Table for Two | ‘It turned out he was good friends with my ex’

Ciaran (left)
Age: 32 
Occupation: Office manager

Hassan right)
Age: 29 
Occupation: GP

What were you looking for on the blind date?

CIARAN: Just to meet someone either as friends or more if there was a connection. I’m sick of apps, so thought doing this would be fun.

HASSAN: I wanted to experience something exciting, as I’m new to London.

What were your first impressions?

C: He seemed nervous, but so was I.

H: That he was shy, and I was worried we would not get along.

Would you have swiped left or right?

C: Left.

H: Honest answer would be swipe left; he isn’t the usual type I would go for, but when meeting faceto-face, I keep an open mind.

What was his best quality?

C: His sense of humour made me laugh.

H: His friendliness; he was very easy to get along with.

What were you most worried he would notice about you?

C: I was running late due to train delays, so I was worried that would set things off on the wrong foot.

H: I’ve had issues with guys judging me on my skin colour and body shape in the past, so that worry is always with me whenever I meet guys on dates.

How was the conversation and what did you talk about?

C: It was good. We talked about living in London, the dating scene, our homes (he’s from York, I’m from Belfast), our jobs and what we liked to do outside work.

H: We talked about work, our hobbies and where we had lived. I thought York was boring compared with lots of places he’s lived, such as Switzerland.

What was the most interesting thing about him?

C: Hassan is a GP and loves to sing. In fact, he was actively recruiting new members for his choir later in the evening which was funny.

H: I was impressed by the many places Ciaran had lived since leaving Northern Ireland.

What do you think he thought of you?

C: I think he liked me, but I’m not sure if he fancied me.

H: I hope he thought I was easy to get along with, and down to earth.

How was the food?

C: Delicious! I had the steak.

H: The food was amazing! Such high-quality produce and great-tasting drinks.

Peter and Charlie dined at M Restaurant, Victoria Street, London

Any awkward moments?

C: It turned out he is good friends with an ex of mine from Ireland, which was a shock. This world is too small.

H: We found out he was the ex of one of my good friends. Turns out London isn’t such a big place after all.

 

How did the night end?

C: We went to Soho for a few drinks, which was fun.

H: We ended up going out for more drinks and dancing. It was nice to see him relax a bit more.

What would you have changed about the night?

C: The whole ex connection.

H: It would have been to have gone on a date with someone who was interested in me and vice versa.

Snog, marry, avoid?

C: We didn’t snog, and there were no wedding bells, so I’d have to say avoid.

H: Well as friends, I can’t snog, I can’t marry, so would be avoid. Sorry!

Will you meet again?

C: Yes, I would like to meet as friends.

H: We go to the same social places so I might bump into him.

RATE THE DATE

Ciaran: 7/10

Hassan: 710

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