I confessed my love to my Tinder date after two weeks — now we’re married

Lee and I matched on Tinder on October 26, 2018. At first, I assumed this match would be like all the others. We would talk for a few days, and if plans went beyond talking, it would involve wine, food, and sex.

On Valentine’s Day that same year, I had gone through a spectacularly hard breakup with my original partner after four and a half years. I had sworn off love and just wanted to be young and have fun on Tinder. I was trying to make up for my years in college, when I was in a committed relationship, and was firmly in my acting out phase.

Lee was also fresh out of a long relationship

Similarly, Lee was also fresh out of a serious long-term relationship of almost seven years. His profile made it very clear that he was looking for short-term, casual connections. Sex, fun and no obligations.

But we are in love with each other.

Our first date almost didn’t happen

I canceled our plans about an hour before our first scheduled meeting. At the time, I was exhausted after a long day and knew I would be overstimulated at the bar.

I was still very interested in meeting Lee and quickly asked if we could meet at his place instead instead of canceling completely. The reason I gave was that I needed a more comfortable, less crowded atmosphere.

He was more than happy to meet me anyway, so I got some beer and drove to his place. He waited outside his building and walked to my car as I parked.

In person he looked very intimidating. His voice was much deeper than I expected when he told me that I had parked in the wrong parking space and needed to move to another one. To be honest, I wanted to go home immediately. I was nervous about meeting a strange man at his place at night and felt a little unsafe about the situation.

One night quickly turned into a whole weekend

We went to his apartment and played Overcooked – a cooperative restaurant simulation game – for almost eight hours while having some of the best conversations I’ve ever had on a first date.

That night turned into another day, then another night and another day. We played more games, went to brunch around town, and laughed together for hours. Everything felt fun, comfortable and relaxed.

As I drove to my house on Monday, I smiled in a way I hadn’t in a long time. I attributed it to the fun activities, alcohol, and good conversation.

Read more