How we met (Part 2)

They picked me up from my Pacific Heights apartment, and we were off to bar hop in North Beach. We hit Rosewood and Romolo, two of my favorite spots in that often crazy neighborhood. Because I was trying to play the role of the tough girl, I attempted to match both boys drink for drink. While I can normal handle my alcohol - we Koreans are the Irish of the Asians, after all - I somehow failed to realize that I was a mere 5'4" being who hadn't eaten much that day, and both Taer and John were over 6' tall. And we were ALL Korean, so I couldn't rely on my "Irish" genes.

Somewhere between drink number eight and eleven, I realized I was feeling the libations. I then found myself at the Matrix with a mojito in my hand and the boys by my side. Hungry and drunk, we all decided to get some food at Won Mi after all this. When John went to get the car, I somehow ended up waiting outside, with Taer holding me up. Now, I can't say whether I leaned on him or whether he had me lean on him, and I'm not even sure I totally needed his support; but neither of us were complaining. (Taer very cutely admitted later that he didn't wash his shirt for several days because it smelled like my perfume and had traces of my makeup left on it. It may not quite be Brokeback Mountain sweet, but I did think that was really cute of him.)

Nothing happened that night, and he was off to the east coast the next morning. A thank you email from Taer became many emails back and forth, which eventually turned into phone calls. The calls became longer and more frequent, 4-5 hours every day. I was smitten.

A month after our first meeting, Taer was scheduled to come back to the bay area for work again. I was excited to see him again, but I was a little apprehensive.

I didn't remember what he looked like.

What if I had on some major beer goggles when I met him before? What if our phone chemistry didn't translate well in person, sans alcohol? What if he didn't think I was cute?

Well, it's obvious by now that all my what if's were unfounded. I still get as excited to see my man now as I did way back then. And now we're going to live happily ever after.