[uplifting music playing]
[indistinct chatter]
Did I do anything wrong in the date?
[Cian] I don't think so. I think he just got a bit overwhelmed.
I know he gets nervous, and it's okay.
[sighs]
[Solomon] Yeah, I'm so sorry.
That's okay. [chuckles]
-Um, can I just tell you something? -Yeah, go ahead.
-You look really great. -Oh, thank you so much.
And you do too.
Wow. Thank you.
[both chuckle]
Good-looking.
Is it cool if I read you a poem of mine that I kinda wrote?
'Cause I'm passionate about my writing.
[Dani giggles]
-Is it cool? -Yeah.
All right. I just wanted to tell you
that I'm clinging to your beautiful, divine, lovely soul.
You're the most magnificent, lovely girl in the world
with so many beautiful jewels and stars in your soul and heart.
It's like you're a precious angel out of the blue.
But it's your beautiful heart and soul that are for keeps.
Wow.
Don't forget how amazing, precious, divine, beautiful girl
that's made for eternity.
That describes me.
It made lots of sense.
It's the truth.
And I think you would be the right guy.
A good fit.
-Wow. [chuckles] -[Dani giggles]
You just, like, make me-- Wow. [laughs]
[laughs]
Oh dear.
This is--
[both laugh]
Wow, I'm so sorry.
That's okay! [laughs]
There's nothing to be sorry about. Don't need to apologize.
I don't know. [laughs]
This Law of Attraction just probably brought the right soul mate for me.
Like, wow, like, you know?
[both laughing]
I got the giggles.
Oh my gosh, I think I found the right match.
The soul mate's here.
It's like some Prince Charming just comes to me.
It's coming!
It's definitely coming.
I…
[Solomon] You okay?
I have feelings for you.
I'm falling for you.
Falling for you.
Now you make my heart explode.
I'll make your beautiful heart happy.
Trust me.
It just exploded, like, wow.
I feel so intimate.
Like I could hug you. Like…
-You want to hold my hand? -I do.
[sighs]
My boy.
[Solomon chuckles]
[Dani] My divine boy.
My heart's telling me
that I should… kiss this beautiful, divine girl,
and that's you.
If my eyes are closed, what then, should divine…
-Like, right now? -…dear Solomon…
[sighs]
I'm like…
-Oh! -[Solomon] One more time.
-It's… -[Solomon] I know.
I feel it!
I can feel it.
I'm sorry. It's like, my heart's telling me.
It's like a dream.
Can I hug you right now?
[Dani] You can.
[Dani] We need to get to know each other a little bit more.
[Cian] It went pretty well, it seems like.
It went pretty well, like… [sighs]
I really, really blushed
of how much Solomon was, like, very passionate
and so much of a… what, how he describes what is called divine love.
I'm, like, all fluttered
and, like, oh my gosh,
that's love on my first blind date.
There's nothing to be nervous about when you're kissing a girl.
I never really, like, actually kissed a girl,
like, a real kiss.
-You know what I mean? -Yeah.
[Solomon] I'm feeling really good.
Like, literally the best moment in my life.
-[Cian] Was that your first kiss? -Yeah.
I'm being honest, dude.
It's my first kiss, an actual kiss,
because in high school, I mean, it was, like, not a real kiss.
But with this one, it's a real genuine kiss.
[Solomon] I have so much to tell my mom and dad tonight.
[Dani sighs]
[Cian] James, are you the kind of person who likes things to be planned
and scheduled and organized?
Very much so, yes.
Organization is a very big part of my life.
I keep my bedroom very neat and organized.
And, yes, I like making plans well in advance.
So it's… it can be very difficult for me to have my plans ruined.
[narrator] It's Saturday in Massachusetts,
and tonight, James will be heading out for a dinner date.
-[Lawrence] All set? -No, I cannot find it!
-Find what, James? -My checkbook.
Is it on the chair?
Did you bring it with you?
[James] Yeah, I had it with me at the bank,
and then, um… I know I had it in my hand as I left the bank.
Call the bank up.
