JEFF HIGGINS > 41

Associate operations director, biotech company

WHAT HAPPENS ON A “PERFECT DATE”? Instant chemistry

WHAT HE’D NEED ON A DESERT ISLAND A fishing rod, hockey equipment, and a clean pair of boxers

SCOTT KNOX > 38

COO, charter schools company

WHO HE’S LOOKING FOR Mr. Right

WHAT HE’D NEED ON A DESERT ISLAND A photo of family or close friends, paper for writing things down, and a radio

7:30 P.M. PAPA RAZZI, BOSTON

> BUCKLE UP

JEFF It was my first-ever blind date, so I was a little anxious.

SCOTT I felt pretty calm. My feeling was that, even if there was no “love connection,” I’d at least have a good meal, likely some interesting conversation, and a good story to tell after!

JEFF They sat us at different tables within sight of each other. It took a few minutes to figure out we were each other’s date.

> TAKEOFF

SCOTT He didn’t look like my usual “type,” but I thought he had nice eyes. He was wearing a crew-neck shirt under a dress shirt, which kind of drives me crazy (not in a good way).

JEFF I thought that he was a good-looking guy.

SCOTT I thought that Jeff was a little nervous. He mentioned a few times that his cat had peed all over his bed, which I learned is not that unusual for his cat.

> MIDAIR

JEFF It was nice having the icebreaker of the table mix-up. We covered the basics — family, where we grew up, jobs.

SCOTT We talked about Jeff’s great work schedule; he got to go home and take a nap before meeting for dinner — I was envious.

JEFF We spent a lot of time talking about real estate and investments; it felt a little like a business dinner.

SCOTT We had a few things in common: We both like to travel, we both grew up in Massachusetts, we live on different ends of the Orange Line, and one day we both hope to own a simple house on a lake in Maine.

> LANDING

SCOTT I felt comfortable with Jeff. He was really easy to talk to. He did most of the talking, but I think that’s because I asked a lot of questions.

JEFF Once the original anxiety of meeting someone on a blind date had passed, I think we both settled down.

SCOTT Jeff said early on that he would never move away from Boston. . . . I love Boston, but I like someone who has a sense of adventure and is able to see himself living elsewhere — even if for a little while.

JEFF There was no deal breaker, but a red flag. I travel a lot for fun, and his idea of traveling — driving around in the South — is not my idea of a good time.

> POST-MORTEM

SCOTT B

JEFF B-

> SECOND DATE?

SCOTT No, but maybe I’ll run into him when I try out some of the restaurants he recommended.

JEFF No, not likely. I don’t think there was much of a spark.  — Compiled by Peter Cocchia