn’t always have to be terrible.

Would you have changed anything about the date?
F: I would add a walking component, but that’s just because my hips got sore. I’m just old.
J: The only thing would be to be able to move around. He said that, too, where he said his hips were hurting from sitting so long.

Was there a goodnight kiss, hug or exchange of numbers?
F: A hug and exchange of numbers. No kiss, I kind of feel like the older you get, the less likely you are to rush into those types of things.
J: There was a hug and exchange of numbers. He texted me asking me to let him know when I got home.

Will there be a second date?
F: Yeah, we’re scheduled to get some coffee and walk around Cheesman Park on Sunday.
J: Yes. At the very least, I want to keep getting to know this person and see if it could be romantic. 

Conclusion

The storm may have chased them off the roof, but the energy lingered (see what we did there?). Jackie and Filip hugged and already planned a second date, a coffee-fueled walk through Cheesman Park, formerly Mount Prospect Cemetery, where bodies have been bubbling up in the rain since the early 1900s. How romantic! The rain might have brought them together, but they might want to save this one for a dry, sunny day. 

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!