This is a coffee mug that James gave me
back when he was three or four.
"I love Daddy!"
[Cian chuckles]
And "Daddy loves me!"
-[Cian] Oh, that's great. -It's my favorite mug.
[James] I can't risk losing this.
All right, do you want me to drive out to the, um, bank and look around?
Yes, you'll have to go to both banks, please.
[June] All right.
[James] Damn it!
He doesn't usually lose things.
[Cian] I'm sure.
-But he's excited probably and… -[Cian] It's a big day.
[James] Oh fuck!
-He's-- -[James] I had it with me the whole time!
-It's here? -[James] Yes.
All right, hang on. Let me call your mother.
-[gasps] I can't believe it! -All right, James, believe it.
It's okay, James.
-Are you calling her? -Yes.
Yes, I had it in my desk the whole time!
I'm sorry!
Okay, yes, there's no emergency.
[Cian] When it comes to dating, what are your concerns?
[sighs] That I will never find a person who is right for me,
that I'll never find an ideal match.
What does that feel like for you?
Cold, crushing, and all-consuming.
Yes. It's not something I wish to contemplate.
[June] They look a little better than the blue jeans.
Lawrence!
[Lawrence] Hello?
[June] Which do you think James would look better in?
I would think, if you're going to a restaurant in Boston,
to impress a young lady,
dungarees are not the way to go.
Dad, these are terribly uncomfortable!
-Yeah, all right. How about one of these? -No. No.
[Lawrence] Do you have a belt?
-[James] Of course. I always wear a belt. -[chuckles]
-[Cian] How're you feeling about today? -Well, I am-- I'm nervous, obviously.
That's only natural,
but I have practice and I have experience now,
so, yes, it will…
I'm sure it will be just fine.
I'm excited to see what your hair's gonna look like.
He wants it the same color.
-He wants to leave it blond? -[June] Yeah.
But I'm hopin' they'll trim it a little bit.
Did I ever tell you that I offered James $500 to cut his hair?
-[June laughing] No! -He didn't take it.
-He wouldn't take it? -No. He said that "The hair is me."
This doesn't look too bad, does it?
-It's fine. I think it's fine. -Oh, okay.
[Cian] James, your dad was just telling us
that he once offered you $500 to cut your hair.
Yeah, I didn't know that! You didn't tell me that!
Yeah, I know, but I like my hair though.
[stuttering]
It's a matter of principle.
Um, what if the woman orders something expensive?
-That's fine! -Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter.
-Pay for it. -[sighs]
And don't just order chicken wings or something
'cause you're gonna make her feel bad, okay?
-Yes, Mom. -If she orders something expensive, fine.
It's only money, James.
Uh, yes, Dad.
The purpose of a first date is to get a second date.
Ugh.
-Give me a hug before you go on your date. -Yes, yes, all right.
-Thank you. -Okay, relax.
-Have you shaved? -Yes, I did earlier.
I'm just… I'm sure I'll be fine.
-Okay. -Yes.
-Good. -[June] We'll see you tonight.
-Yes. Yes. -[June] Tell us all about it.
-Yes. I'm certain I'll see you soon also. -[June] Can't wait to hear!
-Yes, thank you. -[Lawrence] Bye-bye.
-[June] Bye! -Yes, goodbye, yes. Ugh.
-[Cian] Hello. -Hi.
My name is Kaelynn, I'm 24 years old, and I'm single,
and I'm looking for a boyfriend.
[Cian] Why do you want to find love?
I don't want to die alone.
Um, I don't know.
It… Being around people is draining, but I don't like being alone.
I like to be with my friends. I like to be with my family.
I don't like to be really alone
just day to day.
So I think having love, having a boyfriend,
would really, I don't know, be helpful.
I basically have every learning disability you could have.
Um, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD,
and autism.
Um, it makes a lot of the different aspects of my life challenging.
Um, so education, work, home life,
everything is affected by it.
[narrator] Kaelynn lives in South Carolina with her best friend, Gracie.
[Gracie] Watching you come down the stairs feels like a prom moment.
