The day of our first date had finally arrived, and I was nervous about seeing Bill again. He’s the first guy who has ever offered to take me out on a date, and when you’re an introverted girl like me, thinking about being alone with a guy for the first time is somewhat terrifying to think about. So many things could go wrong on our date like I could get food all over what I’m wearing or be too nervous even to speak to him.

The only other thought on my mind right now is that I plan on ordering an iced vanilla latte and a banana nut muffin at the café we’re going to. Since I’m so nervous about our date, thinking about what I am ordering to eat and drink while we are, there is the only thing keeping me calm now. I also wonder if I should wear my light pink sweater or my lavender sweater, and if I wear the light pink sweater, will Bill like it better than the lavender one? There are many choices when choosing what to wear for your first date because the possibilities are endless.

Bill is really cute because he has glasses, green eyes, and brown hair that’s somewhat floppy. He’s the type of guy I have always envisioned myself being with, but I worry I might not be his type. As an introvert, when you finally find a guy who might be your type, you’ll feel like you’ve just won the lottery.

After two years of searching endlessly on dating apps, I might be on the verge of having my first boyfriend at nineteen and a half. But I worry that he might not like me because of how quiet I can sometimes get whenever I am having a conversation with people. Since Bill is an introvert, too, I am sure he will understand why I am so nervous about our date.

When Bill arrives to pick me up for our first date, he’s wearing a pair of khakis and a light blue sweater. The blue sweater he’s wearing seems to bring out the color of his green eyes. Bill tells me that I look nice, and I tell him he looks handsome. I opted to wear the lavender sweater instead of the pink one because it’s my favorite color.

Bill said that my sweater reminded him of something his grandmother might wear, and I blushed because, growing up, my family always told me that I dressed way too much like a grandma. But I can’t help it because I love wearing sweaters. After all, I always get cold. Just like I always carry a book with me everywhere I go, I also love carrying a sweater because you never know when it might get cold, whether you are inside or outside.

Bill and I begin walking together to the new bookstore, which also doubles as a café, and when we get there, he holds the door open for me. I politely say thank you to Bill and tell him that he’s such a gentleman. After we’re inside, we sit down at a table closest to the window and begin to order. We both order a banana nut muffin, I order a iced vanilla latte and Bill orders a hot green tea.

I asked him why he prefers tea instead of coffee, and he said he dislikes it. Banana nut muffins are our favorite muffins because they remind us of the muffins we used to get as kids at a local bakery while we were growing up. He then asks me what type of books I prefer to read and I tell him young adult romance novels. He looks at me with a surprised look on his face, and he says, “So I’m guessing that means you’re a hopeless romantic?” I let out a small laugh and replied, “I guess I’m somewhat of a hopeless romantic, but I’ve never been in love before.” Bill says, “Well, I hope I can change that because I think I’m really starting to like you.”

So maybe this means Bill wants to keep seeing me, and since I like him, I don’t see why I shouldn’t continue going out with him. Where else is an introverted girl like me going to find another nerdy guy like Bill? So, I respond by saying that I am so flattered that he would even want to go out with me in the first place. I never thought in a million years a guy would be kind enough to take me out on a date and then ask if I wanted to keep dating him.

After we finished eating our banana nut muffins, we decided we should browse the bookstore for a little while. I tell Bill that I am interested in knowing more about the types of books that he is interested in reading, so we end up browsing the historical fiction section. We are both into fictional novels. What are the odds? I never thought I would find a guy who was as interested in reading as I was, but I guess maybe I will finally have one.

Wait, did I just say I finally have a boyfriend? That’s something I’ve been waiting for my whole life, and the first guy I ended up dating is exactly my type. Bill seems like the perfect guy for me, and I cannot wait to see what happens next for us because now I’ll never have to say that I am single again.

This was written by our editor and co-founder, Hanna Perry.