January 2023

I matched with the NY Slice, an Algerian man who grew up in the Bronx but was currently living in NJ, on Bumble toward the end of my month long stay in Istanbul.

I can find a New Yorker anywhere.

I wasn’t sure if I found him all that attractive, but something about him drew me to swipe right. Once we started exchanging messages, it was clear that swipe was the right (put intended) choice.

He was witty and funny, and we instantly had great banter about everything from him leaving the Bronx to move to New Jersey, his brother’s hair transplant that brought them to Istanbul, and our respective international dating adventures.

I ran a quick background check, aka: sent his photo to the board of directors (group chat) to confirm if he had come across anyone’s inbox previously. NYC is, after all, a very small world.

Once confirmed he had not slid into any DMs (or other bits) of my friends, we decided not to waste any time, since he was leaving in a couple of days, and meet up the following night.

We went back and forth a bit about where to meet, and he graciously said he would come up to the neighborhood I was straying in so we could meet as soon as I was done working. I suggested we make this the most ironically iconic date and meet at the NY Pizza place but he just laughed and suggested a bar.

I liked the look of the bar, and this International Tinderella was definitely ready for a cocktail date, so I went with it.

Unfortunately, some work stuff came up and I was really late to meet him, but he was understanding and cool about it and just wandered around a little until I was able to leave. We finally met at the bar he suggested, which was cool and absolutely my vibe… but also had a considerable line outside that neither or us was willing to wait in.

So, there we were: two New Yorkers standing outside a bar refusing to wait in line but talking and laughing for the entire amount of time it would have taken to get inside…. It’s about the principle: we do not wait in lines.

We finally decided we should head inside somewhere, so we started walking around looking for another place to pop in to.

The conversation was easy, natural and fun and we quickly fell in to step wandering around sort-of-but-not-really looking for a place to sit. I wasn’t initially overwhelmingly physically attracted to him, but as the night and conversation progressed, he became more and more attractive.

In true Hallmark, ironically iconic fashion, as we were heading to another area with lots of bars and restaurants, we turned the corner toward the NY Pizza place. I said it was fate and we MUST stop in for a slice. He said: WAIT! The NY pizza place is REAL? I thought you were joking!

Sir, there are many things on this earth I joke about, but pizza is absolutely not one of them.

We headed into the NY Pizza shop, sidled up to the counter, ordered 2 slices each and a shared beer poured in to paper cups that the pizza guys let us bring in from next door.

We chatted with the pizza guys, one of which has spent some time in Brooklyn, as well as other people coming in and out of the shop.

We discussed our very different experiences being in Istanbul – he was not a fan, I loved it.

While debating NYC to NJ migration, we discovered that was had lived less than a mile from each other in the Bronx for over a year.

We discussed his being on the fortunate side of genetics and having a full head of beautiful, thick hair, while his brother had started balding young which had led them to Istanbul. We talked about travels and careers and all the standard strangers-meeting-abroad-in-a-pizza-shop stuff.

We talked and laughed well after finishing our slices and decided we wanted to continue our date and headed to a somewhat divey bar I knew would be open and would not have a line.

We had a couple more beers and the conversation got a bit spicier, though not necessarily forward, so I was a little confused as to if this was still friendly banter that had gotten more open with the beer or if this was taking a turn, either way; I was having a great time.

We eventually closed the bar and he made a few comments about being tired, so it was clearly time to call it a night… or, so I thought.

He offered to walk me home, and though I was still a little confused as to if he was being gracious or suggestive, I was okay with it either way.

When he accepted my offer to come in for a night cap, I knew it was the latter.

After severallllll servings of the NY slice, he headed back to his hotel and healing brother. He texted when he got in and told me to let him know when I was back in NYC.

I said of course maybe I would and wished him safe travels home.