20 Sexy Singles 2012: Nilam Patel

Nilam Patel, 38

Pharmacist at Metro Health

The perfect date: It doesn't matter what you do as long as there is a connection. At the end of the date, I consider it successful if both people are really excited to see each other again. I don't know if there's any specific activity that needs to happen.

Something most people don't know about me: I was born in Northern Ireland. The other thing most people don't know straight out is that I do competitive ballroom. 

My passion: Dancing. It totally has sucked me in. It's addicting. I'm very competitive. I've been to six competitions now. You start seeing the same people, and now I have people that I want to beat. That's where I spend a lot of my free time. 

Biggest turn-on: Humor, wit. Somebody who has a kind heart. Somebody who's fun to be around. Intelligence. 

Biggest turnoff: Somebody who is closed-minded, boring or prejudiced

I own too many: Beauty products

My favorite ... place in Cleveland: The Velvet Tango Room, or the parks. East Fourth Street. ... book: Most recent was Bounce by Matthew Syed, but I'm currently reading Bossypants by Tina Fey. It's hilarious. ... musician/band: I just got into the Black Keys. Basically any music that makes me want to move, or makes me feel something. ... sports team: I'm not really a big sports person. So basically I'll root for whichever team is representing a city I have a connection to. ... TV show: I gravitate towards comedies and action/adventure shows. ... vacation destination: In the States, San Francisco. My favorite vacation that I've ever taken in my life was to Italy. I went with REI adventures to Cinque Terre. ... dessert: I love anything lemony. ... blog: Not a fan of blogs.

My usual hangout: I don't have a usual one. There are certain places we tend to gravitate to depending on the mood I'm in. I do love East Fourth Street. Flannery's would be my favorite. I also love the Velvet Tango Room.

In high school I was ... a shy nerd, which is why this whole thing is kind of hysterical to me. 

And now I'm ... I guess I'm confident and outgoing, but still a nerd.   

My best feature: I get a lot of compliments on my smile. Personalitywise, I think I'm pretty easy to talk to.

My bad habit: I'm a big time procrastinator.

My first kiss: A very pleasant surprise

My guilty pleasure: I love getting pedicures. Boy band music, and anything fried. 

How my ex would describe me: Driven

Going out or staying in: Both. I go through phases. Sometimes I like to be out all the time. Other times I just want to stay in. 

Early, late or right on time: Early or right on time

Dogs or cats: I don't own any pets, but if I did, it would be dog. 

Dancing ... yes or no? Absolutely

Twitter ... yes or no? No

My longest relationship: About a year

Beer, wine or martinis: All of the above, depending on the situation. If I'm going to a brewery, I'll get beer. If I'm just out, then it's usually wine or a martini. 

Roses or chocolates: Flowers

My No. 1 dating rule: Never make assumptions. Keep an open mind. 

My deal-breaker: Closed mindedness and boring

I hate when a date ... can't carry on a conversation. 

But I love when a date ... is attentive and chivalrous. I like it when they open doors, pull out chairs, etc. 

Worst pickup line: I love cheesy pickup lines because they make me laugh. If you can make me laugh, you're already ahead of the game. For some reason, I get a lot of "How you doin'?"

If I could date anyone: I try not to make lists. As you go through life, you learn that lists don't really mean a whole lot when you finally meet the person that you connect with. If I had to choose a fictional character, I'd pick Nathan Fillion's character Richard Castle [of ABC's Castle]. He'd be the type of person I'd be attracted to. 

On a first date I never ... make assumptions or judgments. 

Best place to meet someone: I guess if I knew that, I wouldn't be in this situation. 

Most unusual place I've met someone: The airport

My take Cleveland's single scene: Apparently there are a lot of single people; it's just that I have yet to meet that person.

What do you find sexy about yourself? My sense of humor and that I can laugh at myself           

Why do you think you're single? I think it's just that I haven't met the right person at the right time. Timing means a lot. You make connections all through your life, and if the timing's off, it just doesn't happen. Maybe it just isn't my time yet.