I'm just like, "Oh! There she is!"
[Kaelynn] Sit.
Okay.
-I think he's all wet. -Oh no! [chuckles]
[Kaelynn] We've got labels on basically everything.
This is my Finnegan cabinet with all my dog stuff.
Um, we put the labels on because I get frustrated
when I'm trying to put stuff away, and I don't know where things go.
And this is the tea drawer.
Oven mitts, cooking stuff.
-[Cian] It's a very organized household. -Yes.
It has to be. Otherwise it would probably fall apart.
[Cian] What age were you diagnosed with autism?
I was ten.
[Cian] And what does it mean for you?
It definitely affects my social interactions.
It's hard to know what to say and what to do at the right times,
and that's kind of I think contributed to my dating life
and how it's so difficult.
Here you go.
Oh, cute. I'm in your profile! [laughs]
Yes, you are!
"In search of something real with someone whose thoughts are deep."
"I'm different, I am energetic,
and to say I'm a dog lover is an understatement."
"Thumbs-down capitalism."
Yeah, I was trying to be subtle!
All right, back to swipe.
This guy, he's a test driver at BMW.
-But-- -But?
Dead fish.
[Gracie] Oh no.
[Kaelynn] This was literally the first guy.
They always do.
-Nope. -Nope.
[Gracie] I feel like we're particularly brutal at this game.
I mean, I've just been doing it for a while, so I have no tolerance.
-Oh! There it is! -There's the deer.
-There's the dead animal. -[Kaelynn] There's the dead animal.
Swipe.
-Um, look at this message you just got. -Oh, I got a message.
"Thick thighs may save lives, but yours will ruin mine."
-What does that mean? -[laughs]
It's a sex reference.
-He's saying you'll ruin him with-- -With my thighs?
Like is the… I'm sorry. I don't get…
Like, normally I do, but I don't get this one.
That's a lot for the first, um, message exchange.
[Kaelynn] I think maybe no.
In other news, he's promising.
-[Gracie] He's cute. -[Kaelynn] Mm-hmm.
He likes environmentalism and he's vegan!
I mean, I'm not vegan,
but I like trees.
[laughs]
-[Kaelynn] I like him. -All right, swipe him.
Oh no! I swiped the wrong way!
Do the thing where you go back! [laughs]
I think you shake it.
It won't… How do you get it back?!
No!
Oh, I cannot believe I did that.
I'm just so used to, like, swiping that way
that I didn't swipe this way.
[grunts] Ha.
[Gracie] Anyone who meets Kaelynn,
after a little while, quickly kind of falls under her spell.
She's got an infectious personality,
so you're, like…
you're gonna be her friend whether you signed up for that or not.
Look!
Come here. Come get the mist!
You like it?
[Gracie] She's a little, like,
over-the-top, excited, bubbly kind of person
and so she needs someone cool, calm, collected, consistent
that appreciates her strengths.
Sometimes it can be challenging
to find someone who doesn't write her off based off a diagnosis.
She means the world to me.
And if she wants a partner, I want her to have one.
You know, I want her to have a family if she wants one,
have a house if she wants one.
But if she decides she doesn't, I'll keep her.
[Abbey] Sorry, Clemmy, it's time for a little surgery.
[Christine] You gotta sit down all the way now.
You're so good! Good girl!
We got the injury covered.
Now just cut it for me.
Where?
Right about here.
-There? -Yeah.
[Abbey] Oh, it's time for a treat, I think.
[Cian] How have you been feeling since your date with David?
Good. I'd love to go out with him again, but I just don't know when.
-I'll think about it. I'm not sure yet. -[Christine] What did you want to do?
Go to a water park with him, like Hurricane Harbor.
Go to the zoo.
-Ice cream. -[laughs]
Hike, In-N-Out picnic.
[Cian] Good. So you had fun on that date?
I did.
[Cian] I think you guys have a lot in common.
Yeah. We… His favorite animal's a lion.
So is mine.
What did you tell me about dating, that you felt? Remember you told--
-A little nervous. -Yeah.
