After Tiffany Quynhnhu Langlinais and Michael Steven Graves had their first date in central New Orleans, Mr. Graves drove off to Chicago in a green 2008 Kia Sedona minivan to officiate a friend’s wedding. And so, to Ms. Langlinais’s friends, he was known as “minivan Mike.”
Ms. Langlinais, 33, wasn’t used to dating a man who drove a minivan, but she said she appreciated seeing him in an “unfiltered way” throughout the date. She found him forthright and intentional, plus she was “a fan” of his beard.
The two met in June 2021 on Magazine Street, a six mile-long, major thoroughfare in New Orleans, after matching on Hinge in May. Mr. Graves, 35, needed to buy gifts for his newborn nephew in Chicago. He wanted to make sure he saw Ms. Langlinais before he left town for two weeks, so he asked her if she wanted to join him.
“We hit it off right away. I thought she was very beautiful and couldn’t believe she was into me,” Mr. Graves said.
During his drive to Chicago, he had 14 hours to think about the date — and how much he liked her. The next day, he texted her that he was excited to come back to New Orleans and see her again.
When he returned, they went bowling. Ms. Langlinais “whupped him,” she said. Afterward, they got a late-night burger at Beachcorner Bar and Grill. They stumbled upon a cobblestone alley nearby, where live music animated the street. It was the perfect setup for their first kiss.
