You’re sat across from me in a dimly lit, dingy pub in South London. When I left for work this morning my make up gave my skin a radiant glow but now it’s been sitting on my face for 12 hours, it probably looks greasy. The table is sticky and so are my lips from the tonic water. Your hands circle the rim of your pint glass. I’m starting to get hungry, starving even, as I was already peckish when I arrived, but I don’t want to be the one to suggest ordering something. Besides, I hate eating on a first date – I’m prone to getting herbs stuck in my incisors. It’s simply too risky. Instead I nearly salivate thinking of the beans on toast I’ll devour when I get home.
Anyway, we’re 90 minutes in now and have exhausted chat about siblings, relationship history and realistically, our political views. It’s been pleasant, but I’m eager for something to seal the deal.
As I twirl my hair and flutter my eyelashes for what I hope is the last time, you look up at me with those deep, brown eyes and ask, do you listen to much music?
La la la la la… I think to myself. How could I have forgotten?
It all moves so fast. Before I can blink, our phones are connected, AirDrop on – the Spotify blend has begun, a musical mashing of two strangers from different continents, the real test of congruity. Forget love languages and personality tests. —— + Molly, now in my library forever. Until you do me wrong that is.
On this particular blend, for this is not my first rodeo, we have an 81% compatibility. A reasonable score – many mutual artists, with plenty left to learn, you say. I concur. I’m not looking for 100%, that would be boring. We eagerly scroll through the playlist like excited children, looking at your suggestions vs mine, the ones we share, then I look at mine again. I smile to myself. They’re good songs. He should really listen to them. I’m hit with a dopamine rush so powerful it rivals the feeling of swimming in cold water.
Now I’m tucked up in bed with a peppermint tea while the rain hammers down on the roof, and wonder whether the playlist will be the soundtrack to my morning walk tomorrow. Probably not. But it was fun to make. I’ll look forward to next time.