It's normal.
[Christine] Sometimes you feel nervous when you first meet someone, right?
It's very normal to get nervous.
[Christine] It is normal to get nervous, and you know what?
You could even tell David, "Hey, David, I'm nervous right now."
I'm nervous right now.
-And you know what he might say? -[Abbey] Yeah.
"Me too."
So how many dates did you say you want to go out with David with?
-Like, five dates to get to know him. -Yes!
But I'd like to do something that's related to swimming
'cause I want to be like a mermaid.
Well, you guys could figure it out if you get together again and talk about it.
Right. Everyone is different.
-[Christine] Correct. -Whether you're on the spectrum or not.
Correct, and when you're dating, it's about learning who somebody is,
and none of that has anything to do with autism.
Just putting on my makeup.
-[Cian] What's happening today, Dani? -It's my next date with Solomon.
[Cian] How you feeling about that?
I'm just so excited to get to know him more.
I really wanna learn,
not just from the outside, but inside of him.
So, are you ready for this?
I'm ready.
And remember, just be cool.
Right?
-And I better control myself. -What do you mean by that?
Try not to get too excited about seeing Solomon again,
and, um, well, I just need to get to know him a little bit more
before the kiss.
Okay, well…
Like, I will say it's so nice and sweet that we did kiss on the first date.
It's totally my mistake, but I hope you understand.
I think he'll understand. If he's nice guy, he'll understand. Just…
Who knows? Live and learn.
Okay.
I still need to get to know Solomon a little bit more.
And what I really need from a boyfriend is that he can understand animation.
He could also understand the business world.
He has to have the knowledge about how business works,
like an entrepreneur.
[Sandy] Well, Dani, you have to keep an open mind.
There's no such thing as a perfect person.
All right.
Enjoy yourself, and just be yourself and have a good time, remember?
Thanks, Sandy.
Bye, Sandy.
Bye!
Hi, my name is Subodh.
I am 32, and I have been single for 32 years.
[Cian] Your whole life.
My whole life.
I live in Los Angeles with my sister.
I've been on the autism spectrum since age five.
[Cian] How would you describe yourself?
Energetic, enthusiastic, excellent,
nice, smart, and…
and pretty.
-And are you looking for love? -Yes, I am looking for love.
I'm saying yes!
[narrator] It's Subodh's 33rd birthday
and he's at his parents' house preparing for a party.
His mother, Anju, has been planning the celebration for days.
I know Subodh would be an excellent cook for whoever wants to be with him.
-[sister] Yes. -He loves to cook.
Do you remember what age did you start cooking, Subodh?
[Subodh] Twenty-three?
No! At age eight.
-[Subodh] Eight. -[mom] Yes.
[sister] He started cooking on his own at 23, though.
Yeah, and that's when he moved out.
Subodh, now he's 33 years old,
and wow, what… what an incredible journey it is.
He has really grown from a little child who couldn't talk at age five
to a person who is now living independently, working.
So… I'm sorry. [laughs]
I'm having a little cry thinking about the whole journey.
[Cian] How much would it mean to you if Subodh found love?
Oh, you have no idea.
I'll feel…
I'll feel relieved.
I truly would.
I will feel like I have fulfilled my duties as a mother,
our family, I--
because when we are gone, he will not have anybody else.
[doorbell rings]
-[Max] Hey, Subodh. -Hey.
Hi, guys. Come on in!
It's for you.
[mom] Oh my gosh! So good to see you!
"Another year looks handsome on you. Happy birthday."
"Happy birthday from Candace."
-Are you having a good birthday? -Yes, I'm having a good birthday.
-That's good. -[Subodh] Yes.
Hey, Max. Are you looking for a girlfriend?
I'd be interested in going on a date with someone.
Oh yes.
[Candace] Oh boy.
Are you looking for a girlfriend?
-Yes. -[chuckles]
These are veggie burgers. These are chicken.
-[sister] Okay. You ready to sing? -[mom] There you go!
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
♪ Happy birthday, dear Subodh ♪
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
Make a big wish and blow out the candles.
