I went on a dream date atop the top of the Empire State Building. Here's what happened.

Hours after my “Sleepless in Seattle”-inspired date I can’t shake a smile. I got to celebrate (albeit early) Valentine’s Day atop the Empire State Building, in real-life scenes that rival those directed by the late Nora Ephron herself.

There’s no other way to start this recap of the evening, except for the meet cute. In search of a Valentine, I asked men throughout the country to apply for a once-in-a-lifetime date in New York City. Casey Johnson and I had one virtual date and then we met Tuesday, at the iconic landmark, just like Sam (Tom Hanks) and Annie (Meg Ryan) did in the 1993 classic.

I wore tall heels that I worried about walking in, but still had to reach way up to hug Casey when we said hello. We met an enthusiastic guide, who led us on a tour of the location featured in more than 250 movies and television shows.

Casey and I posed in front of a “Sleepless in Seattle” poster. In the picture he looks like a Hanks doppelganger, down to the khakis. I could’ve looked more like Ryan if I had a wind machine blowing my hair (and any sort of modeling experience). I also did my best Fay Wray impression, while pretending to be in King Kong’s grip. It won’t win me any Oscars, but Casey and I had a good laugh.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of Casey from the little I knew of him and the short amount of time we interacted beforehand. But I was impressed by how kind he was to my colleagues (who were there documenting the date), and he proved to be game for anything. Even when he realized on the 86th floor that he had a fear of heights, he continued to ascend the skyscraper with me to floor 102. I took in breathtaking views of the five states visible from the building and just felt grateful to have that cinematic moment — complete with a handsome leading man.

After our tour, we dined onsite at the STATE Grill and Bar, where the cameras and Casey’s acrophobia faded away. I felt like we had such an honest conversation, touching on lighter and more serious topics, and I enjoyed getting to know him. As we were leaving the restaurant, I noticed a sprinkling of snowflakes.

There’s a line in “Sleepless in Seattle” where Sam explains how he knew his late wife was the one. "It was like… magic.” I’m not saying Casey is the one, though I’d very much like to see him again. But magic is exactly how I would describe the entire evening. (I’m a romantic after all!)

And even if nothing comes from this perfect Valentine’s date, the one thing I will take away and apply to dating in the future is what wonderful moments in life can come from being vulnerable and courageous enough to put myself out there. I hope I continue to live so boldly.