Layla and Taher, both 18, met for a blind date arranged through a family connection and left the table with polite assessments rather than sparks, according to their accounts for a weekly Femail feature. The pair laughed and traded stories about their lives and their pets, but an offhand remark about an ex left Taher taken aback and Layla admits she noticed another man at a nearby table.
Layla, who works as a bartender while studying interior design, arrived about 20 minutes late and said she was pleased Taher did not comment on her tardiness. She described him as handsome and well mannered but said he was "too tame" for her; she gave the date a 7/10. Taher, on a gap year before studying coding, rated the meeting an 8/10 and praised their communication, though he said he felt he might be too quiet for her.
Both described an initially awkward period that eased into conversation. Taher said he is a homebody who has never had a "proper relationship" and that he gets nervous talking to attractive women. Layla said she is confident on first dates and knows how to handle the early awkward moments. Early conversation turned to family, careers and their shared fondness for cats.
The pair spent much of the date discussing their pets. Taher said he has three kittens, two of which sleep in his bedroom, and that he was waiting to collect the youngest because it was still too small to leave its mother. Layla said she was more interested in pictures of the kittens than in talking about the two of them. Taher said they flirted, maintained good eye contact and laughed a lot, but noted that Layla's phone had no battery and he did not have a charger, so they left without exchanging numbers.
An exchange about past relationships produced a brief awkward moment. Layla told Taher about his ex-girlfriend's unkindness and said, "So she was a bit of a b*tch then?" Taher responded that he would never use that word to describe someone and appeared shocked, the pair said. The conversation returned to safer ground afterward.
Layla said she felt a pull toward a man at a neighbouring table and regretted not getting his number, explaining she could not leave the date to pursue him. She also noted a potential long-term incompatibility: both come from Muslim families but Layla drinks alcohol whereas Taher does not.
Taher described Layla as "the whole package" — smart, confident and attractive — and said he would see her again. He said he appreciated her work ethic and that her brother studies digital technology, a subject that interests him. Layla said she would be open to a follow-up if Taher suggested meeting up, but that he was probably the sort of man she might consider marrying only decades in the future.
The meeting was part of Femail's regular blind-date slot, in which two single people report back on their encounter. Both participants provided brief profiles: Layla said she has been single for three years and hopes to meet a tall, good-looking man who likes cats and has a sense of humour. Taher said he has had no serious relationships, plays basketball and tennis, and would like to meet a respectful, open-minded and authentic partner.
Neither suggested there was a strong immediate romantic connection, but both described the date as pleasant. They differed on whether a second meeting would lead to something more serious; both left the table with a degree of mutual respect and an anecdote about a neighbouring diner and a dead phone battery that prevented the exchange of contact details.