-♪ Many girlfriends for you ♪ -[sister laughs]
[Max] ♪ And many more ♪
[Candace] Yeah!
-Good job! -All right!
Go ahead and cut the cake.
Happy birthday, Subodh.
Subodh, I want to wish you a wonderful 33rd birthday.
Yeah.
And a wonderful year ahead because this is gonna be a special year.
Yes.
This is the year that we are hoping that you're gonna find a girlfriend.
I don't want an Indian girlfriend.
-[mom] Okay, that's fine with me. -Yeah.
I wanted to say we've had so many milestones
and so many things you have achieved.
You went to school,
you graduated college,
all these were check, check, check.
-Yeah. -You made it happen.
-Yeah. -So every one of us who is here is--
When are you going to be done talking?
I'm almost done, Subodh.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, all, everyone.
[woman] Whoo!
-[man] Happy birthday, Subodh! -[Max] Happy birthday!
Yeah.
[narrator] Having no luck finding love online,
Kaelynn is getting ready for a day of speed dating.
Kaelynn hates having her makeup put on.
I think it's just you.
[chuckles] Fire me.
[laughs]
I feel like a lot of girls judge based off of height
and that's not one of your, like, primary requirements.
-Not normally. -But the fish one is.
-Watch. Fish. Fish. Fish. Fish. Fish. -[laughs]
-Give 'em a chance. -[Kaelynn laughs]
-Give 'em a chance. -I mean, I have to. It's speed dating.
Right. I think sometimes it can take you a minute
to, like, warm up to people, and speed dating's really fast,
so just, like, try and come into the idea that you're, like, potentially interested.
Like, I'm not saying…
You don't have to pick anyone.
So it doesn't have to be like, "Which one's the best of the group?"
You can pick no one
if you don't like them.
But be open to the idea that you might like one or two of them.
-You ready to spray? -As ready as it gets.
All right, close.
Finnegan, you're not coming!
-He says, "I'd be good at speed dating!" -Yeah, you're not coming.
Lay down.
[door closes]
-Hi, I'm Kaelynn. -Hi. Nice to meet you.
-Here is your name tag. -Thank you.
[woman] And here is your dating card.
And a pen.
-[man] Hello. -[Kaelynn] Hi.
-How are you? -[Kaelynn] Good. How are you?
Not too bad. Not too bad. A little hot.
Yeah, it's hot out here.
Yeah, just a tad bit, just a tad.
Sorry, I'm Sylvester.
-I'm Kaelynn. -Nice to meet you.
I saw the name tag.
I was like, the name tags make it obvious, doesn't it?
[Sylvester] Yeah, makes sense though.
So what's your ideal, like…
the perfect date if someone were to take you out?
What would you, like, love to have happen throughout the day?
-Hmm. That's a hard one. -[Sylvester] It is.
It's my favorite thing to ask.
-Keep you on your toes. -That's a hard one.
I don't know, I don't think it's so much about the location or the activity
as it is, like, about the person.
-Yeah. -You ever been hunting?
Uh, not recently.
When I was younger, a little bit here and there.
-Have you been hunting recently? -No, never been hunting.
-You wanna learn how? -Not particularly! [laughs]
-No. -Afraid of guns, I'm guessing?
A little. A little bit, yeah.
The dead animals kinda freaks me out just a tad.
[Sylvester] Yeah.
I don't know how much time you've spent on online profiles
on the male side of things.
-A lot of fishing, a lot of dead animals. -A lot of dead animals.
It feels like every other swipe, someone's holding a fish or a deer
or a bird or a something.
-It's the same with the girls. -Is it?
Yeah, I think it's a Southern thing, I guess.
Really? I would've never thought the girls…
-I mean, I guess it makes sense. -Oh yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot.
Cool. Cool.
Well… Hmm.
Running out of questions. I'm not good at this speed-dating stuff.
Just trying to make it kind of work. Uh…
-You're a great girl. -Thank you.
-I really enjoyed talking to you. -Yeah.
-I enjoyed talking to you too. -Thank you.
