Dating is hard. Dating amid social distancing due to thecoronavirus? Some may say, even harder.
So, Jeremy Cohen, a 28-year-old photographer from New York City, got creative when he spotted a woman dancing on the rooftop of the building next door.
In a now-viral TikTok video, Cohen could be seen taping a note with his phone number to a drone and flying it over to the woman dancing across the street.
MORE: Neil Diamond tweets coronavirus-inspired update of 'Sweet Caroline'“It was really nice out that day, so people were chilling on their rooftops exercising, doing their thing,” said Cohen. “[I saw] this girl dancing and she’s on the rooftop right across from me. I had never met her before. I yelled over …. but she couldn’t really hear and we just wave at each other.”
The woman was 23-year-old Tori Cignarella.
"I was actually hanging out with my roommate … and I was actually doing the dance from 'High School Musical,'” Cignarella said, adding that it was the dance to the song “We’re All in this Together.”
"I was not expecting to get a phone number out of it," she continued. “We could see his balcony pretty clearly from where we were on the roof and he basically just kind of shouted over to me."
After the initial meet-cute shout and wave, Cohen realized he could send his drone with a note.
“[I] put my number on a drone, saying 'text me' and I just flew it over to her, and then she texted,” said Cohen.
Since he sent the drone, Cohen said that the two have been texting and plan to go on a virtual date later this week.
“We’ve been talking and it’s kind of crazy, but we’re going to go on a virtual date or something… I’m still trying to figure out if I’m trying to be romantic about it, but also clever about it for the internet.”
Since the video was posted on Sunday, it has garnered over 4.1 million views on Twitter alone.
Cohen said the internet response has helped with the general loneliness that comes with social distancing in these times.
“[The response] feels surreal, especially since I’m quarantined all alone in my apartment," he said "This story can bring positivity out of a negative situation.”