Long before there was OKCupid, I did all my online dating through a site called Nerve. The site is still around, but they’ve long since ditched their dating platform. Which is a shame – it was very cheap (I think free for the first few months? I don’t recall). Nerve Dating, being run through a site that was mostly artistic and alternative in nature, had a healthy mix of weirdos passing through. Perfect for a guy like me.

I met Eva on there. She exuded a certain sexual energy and grace that was classic. Like the movies. A self-assured woman with sensual grace. A rare, but lovely treat to witness and spend time with. When we met up at a coffee shop near her place for our first date, it was the first time someone had mentioned texting their friend to let them know how everything was going, for safety. It’s a great idea, and I think today it’s probably mandatory. At the time, I just thought “ah.. yeah, good idea”. That said, she wasn’t afraid of me, she made it clear that it was just standard procedure for her, but that she felt very comfortable and safe around me. That’s still one of my favorite compliments to hear.

Our conversation drifted towards piercings (I know, shocker) and she mentioned wanting nipple piercings but never seeming to find the time, and was a little afraid of the pain. I showed her my 4 nipple piercings and that put her mind at ease. Like she just needed that extra push of “it’ll be alright” to realize she’d been overthinking it.

I had an interest some years back in the actual process of piercing, and I found a company online that would even sell wholesale-direct piercing supplies (needles, ring-closing pliers, ring-opening pliers, surgical lube, bulk jewelry for pennies on the dollar, etc). For a short period of time there, I’d pierce friends and acquaintances if they wanted something simple (nipples, tongues, noses, lips, ears, eyebrows, navels). One time, I placed my little piercing kit (a small briefcase filled with all manner of tools) in my trunk to visit a friend, but.. just never took it out. Just in case, right?

So, I told her : “this might sound weird, but.. I actually have a whole piercing kit in my trunk”. She was intrigued, but.. naturally, skeptical. I showed her the kit. “And you can do nipples?” – “of course. done it many times”. She laughed “is it… is it weird to invite a man back to my place to pierce my nipples on the first date?”. I said “nahh.. let’s live a little”.

She had this cozy little place in NoHo (CA, not NYC) with brick walls, and a lot of candles. I setup my gear, she removed her top, and she even let out a little satisfied moan when I finished the first ring. She took a look in the mirror, said “not bad.. not bad at all” and piercing the second one went just as smoothly.

(if you’d like to see how they turned out : here’s a NSFW photo)

She looked at her newly pierced nipples, smiling, said “oh thank you! I really must give you something for this”. I said “nah. no need to pay me. it’s my pleasure”. She smiled, said “I wasn’t talking about money”. Silly me, didn’t even realized how turned on she was.

We had a good time that night. And several times thereafter. She’s since moved away, and we talk every few years. Apparently, she still tells boyfriends “the left one belongs to Mitcz”.