Emily had just moved to Austin for grad school, and Jake was a software developer who’d been single for a while, tired of the endless swiping. What made Gush stand out for both of them was the fact that they had to talk first. No photos, no filters—just voices, curiosity, and presence.
During their six-minute blind date, they talked about their favorite novels—both were fans of Murakami—and exchanged guilty pleasure songs. Jake laughed when Emily admitted she still had a playlist called “High School Drama” that she listens to when she’s sad. Emily said she could tell from his voice that he was someone grounded, kind, and funny.
Once they unlocked each other’s profiles, Jake remembers thinking: “I was already into her energy—her photo just made it all feel real.” Emily smiled and said she was nervous at first, but the way Jake texted her after—just a simple “Hey, I really enjoyed that”—made her feel safe and seen.
A week later, they met in person at Bennu Coffee on East MLK Blvd. They now share a Sunday ritual: coffee and vintage book browsing. It’s been over a year, and they’ve already traveled to three national parks together, planning their next stop—Big Sur. They still say that the best part was falling in love with someone’s words before their face.
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Blind Dating, Real Conversations