Ah, Hinge. It’s like online dating’s version of a chaotic NYC subway ride, where you're not quite sure what sights, sounds, or smells you’ll encounter. Picture it: A bustling cocktail bar in Manhattan, where the decibel level competes with a sold-out Knicks game. I was on a Hinge date with a guy named Jake, who, unlike his profile, didn't quite excel at using words to communicate. He seemed to think the secret to a good first date was to channel his inner auctioneer and talk nonstop about his crypto investments. Amidst the clinks of glasses and the symphony of bar chatter, I found myself nodding along, adrift in the sea of NFTs and blockchain buzzwords. That’s when it happened—a moment of connection in the midst of cacophony. A power outage hit. The whole room plunged into abject darkness, apart from the eerie glow of smartphone screens popping to life. In that instant, conversation halted, and the bar slipped into a stunned silence, like Times Square at 3 a.m. Jake paused, his eyes adjusting to the new ambiance. “Uh…so do you like dogs?” he ventured, stilted yet hopeful. Our phones cast just enough light to see each other's sheepish grins. I burst out laughing—an honest, hearty laugh that broke all the tension until I felt like I might float right off my barstool. “Are you kidding? I might like dogs more