Their First Date ‘Felt Like Christmas’
The New York Times
Yasmin Quiles and NaVell Shorter met about 10 years ago at a Scotch-tasting event, and soon became intoxicated by each other’s energy.
NaVell Shorter knew he was thinking too much about how to impress Yasmin Quiles on their first date. So he took a pause and regrouped. “I was like, don’t put too much pressure on yourself,” he said. “Everybody knows Yasmin knows what’s good. But I’m going to show her what’s better.”
That self pep talk paid off. Five minutes into dinner at the TriBeCa restaurant Macao Trading Company, in November 2011, Ms. Quiles leaned into the table Mr. Shorter had reserved and said, “Kiss me.” He was instantly a kid again. “I promise you, it felt like Christmas when she said that, like I was by the tree, about to open presents,” he said.
Mr. Shorter wasn’t the only one who sensed the ground shifting. “When he kissed me, I immediately knew how I felt about him,” Ms. Quiles said. “I was thinking, uh-oh, I’m in trouble. Now I’m going to have a man in my life.”
