I tell a lot of stories, but the one I most enjoy hearing from other people is how they met their mate. I can never get over how accidental they are--that if you hadn't gone to that certain place at that certain time, your whole life might have been different.
For example, I was engaged to marry someone else.
It ended quite badly, right before the wedding. (Remind me some day to tell you THAT story.)
Anyway, my friend Kathy said she knew the perfect guy for me, her friend Joel, but she didn't want to introduce him to me for a year since I was on the rebound.
About nine months later I was telling Kathy about a new guy that I had started dating (let's call him New Guy). Anyway, Kathy responded, "It's time to meet Joel."
"I don't want to meet Joel!" I said. "I've been on a million fix ups and they've been horrible. I've finally met someone nice! Leave me alone!"
"No," she decided. "It's time to meet Joel before you get serious with New Guy."
She could not be deterred, so with the weekend approaching, I told her to have Joel call me on Tuesday. I had plans with New Guy all weekend, and I figured I could always call Kathy on Monday and tell her to forget it if I decided I wasn't interested.
That's exactly what happened. I had a great weekend with New Guy, and was planning to call Kathy when I got to work on Monday, but our phone system wasn't working. We could receive incoming calls, but not make outgoing calls. That afternoon, Joel called. A day early.
I was pleasant but not encouraging. I said that I would go out with him, but was only available on Sunday night. That way, I could still see New Guy on Friday and Saturday.
My doorbell rang on Sunday evening and I went downstairs to meet Joel. The first thing I noticed was that he was very tall! I had never met a Jew that tall. And handsome too! You'd think Kathy would have mentioned it. We went outside and he opened the door to a 1983 Datsun 280Z. Nice car! I don't ever remember noticing a guy's car before.
We went to Andy's for jazz, a Thai restaurant (I'd never had Thai food before), the Magic Bar where the bartenders did card tricks, and finally Lutz's Bakery for dessert. It was the best date I've ever had. Before or since. Joel admits that he liked me right away and combined all his best dates on the first night.
I spoke to Joel on the phone early the following week, but then he flew to Cleveland to visit his parents.
On Friday I received a dozen red roses from "A Secret Admirer." I did not know who it was.
I didn't tell Joel that last part for several years. When a guy makes a grand romantic gesture, it doesn't help to hear that the girl had no idea it was you. When the flowers came, I hoped they were from Joel but I thought they were from New Guy who may have sensed my sudden lack of enthusiasm. I called the florist, but the buyer had paid cash. There was also a chance they could have been from the ex-fiance, whom I had coincidentally run into.
Since Joel was out of town, I thought I might give New Guy one last chance. He came up to my apartment, saw the flowers, and said nothing. Clearly they weren't from him.
After a couple days, I knew that they weren't from the ex-fiance. He would certainly have called to follow up.
By the time Sunday came around and Joel returned from Cleveland, I thanked my Secret Admirer for the beautiful roses. Since then he hasn't been a secret. We'll celebrate our 27th wedding anniversary in October. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if my office phones hadn't been broken. . .
Did I mention that I heard recently that New Guy became a bazillionaire? But I would not change a thing! Really!
REALLY.
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