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KAYL E E N & M IKE COMMON FACTOR: SHARED HATRED OF NICOLAS CAGE. DATE LOCATION: PRAIRIE BERRY EAST BANK
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he sun was just setting on a snowy Thursday when Kayleen met Mike for happy hour. Mike was the first to arrive and his cheeks were still red, presumably from cold, when Kayleen entered Prairie Berry East Bank. “I thought she was very good looking,” recounted Mike. Kayleen thought Mike seemed nice, but… “I was terrified of his gauges,” she said of his stretched earlobes. “Like, ‘Is he going to be really hardcore?’” After a brief handshake and hello, the pair took up a stools at the bar. Before the date, Mike said he was more excited than nervous, as he had never been on a blind date before. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know someone and
seeing what happens,” he said. Kayleen’s only previous blind date was arranged by her father. She says that although she loves meeting new people, her personality may not be for everyone. “I am, in general, a very difficult person. Very stubborn,” she explained. The date was both Kayleen and Mike’s first time at the restaurant. Each commented on the positive attributes of the space and got ready to dig into the special menu Prairie Berry’s Thomas Hentges had planned for them. The pair would be enjoying selections from the restaurant’s new epicurean bar, which offers artisan meats, cheeses, and other delicious things to munch on a la carte. The food would be paired with a flight of wine and a flight of beer. While waiting for their epicurean odyssey to begin, they ordered wine and began discussing their individual interests and pursuits.
“Beginnings are always hard,” said Kayleen. “But once we got a little beer and wine into us, we were good to go.” She told Mike about her job as owner of Coquette Couture and her desire to expand to other cities. He told Kayleen about his job at Guitar Center and his metal band, Mitigate. When the food arrived, the wine flight was placed in front of Kayleen and the beer flight was put in front of Mike. One problem – Mike does not like beer. “I really liked the food there,” he said. “I know Thomas tried to pair up drinks to go with the food, but I’m not a beer drinker. I try it every once in a while, but there’s something about it. Maybe the hoppiness. I did try all of them, though.”
“I was like, ‘You can drink some of my wine if you want to,” said Kayleen. “I’m more of a liquor person myself, but I’ll drink wine. Beer, I’ll taste it.” After finishing their charcuterie and sipping a bit more on their beverages, the pair moved toward the exit. “We walked outside and I was going to try to get her number,” said Mike. “But it was blizzarding and right away you just think about getting to your car, so we said farewell.” The date left Mike interested. “I’d definitely go on another date to get to know her a little more,” he said. Kayleen’s post-date feeling was also positive. “He’s a guy I’d totally be friends with. I try to surround myself with as many kinds of people as possible,” she said. “I met a really cool guy and I definitely plan on going back to Prairie Berry.” Verdict: One week after their date, Mike got Kayleen’s number at the cover shoot. They are planning to hang out next weekend.