[bell rings]
-Oh, guess that's my cue to stop talking. -[woman] If you wanna switch tables.
-Hi. -Hi.
-How you doin' today? -Good. How are you?
I'm all right.
Don't know if the handwriting on my tag's sloppy, but I'm Austin.
-Kaelynn. -Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you too.
So what do you do for work?
-For work, I'm in between jobs. -Yeah.
-What's your family like? -Ooh.
-Oh. -[Kaelynn] That good, huh?
[Austin] What about you, if you don't mind?
Yeah, no, I mean, my family's, I wouldn't say normal, but not not normal.
I don't know. Were your parents ever religious?
Actually, not really.
Religion, it's kind of a roller coaster and that
because at first it was… What was it called? Evangelicalism?
-Probably. -First it was that.
-Then it was Methodism. -Yeah.
-Then it was atheism. -Really?
Then it was Asatruism, which is basically an interpretation of old Norse beliefs.
Okay.
And then now… It was Zen for a while,
and then now it's very "andronymous."
Uh…
Man, what else to talk about?
A million things, really.
[bell rings]
Guess that's it. Nice meeting you, Tori.
[man] How's it going?
It's… It's going!
I know Gracie said to give 'em a chance, but, like,
that's hard.
I was nice, I was polite, I listened, but I don't think so.
[narrator] Before he meets his date,
James has an appointment at a hair salon.
[James] When I was younger, my hair was bright blond like this,
but it got darker as I aged, so, yeah, I want to re-dye it again,
'cause I like that color.
I feel like if we just touch up the roots and then trim a little bit of it.
-I don't think it needs a lot. -Oh, that's good.
-Just to keep it healthy, right? -Yes.
-I think it'd be perfect. -Excellent.
[hair dresser] How's your day been?
Actually, I'm getting my hair recolored in preparation for a date.
Ah. Are you excited?
-Yes. Yes. -Yeah?
I mean, of course I'm nervous, but yes, I'm excited.
-Mostly excited, right? -Yes, certainly.
It's gonna be fun.
Have you met her before?
No, it is a blind date. Obviously, there's bit of uncertainty there,
but I guess that kind of makes it more exciting perhaps.
-Yeah! -My parents met through a blind date.
-They did? -Yes.
-Oh my God, James, that's super cool! -Yes, definitely.
Oh, fun!
They stuck together all this time, so obviously they're a great match.
Yeah, totally.
Very sadly, I have had no luck with online dating so far,
so, yes, I'm excited,
and I'm really hoping this shall turn out to be a more productive endeavor.
-Okay, yes, I think I like that very much. -All righty.
-Yes, it looks wonderful. -Awesome.
-Thank you. -It was so good to meet you.
-Good to meet you also. -I hope you have such a fun night!
You don't hunt, do you?
-No, I do not. I've never been hunting. -Me neither.
I honestly don't know if I've ever shot a gun.
I think maybe I did one time, but, uh…
I think it might've been when I was like 12.
Like, my uncle's property somewhere. But no, never been hunting.
Honestly, I don't know if I've been fishing really even.
-I've… -[bell rings]
Oh. Yeah…
[woman] Okay, gentlemen, go to the next table,
and ladies, you can stay put.
-Awesome, it was great gettin' to talk. -Good to talk to you too.
-Hey, how are you? -I'm good. How are you?
-I'm Peter. -I'm Kaelynn.
-Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you.
So what do you do for a living?
I work with kids with autism, so we teach things like social skills,
communication skills, self-help skills, that sort of thing.
Okay, so what brought you in that?
I had an internship in high school, and I just kind of never left, you know?
-[Peter] Yeah. -What about you? What do you do?
I'm in inside sales for real-estate investment.
Okay.
-Have you ever gotten into online dating? -Yeah. Yeah.
You have? How's that… How's that been?
-Terrible! -[Peter] Really?
It's been so bad.
I don't know if you've seen the male side of the profiles--
-No. -Um…
It's like every other guy has a dead something in his picture.
-A dead fish, a dead bird, a dead deer. -[Peter] Deer?
