“Swipe right to meet your future hubby.” To all cynics out there, read this mom’s kilig story about finding love on Tinder.
What can you read in this article?
- The first encounter on Tinder
- Getting to know each other and finding love on Tinder
- How the author decided that this guy is more than just some guy on a dating app
Our marriage is living proof that love comes in the most unexpected way and time. Our love story is a ‘Tinder Success Story.” We met on the online dating app and were never planning on getting into a serious relationship. My plan was to “have fun,” but evidently fate was planning otherwise.
I just got out of a really toxic relationship (a lot of cheating involved) that drove me to explore the app Tinder.
I’ve been wandering around the dating app for a couple of months already, but it was all the same – small talk, getting to know each other, hungry for sex, and swarming with “open-minded” people.
Then there was Apollo. When I came across his profile, to be honest, I found nothing special, but the 5’11 height description on the bio got me. So I just swiped right and boom! We were a match. He swiped right on me too.
Unremarkable encounter on Tinder
We talked on the app for a few minutes, then he asked for my Viber number and I was like, “Uh-oh. Is he going to ask for nudes (like everyone does)?” Out of curiosity, I gave it to him and we continued talking there. Small talk. Dull, in my opinion. But at least he didn’t ask for nudes.
We kind of have the same interests but were never really interested in each other. The conversation was cut short and the next day, we were back to being strangers. I thought that was the last I would hear from him.
A couple of months passed, suddenly I got a new friend request on Facebook. I looked at the profile, and he looked young so I did not confirm it at first. But then I got a message from the guy.
“Hey. Ikaw ba ‘yan?”
He then sends me a screenshot of my Viber profile with my Tinder name. That’s when I remembered him. Apollo from Tinder.
I was taken aback. I never gave my personal Facebook account to any of the Tinder guys. But he said that my profile came up on “People You May Know” on Facebook because my Viber number was saved on his phone. Cool coincidence. Friend request confirmed.
We started talking again, but it was the same boring questions we asked when we were still on Viber. We occasionally react to each other’s FB stories, then the movie Glass was raised in the conversation. Turns out, we both love the movie series. So we decided to catch the movie in theaters and finally meet up.
Our meet-up got postponed a couple of times because we kept on making excuses so that we won’t go out of our way just to meet. I wanted to meet at my most convenient place and time, the same thing goes for him. I guess we were just not that into each other.
Especially when I discovered that he is in the police force. For me, it was a big, shinning, shimmering RED FLAG. A womanizer, for sure. I am from the media industry and he’s with the PNP. Not really a good combination. Besides, we were clearly just bored and testing the waters.
Getting to know each other on a more personal level
Then finally, we agreed on a place and time to meet. To our surprise, Glass was no longer showing. We were both upset but since we were already there, we decided to watch another movie. All of the listed movies were romantic comedies, except for one – Cold Pursuit by my favorite actor, Liam Neeson.
I immediately suggested that movie, which surprised him a little bit. He said he was expecting me to choose a romcom. Little did he know, those kinds of movies bored me to death.
Before we went inside the theater, I told him I wanted to buy popcorn. Yes, I already unleashed the glutton monster version of myself. I had no plans of impressing him, so I never had to pretend to be something I’m not. Like what usually happens to most people in social media and dating apps, I thought it was gonna turn him off. But he just smiled.
Our date
We spent the night laughing at the movie. We had dinner together and surprisingly talked more about politics, and only a bit about our past relationships. Finally someone with some sense.
I was surprised when he asked me to have coffee after dinner. I was really expecting that we would go our separate ways after the dinner, but the night was young, and we were both slowly getting piqued.
One thing that really baffled me was how smooth our conversations went; how weird our topics were getting, and how real our interaction was. Both of us weren’t pretending to be someone we are not just to impress each other. In fact, the more we talked and revealed something about our lives through the conversations, the more we felt at home.
I hate clichés, but being with him, I felt the familiar comfort in the presence of a complete stranger for the first time. It was a very pleasant experience.
