They ordered drinks — a glass of wine for him, a German beer
for her — and Jim gave her a Valentine’s Day card. (Okay, Jim, I
see you with the grown man moves.) Tatjana liked it. “This is
obviously somebody who is thinking beyond himself, so gold star
for that,” she said. After a session with our photographer, Tatjana
had a beet salad and Jim had roasted asparagus to start, then they
both opted for fish entrees, salmon and branzino. No sharing,
though.
While enjoying their food, they tested the waters to find areas
of common interest and realized they might have crossed paths as
teenagers. Jim grew up in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of D.C.,
and Tatjana spent a chunk of her youth just across the line in
Maryland’s Chevy Chase. They also discovered another shared
love: writing. Tatjana works as a writer and editor, and Jim has
been working on a master’s in writing for about five years and is
finishing his program in May.
“There was a level of these are small, little things of rapport and
compatibility,” he said. Tatjana liked that he was “asking me
questions as opposed to just talking about himself, which I have
encountered quite a bit,” she said. “We could learn about eachother, and it was quite genuine.”
Two hours later the restaurant had filled up with noisy diners,
so they decided it was a good ending point for the date. Jim walked
her to the car, then asked how they would stay in touch and if he
could give her a hug. He could. They exchanged phone numbers
and texted a little later. Jim sent her a link about a virtual poetry
reading, and she emailed him a story in the Guardian she had
mentioned during the evening. They both hoped to see each other
again for a walk in the park, something they discussed at dinner.RATE THE DATE
Tatjana: 5 [out of 5].
Jim: 4.UPDATE
Even though they exchanged a few texts and emails, there was no
second date.Tanya Ballard Brown is executive editor for Government Executive and a
comedian.Jim gave her a Valentine’s Day card. “This is obviously somebody
who is thinking beyond himself,” Tatjana said.
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