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Interracial Singles

Aris & Jeff -
Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Surprise, Surprise!

Aris had never tried online dating before posting her profile on our site with the username “ShortScorpio.” She was optimistic but didn’t take success for granted. “I was new to Atlanta,” Aris recalls, “And I didn’t really know many people except for my coworkers and classmates in college.”

Saying his area lacks diversity, Jeff signed up in hopes that we could help with that. “I wasn’t confident at all,” he reveals now. After being members “off and on for over a year,” their lucky day finally came. “Jeff reached out to me via message, although we were both looking for members of the opposite race,” laughs Aris.

For him the attraction lay in her looks, primarily. “She was pretty,” Jeff declares when asked what led him to reach out. Aris responded for similar reasons. “He was very handsome, and had a lot of confidence,” she remembers. It was mostly “boredom” that convinced her to see him in person.

The pair met at a fun date spot called Andretti’s. “We raced indoor go-karts and played arcade games,” Jeff tells us. Aris remembers thinking, when they met in person, “He’s tall, brown and fine!” Though her profile handle provided a clue about her height, Jeff remembers thinking, “She’s shorter than she appeared, and gorgeous!”

While Aris’ lack of stature surprised Jeff, she remembers another curveball. “He was so quiet!” she says. That wasn’t what she expected, based on his profile and their prior conversations. Aris admits that after Date No. 1, she was only “60% sure” they’d see each other again. “I thought about it,” she says.

But go out again they did, and now they’re in love. Jeff’s profile gave Aris no hint of what a good man she was getting. She says she really appreciates “that he’s a provider and protector.” For his part, Jeff’s been happily surprised by “her compassion and capacity to love.”

Based on their connection happening on an interracial dating site, Jeff wasn’t the type of guy Aris thought she’d meet. “I was strictly dating white guys at that point, and Jeff is black,” she laughs. “So he was not at all my type.”

Their biggest obstacle was “me moving to his state,” says Aris. “Location,” Jeff agrees. He remembers the moment he realized how invested in this relationship he’d become. “I was at work, thinking about her,” he says. “I now have a beautiful woman and daughter [in my life].” For Aris, that epiphany came “at his apartment, not wanting to go back to Atlanta.” That’s when she thought, “I have found my soulmate!”

When it comes to advice for others, Aris suggests that singles put aside arbitrary restrictions. “Be OPEN, open, open-minded,” she urges. “I had no plans of dating someone three hours away.” But now she’s glad she didn’t reject that possibility out of hand.

Jeff tailors his advice for all the fellas out there. “Shoot your shot with confidence, and be persistent,” he says.