Katie and John Sturino Have a Really Good “First Date” Story

Katie Sturino is the founder of Megababe and the brains behind The 12ish Style. John Sturino is a law student at Hofstra. I sat down with them to talk about how they met, their relationship advice for others, and Cher Horowitz-style epiphanies. Harling: All right, easy question first: How did you guys meet?Katie: [Looking at John] What story are we giving?Harling: Are there multiple?John: It’s not an easy question for us [laughs].Katie: We met on Bumble. But there are multiple stories about what our official first date was, because we have a “PR statement” first date, and we have the real first date. It’s always just a question of, “Is my mom reading this?”Harling: Let’s hear the real story!Katie: Okay, so we both swiped right, and I was like, this guy is so hot, but is he a murderer? What’s his deal? I made him videotape his apartment.In my mind it was just a hookup.John: I showed her the inside of my freezer.Harling: Over FaceTime?Katie: No, we were texting, and he sent a video.Harling: Katie, what was your pickup line when you first reached out on Bumble?Katie: I don’t remember.John: You said, “Same.”Katie: About what?John: In response to my bio, “Just a basic guy from Queens.”Harling: How long ago was this?Katie: Three years ago. 2017. It was the beginning of February.Harling: Near Valentine’s Day?Katie: Yes, we actually met on Valentine’s Day.John: That was our first date.Harling: Wow. Where’d you go?Katie: Well, in my mind it was just a hookup. I wasn’t in the best head space to be in a real relationship yet. Also, he was like an untamed gorilla. I didn’t understand his personality at all. Now his personality makes sense to me, but in the beginning, his texts made no sense. Then it was Valentine’s Day, and I was like, you know what, I’m going to treat myself to an in-home visit from a new guy on the internet, so I asked him to come over, and he said yes. I lit candles and turned all the lights low. I told him that my door was open, and to just come in… is this awkward for you to hear?I was like, “Sir, we don’t know each other. Definitely keep your dating apps, because I will be dating other people.”Harling: No, this is incredible. What was going through your head, John?John: I thought there was a good chance I might get jumped and robbed. I was thinking, am I about to be on a cam girl’s website? But I picked up a dozen roses on the way there, and I just walked right in.Katie: I was in the bedroom, wearing lingerie. A beam of light hit his face when he walked in, and he looked so cute! At the end of the night, he said, “Listen, I’m going to delete my dating apps, I don’t need to see anyone else.” And I was like, “Sir, we don’t know each other. Definitely keep your dating apps, because I will be dating other peopl
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