-Yeah. -[Peter] Yeah.
-I like having a dog in my pictures. -Yeah.
I love… I just love animals.
-[Kaelynn] Really? -Yeah.
Yeah, me too.
If you could describe your ideal partner, what would that be?
-I would honestly say just best friend. -Yeah.
[Peter] That's honestly what I would say,
just because I think that whoever you end up with,
if you're best friends with them, then it just makes things so easy.
I like that answer, yeah.
-[Peter] What about you? -Yeah, no, I like that.
Um… Yeah, someone who's kind and intelligent
and, you know, someone to do life with.
Someone who's, like, on your side
and has passions and ambition and goals.
-And it's hard to… Oh. -[bell rings]
[woman] Okay, that's the end of the event.
-Dang it! -[laughs]
[woman] You can fill out your cards and turn them in over here.
-Well, nice talking to you. -Okay, nice talking to you.
Keith has to be a no,
and Austin would be a no.
And Sylvester would be a no,
but Peter would be a yes.
-Thank you. -Nice to meet you.
-Bye.
Have a good night.
[narrator] In Boston, James is waiting for his date to arrive.
James is meeting Emma.
She likes musical theater
and ghost hunting.
She doesn't like country music
-or being tickled. -[laughing]
-Hi. How's it going? -[James] Hello, yes.
I am James.
-Are you comfortable shaking hands? -Oh yeah!
-My name's Emma. Nice to meet you. -Emma? Yes, very nice to meet you also.
Yeah.
-How are you doing today? -I am doing quite well, I suppose.
Just very glad to be here having, you know, dinner with you, yes.
Yeah, it's so nice to meet you.
Yes, of course. Nice to meet you also.
So tell me about yourself. What do you like? What are your hobbies?
Well, I am very fond of outdoor activities.
Love to go hiking, swimming, mountain climbing.
I have an aunt and uncle who live in New Hampshire.
-Very cool. -It's very near Mount Washington actually.
Oh, I went there once, but it was on, like, a really rainy day,
so I didn't get any of the good views.
Oh, so did you climb the mountain on foot?
-Um, no, we drove up it too. -Oh, okay.
-Right. -Yeah, we…
I have to admit I kinda consider driving up the mountain to be cheating.
A friend of mine and I, we do have, like, a very tiny, small YouTube channel.
-Oh, cool. -So, um…
Yeah, we do like ghost-hunting stuff 'cause that's another thing I like to do.
-I'm really into horror, ghost stuff. -Nice!
Yeah, me also.
Yeah, Halloween is actually one of my favorite holidays.
Have you ever eaten at this restaurant before?
No, I haven't, but I was looking at the menu and it looks really good.
Yes, I hope you don't mind that abrupt change of topic.
Oh, no. That's completely fine--
I had never heard of this restaurant before,
but certainly looks pretty interesting though.
-Yeah, they have a lot of options. -Yes, definitely.
[Emma] Looks really good.
[James] Hmm.
Um, have you ever heard of a place called King Richard's Faire?
Um, no, I-- Well, I mean, I have heard of it, but I've just never gone.
-[James] Oh, I see. -Yeah.
I've been several times now,
and I do enjoy the festivities, the atmosphere,
and they have performances.
They have jousting.
-Oh, that's so cool! -Yes.
-I didn't know. -They have a torture show.
Oh!
It's like, there's this guy, he actually… Well, wait a minute.
Are you okay with me telling you some of the things he does or not?
Yeah, you can go ahead and tell me.
He would insert a long nail into his nostril,
and put hooks into his eye sockets,
but without hurting himself,
-and he would breathe fire too. -Oh, wow!
He obviously must have a lot of practice.
[Emma] Yeah, that seems intense, wow.
-I have the steak for you here. -Whoa! Look at that!
Oh, that looks amazing.
-And the salmon for you. -Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
Damn it!
I wasn't going to use that knife anyway.
I'll be back!
So I'm terribly sorry about that.
Oh, it's okay. No, it happens.
Trust me, I've done that so many times, so don't worry about it.
