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Dinner With Cupid

Blind date: Public service

Will these Rhode Island singles share more than sushi?

Nick Mendillo (left) and Elizabeth Holmes.

NICK MENDILLO: 30 / English teacher

LAST THING HE READ: Fahrenheit 451

HIS HOBBIES: Performing improvisational comedy

ELIZABETH HOLMES: 25 / Emergency medical technician

FIRST THING PEOPLE NOTICE IN HER HOME: Stacks of yoga, medical, and knitting books

HER PERFECT MATE: [Would work] in public service

7:30 P.M. RAKU SAKURA, EAST GREENWICH, RHODE ISLAND

> ON A ROLL

ELIZABETH: I changed when I got home from work. I was excited for sushi.

NICK: I made sure that I prepped for this occasion properly by eating roughly 45 Totino’s pizza rolls. I would have had all 90, but I didn’t want to spoil my dinner. For those wondering, they were “combination” flavored.

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ELIZABETH: I was early, he was late. I was seated at a booth, and he was brought to the table about 10 minutes later.

NICK: I knew immediately who my date was, because the hostess said, “Here’s the person that’s been waiting for you.” Add that to the fact that the entire restaurant was completely empty.

ELIZABETH:  He seemed nervous.

NICK: She [looked] like a fancy businesswoman! She was attractive.

> PLATTER FOR TWO

NICK: Elizabeth works roughly 100 hours a week being an EMT. She used many acronyms I didn’t know and terms very specific to her field.

ELIZABETH:  He teaches in the same town I hope to be a paramedic in.  I live in the same town he was raised in.

NICK: We ended up with a sushi platter for two.

ELIZABETH: The food was good.

NICK: The waiter was very awkward, like he knew Elizabeth from the past, and had a secret crush on her, and was incredibly jealous that I was on a date with her instead of him.

ELIZABETH: I felt pretty comfortable.

NICK: She told me she’s not looking for a waste of time and that honesty is the best policy. I liked that. She laughed at my jokes. Her laugh is actually pretty great.

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ELIZABETH: I’m obsessed with my job because I do it for my patients. I couldn’t serve a population without being passionate about them.

NICK: Her current work schedule made me understand that it would take a lot of effort to maintain any relationship.

> SAKE BREATH

ELIZABETH: I was getting sleepy.

NICK: We were there for 3.5 hours. We both had work early the next morning and any decision made when you’re tired is probably a bad one.

ELIZABETH: The restaurant was closing. We did say goodbye, with a hug.

NICK: I would have kissed her but wasn’t 100 percent confident in my pizza/fish/sake breath. We exchanged numbers, and made [a pact] to never reveal the horrible, disgusting, perverted acts we committed in that little sushi restaurant. That poor waiter  . . .  So much to clean.

> SECOND DATE?

ELIZABETH: Maybe. I don’t have a lot of free time.

NICK: I’d like to. But it probably won’t happen after she reads this article.

> POST-MORTEM

ELIZABETH: B+

NICK: B


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