William, 28, a PhD candidate from Cambridge, and Abigail, 24, a theatre artist, met for dinner at Kobe in London's West End as part of the Guardian's Blind Date column.
William hoped for "a spark of some kind" and found Abigail "very glamorous". They discussed Robert Pattinson, the play Abigail is working on, and oyster-shucking. Abigail gave William a palm reading that predicted he is not a good writer.
The evening's awkward moment came when William told Abigail he does not like theatre. "In retrospect, I can see why a playwright and actor would be offended by that," William said. Abigail noted his "disdain for contemporary British theatre" against her own "adoration of it".
Both praised each other's manners and humour. William called Abigail "funny, kind-hearted, genuine" and appreciated her "lovely smile". Abigail described William as "charming, roguish, amiable" and admired that "he has lived a fantastically varied life of travels and extracurriculars".
They stayed at the restaurant until closing and Abigail walked William to King's Cross station. Both exchanged phone numbers. When asked if they would meet again, William said "We've shared numbers". Abigail was more cautious, noting "I fear his love line looked a bit unsteady. But he's got my phone number if he'd like to tempt fate."