Date Lab
She wanted a WASPy, preppy extrovert. But Republican politics weren't part of her plan.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

7 p.m. | Komi | Dupont Circle

Aubrey: I didn't know what to wear, so I called Komi and asked for suggestions. I ended up in a black pinstripe suit -- pretty laid-back for me. I arrived five minutes early and ordered some Pellegrino to calm my nerves. In the end, this girl was escorted back and introduced herself as Jen. I was, like, Someone clearly read what my interests were.

Jen: Aubrey's a good-looking guy, clean-cut with a big smile. [But] the first thing that hit me was the power suit. I thought, Oh my god, suspenders. He jumped up and gave me a hug. Really friendly. We immediately fell into conversation.

Aubrey: At Komi they do a fusion between Greek and Italian. We opted to have a couple of dishes to share.

Jen: We talked about family -- "Where did you go to school?" -- all the superficial things. He'd gone to etiquette school, and that really paid off: He's a great conversationalist with impeccable manners. But my jaw almost dropped when I found out he was Republican. He says he's socially liberal, but based on a couple of things he said, I didn't get [that] feeling.

Aubrey: We did have one interesting conversation. Going to the date, I'd needed to use the restroom. So I bounced into this restaurant on 17th Street -- and realized it was a gay club. Literally, it was the longest restaurant I've ever walked through. Two guys offered to buy me a drink. So I tell her the story, and she goes, "Well, are you homophobic?" I said of course not: I have gay friends, but I am Catholic, so [our] views are probably different.

Jen: I was having a very good time, but I knew pretty quickly that it wasn't a love connection. We run in different sets. My friends, they're kind of artsy; a lot of them work for nonprofits. I'm into independent movies; the last movie he'd seen was "Mission Impossible." But it was interesting to see how another circle does life in Washington.

Aubrey: There was a ton of chemistry for me. She was articulate, educated, sweet and very genuine. You know when you have so much in common with your date that you don't take much away? With her, I was able to learn something.

Jen: He drove me home, which was very gentlemanly. Then he gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek and mentioned getting together in the future. I don't know if he meant that. I thought it was obvious that we have little in common. I'd rate the date a 3. He's going to be a great catch for someone, but just not me.

Aubrey: I'd rate the date a 4. Would I go out with her again? Absolutely.

Interviews by Christina Breda Antoniades

>>UPDATE: Aubrey asked Jen out for coffee, but she was leaving on a one-week vacation. They haven't reconnected since.