He drove me home a little past midnight. We both had a nice time, but I knew better. There will be no second dates for the people I meet on Tinder. I was expecting the same thing from him.
“Good night. Thanks for your time.”
Seen. I didn’t reply because I knew it was gonna be the last.
But Mr. Nice Guy, sent me a message the next morning.
“Good morning. Tapos na flag ceremony namin.” Red flags, I reminded myself.
But for the sake of the good night we had, I replied. This time, our conversations went on. We kept talking hanggang maubusan na kami ng topic, but we still wanted to continue chatting. Until I asked my secret weapon whenever I no longer can think of topics to raise…
“Ano paborito mong number sa electric fan?” I asked.
He laughed. Bumenta sa lolo mo. That’s when we started to unleash our flirty selves. Pick up lines dito, banat doon. Silly but funny.
We continued to go on dates. That’s when I realized that I was starting to fear what I’m feeling when I’m with this guy. He can make me laugh. And I actually felt genuinely happy when I’m with him. And based on my experience, happiness makes you vulnerable, weak and eventually will hurt you.
That fateful night
He asked me out to have late-night merienda (yes, from almusal hanggang midnight snack excuse nagamit na namin). But I got scared to meet him again, I ended up binge-drinking tequila with a friend and planned to never see him again. I told him I would come, but I was thinking na indyanin siya.
He waited for hours. He called me but I wasn’t answering. I was drop-dead drunk on the floor of my friend’s house, thinking about how miserable I am, not able to trust anyone. After that night, I thought whatever it is that we have will end for sure. He will go home and block me.
The next day came, I came to work with an empty memory of last night. Then I was surprised to get another message from him. That’s when my life flashed in front of me.
Somehow, he got to my friend’s house and brought me home. I only remember flashes of the things that happened that night.
I remember vomiting on all the wrong places, sa sasakyan niya; sa shirt niya. I remember hugging him.
I even talked to the coffee machine at a convenience store where we stopped over before coming home because he wanted me to be okay and not super drunk when I get home and face my mom. To sum it up, It was a nightmare filled with embarrassment.
I was so surprised that despite all that, he still wanted to talk to me.
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We decided to meet again because I wanted to hear what else happened in between those flashes that I remember and the memories that are drowned by either the tequila or the embarrassment.
So here’s what I did according to him:
- Inindyan ko talaga siya. Until my friend contacted him using my phone and asked him to bring me home or save me from my own mess.
- I talked to the coffee machine at the convenience store where we stopped by.
- Cried at the counter because they wouldn’t take my card for payment even though he already paid for it.
- I was so proud of the stretch marks on my waist that I showed them to him. Worse, I even asked to look and touch his stretch marks. I don’t know which one is more embarrassing.
- Lastly, he said I kissed him. Just a smack on the lips. Pero sana talaga lamunin na ako ng lupa.
Up to this day, the embarrassment lingers.
I asked him, why does he still want to see me. Most men would come running for the hills by this time. But he stayed. And we continued seeing each other, getting sweeter each passing day.
Finding love on Tinder
As I admitted to myself that I was falling for him, I realized that I had to take control of my emotions. I needed to know what we are to keep my feelings in check. So one night, I asked him the question I’ve been so scared to ask myself:
“Ano ba tayo?”
The next morning, we were officially in a relationship.
For the next couple of months, we started planning our future together. We bought a place together. And when we moved in together, that’s when he popped the question. He asked me to marry him. Aarte pa ba ako? Of course I said yes. After a month of being engaged, we got pregnant. So we sped things up a little bit and tied the knot in a simple civil wedding.
Malakas maka wattpad ang story namin but I guarantee you it is also filled with flaws that we work on each day. And I think that’s what makes it beautiful—working together for the relationship. What I thought to be just a passing stranger turned out to be the man that I’ll be with forever.
Finding love on Tinder, is it really possible? YES! So the next time you swipe right, pop a bottle of tequila and see how it pans out. Char.