But, um, let me see. Let me see.
Oh, yes, so relationships have always been a tough spot for me.
I've had a few girlfriends in the past,
but they were very short-term relationships.
-Didn't last long, never got very serious. -Yeah.
There was one woman of whom I was very fond.
I mean, things seemed to be going pretty well
between me and her, but it turned out
I was ready for it to be really serious and she was not.
She wasn't ready for a serious relationship,
so that was the end of that, I guess.
Oh, okay, I'm sorry about that.
Don't worry. That was like a year and a half ago.
-I'm totally over it now. -[Emma] Yeah?
But yeah, so this is actually the first date I've had
since my breakup with her, so I'm certainly enjoying this so far.
I'm really appreciating this.
How about yourself and your relationship history?
-Is it okay I ask about that? -Oh, yeah, of course.
You can absolutely ask me.
So, I've been on a handful of dates here and there,
but I've never, um, been in, like, a serious relationship or anything,
just 'cause, um, I either haven't felt a spark,
or it's kind of like trust stuff.
Especially when I was younger,
like, a lot of people, um, didn't really like me that much so--
-[James] Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. -Oh, thank you, but yeah,
so I think it kind of gets to the point where I have a few dates,
and then I'm scared to take that next step.
But, um, I'm trying to get better at that
and be more open to like, you know, that is a possibility,
and, like, not be so, like, afraid,
or let fear, you know, get in the way. You know what I mean?
Right.
[waitress] How are you guys doing over here?
-Really good! -I'm doing well enough.
Will you let the chef know that I thought the food was delicious?
-I will. -Yeah, I thought it was really good too.
-Thank you so much. -You're welcome. Thank you.
Oh yes, so I would have no problem whatsoever
paying for the entire meal if you don't mind.
Oh! I don't mind chipping in though if--
Oh, really?
-Yeah, I don't mind splitting it, yeah. -Oh, okay.
I thought I at least had to make the offer.
I don't believe it. They have a state tax and a kitchen fee.
Ever heard of a kitchen fee?
-I don't think so. -I'm not sure I should ask what that is.
Might not seem polite to ask what a kitchen fee is, but, um…
Okay, well, let me at least get out…
Okay, I gotta get out $30 for the steak I had.
Oh, may I ask what a kitchen fee is, please?
It is. It's for the workers for, you know, the work that they put in,
but I can remove it.
[James] No, no, no, no.
I would hate to deprive the workers.
I already included the tip in there.
-Thank you. -Yes, of course. You're very welcome.
So, you interested for going for a walk along the ocean side,
-now that we're finished eating? -Yeah.
Yeah, that would be a lot of fun!
I think it's going excellently so far. This is quite amazing.
So yeah, you certainly found quite an excellent woman, I must admit.
Maybe on occasion I play a few games,
but it's not, like, a regular habit of mine.
There's a pretty cool arcade in Providence called Replay.
I hope it's okay to say that I think your hair looks really nice.
-Thank you. -You don't mind me saying that, do you?
Oh, no, I don't mind at all. I really appreciate it.
That's very nice of you.
Well, actually, 'cause that actually transitions into my next thing.
I hope it's okay to point out,
but just a few hours ago, I had my hair cut and colored.
What do you think of it? I hope it's okay to ask that.
Oh, no, that's okay. Um…
Yeah, I like the…
I like that… I like your hair blond.
-Oh, yes. -It looks very nice.
Was it significantly longer before? Or…
Uh, no, actually.
When I was younger, I used to have my hair short,
but when I went to college, I started growing it out,
and I actually like it this way. You can do more with it.
It has more character, I think, when it's longer.
I think it… It's…
-Yeah, well, anyway… -Okay.
Yes, so I certainly had a wonderful time tonight
without a question.
Yeah, I had a lot of fun too.
It was good to get to know you, but, um…
Yeah.
You want to get together again some other time?
Yeah, I definitely enjoyed my time,
and, yeah, I have enjoyed it.
Yes.
But, um…
[ship horn blares]
[curious music playing] d it.