Tequila and Tea

A modern love story with questionable returns

They met on an investing platform. Yes, you read that right. Not Tinder. Not Hinge. Not even the Whole Foods hot bar (though that would’ve been cute). No—this modern love story began in the comments section of a post about cryptocurrency.

He was 30, passionate about dividends and day trading.
She was 46, into long-term investing… and men with emotional maturity.

Naturally, I took a sip of tequila and thought, Why not?

It started off light. Witty messages, emoji banter, and surprisingly soulful 2 a.m. convos about freedom, money, and what it means to be “wealthy.” He made some mildly inappropriate joke about “buying low and holding long.” I rolled my eyes and laughed harder than I should’ve. Two more sips of tequila, and suddenly I’m questioning if I’m open to dating someone who still uses the phrase YOLO.

When we met in person, he showed up in Yeezys and a Patagonia vest—very Silicon Valley goes camping. I showed up in boots that said “I know my worth” and lipstick that meant business. We sat across from each other, me with my tequila neat, him with something containing cucumber and foam. It wasn’t love at first sight, but I didn’t not want to kiss him.

He was sweet. Optimistic. Bright-eyed in that I still believe crypto will save us kind of way. I found myself softening, laughing, even enjoying the way he looked at me like I was both mystery and muse. There was a light flirtation and a mutual fascination: him with my calm depth, me with his chaotic charm.

Over time, things unfolded like a slightly unstable market. There were highs—deep conversations, flirty texts, kisses that felt like maybe. And there were dips—like the night he tried to cook me dinner and served bagged salad and frozen salmon with great pride. I brought tequila. We survived.

Eventually, it faded. I want substance. Fire and follow-through. I want someone who knows when to rest his head on my thighs and when to show up fully—not just physically, but emotionally. He wasn’t quite there.

Still, it was fun.
A reminder that I can be open without losing myself.
That tequila, when paired with honesty and intuition, makes for damn good dating stories.
And that my heart? She’s not afraid to invest—but she sure knows when to pull out.