It was an uncharacteristically warm March day in Denver at a park off of Logan Street. Birds chirped overhead, and pink buds peeked through their seams. One tree stood taller than the rest. Its limbs outstretched with a lush canopy drooping down, conveniently offering shade to a nearby couple sitting at its roots.
They were perched atop a red-checkered blanket, facing each other at an angle. The girl hugged her folded legs, pulling them near to her chest. Her chin rested on her knees as a gentle warmth radiated through her spine. She gazed at him with a grin that stretched to her ears, surely leaving her cheeks sore. He leaned back slightly, supported by his arms, with legs sprawled out before him. A sheepish glance struck her face. One of his hands slowly lifted, finding a way to her forearm.
She moved in closer, erasing the space between them. A soft chuckle escaped his mouth as he asked, “what is it?” She held her breath, stared at the ground, before gently tucking a piece of stray hair behind her ear. A small lump formed in her throat. “So, what are we?” she whispered out.
He leaned back and recoiled his hand from her arm. His eyes darted away, refusing to meet her face. After a slow, lengthy inhale, he finally said, “Oh, I’m just trying to have fun.” He pulled his legs back in and folded his hands neatly into his lap.
Her cheeks flushed with heat, tinted a deep red. Her stomach felt heavy, as if she had just swallowed a ton of bricks. Tears welled behind her eyes. She covered her arms around her chest, and as she slowly stood up, she croaked, “I have to go.”
Another one down the drain.
She had been dating for years at this point to no avail. One would think that in a city colloquially called “Menver,” there would be a fit for her somewhere. She had re-downloaded Hinge more times than she could count, despite promising to never again, and had even gone down the TikTok dating advice rabbit hole more than once. She’d made it out of that, thankfully, as she didn’t want to hear another video titled “10 Ways To Get a Guy To Like You” ever again.
She’d seen the happy couples online. Every morning, she’d wake up to what felt like a new engagement post on her feed. Not to mention, the constant timeline updates on yet another pregnancy announcement. Sometimes the social media influencers popped up too. One gushing over how perfect their relationship was in a ten second clip, or others showing off their honeymoon suite in Maui.
One day, however, in the midst of her doom-scrolling, the Denver-based dating podcast Table for 1, hosted by Joe Ferrucci and Isaac Petsch, came across her For You Page. She raised an eyebrow. Two guys with a podcast? Sounds about right. Their soundbites online portrayed everything from thirst traps to pregaming a coffee date. But, they also held blind dates with local Denverites, making intentional efforts to set people up for happily ever after. Sometimes, they even organized pop-up events with local companies like Cooldown Running or Sploot Veterinary Care.
They sparked her interest. With their active involvement in the community and countless singles they’d spoken to, she figured they might be able to answer her questions regarding the Denver dating scene. So, she put herself out there.
Ferrucci and Petsch met with her in early July, tucked in the back of a co-working space off of South Broadway. Mid-morning daylight filtered through the windows as the temperature outside began to climb. Both Ferrucci and Petsch sat comfortably, holding a gentle yet attentive gaze on her. She crossed her legs, brought out her notebook, and leaned forward. “So, what makes dating in Denver so hard?”
Petsch, without missing a beat, remarked that this reputation had been around even before they moved from Montana two years ago. “We had kinda showed up and heard from everyone how atrocious the dating scene was here,” he said. “Maybe it’s not just Denver, maybe it’s just the way the world is today. A lot of people want to feel secure or be financially stable before they settle down. But, it’s hard to do that now,” added Ferrucci. She paused. Times are different now, that’s for sure.
“Well, we live in a city that’s pretty active, too. You can go out hiking or camping every weekend, so maybe that adds to it. There’s just constant movement,” she said, resting her chin on her outstretched palm. Ferrucci nodded. “Yeah, I mean why would you wanna sit with your emotions, when you can just go on another date?” he added sardonically. The three erupted into laughter. As the noise slowed, Ferrucci reflected. “I think a lot of people have that mindset. That they don’t have to take responsibility, you know? Just ‘cause it is a fun city.”
She sat back on the couch and exhaled. “It sounds like a level of accountability, then.”
“Yeah, you’re not gonna get your perfect person if you’re not being that yourself,” Ferrucci grinned. Petsch, though, pressed forward with another perspective. “People also form these expectations around what they see online, that aren’t realistic. You only show the good and never the bad, so people get those expectations that it’s perfect.”
Her head tilted. “Then, what should people do?” she asked.
“Well, if you have that mindset that Denver is so terrible, and Denver dating is so bad and that you’re never gonna find your person, it’s probably gonna take a lot longer to find that person,” Ferrucci continued. “Yes, dating in Denver is bad. It’s hard in every city. But, if you constantly have a bad attitude going in,”
She cut him off, “It’ll almost tint that?”
“Yes, exactly,” he replied.
Ferrucci sighed, cupping his hands together. “Ultimately, listen to that gut feeling. But, sometimes it’s hard when you’re at a bar at 2 a.m.,” he added. “Denver is also a small town. If you have any mutual friends who know this person, ask them and watch out for the red flags. They usually show up pretty fast.” Petsch, glancing at Ferrucci, nodded in agreement.
She spun her pencil around as his words ricocheted through her mind. Trust your gut.
They felt true. Annoyingly so.
After the two left the co-working space, she stayed a while. She sank back into her chair, arms draped over the rests. A soft heat flared in her chest. A small ray of sunshine slipped through the windows, kissing her cheekbones. She closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply. Outside, the temperature continued to rise as her phone buzzed on the table beside her.
She leaned into the sun.
Table for 1 is a Denver-based dating podcast hosted by Joe Ferrucci and Isaac Petsch. They highlight Denver singles with new episodes every Wednesday. They are available to stream on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
