IPPY Bronze Award
Relationship Category
Independent Publisher 2007
Book Excerpt
Below is just one of the many inspiring tales based on true stories of Chance Meetings That Tied The Knot found in the book!
MET BY ACCIDENT: ALEXANDRA'S STORY
I was 24, with blue eyes and blond hair. I had that L.A. "Valley Girl" look. Unfortunately, I recently broke up with a guy I'd been dating for a while. It was one of those relationships that you thought was going to go somewhere but just never was able to pick up enough speed to get airborne. Oh well, I decided to cut my losses and moved back home to Palo Alto from Southern California where I had gone to college at USC.
Shortly after my move back home, I was selected for a Neiman Marcus buyer-training program and started to make new friends at work. One of my friends was Jennifer, a sales associate. I remember counseling her on ending some of her "bad girl" habits.
"You know, Jennifer, it really isn't safe to drive if you've been drinking," I stated.
Jennifer confided in me that she often went drinking at a local bar after work and then dared herself to drive home while intoxicated.
I found this appalling and said firmly, "Anytime, day or night, when you've been drinking call me."
Fast-forward two days. It was now 2:00 A.M. and I was tucked snuggly in bed and sound asleep. The telephone was ringing.
Was I having a dream? Who was calling me at this ungodly hour?I reached for the phone. Jennifer was on the other end of the receiver laughing and bubbling into the phone, "I had too much to drink and you said to call."
I flung off the covers and quickly wiped the sleep from my eyes. I had on pajama bottoms and a tank top. To this I added a sweatshirt for warmth and my pink fuzzy slippers, the kind that looked like a family of trolls who hadn't combed their hair in years. Off I went to save Jenny.
The bar was about 15 minutes from my apartment. Fortunately, Jennifer lived close to me so I figured this total good deed would take no more than 30 minutes.
I drove a silver SUV with big black bars on the front grill, the kind for pushing cows around. Why did I drive this vehicle? Because it was what all blond USC co-eds drove!
I made it into the car and began my trip to the bar. I was so sleepy that I overshot the street I needed to turn on. Because it was one-way, I had to go around the block to access the street again. I was at a four-way intersection and the light was yellow. I thought to myself let's get this over, and crossed the intersection knowing that caution would normally be my rule. I made a very wide right turn. Bang...I felt the instant jolt and the impact of a crash.
"Are you kidding me? This did not just happen," was all I could say to the young man climbing out of the silver Corvette I had just plowed into.
I just kept repeating, "I am so sorry. I am so sorry." All he wanted to do was to call the police. I calmed down enough and persuaded him to not call the police and instead just take my name and insurance information. I really didn't want them involved.
We drove our vehicles to the side of the road in order to avoid a scene. My proof of insurance card had both my name and my dad's on it since I was on his insurance policy. I think Craig the Corvette owner thought I was married when he took this information.
I had totally forgotten what I was wearing - pajama bottoms, sweatshirt, and pink fuzzy slippers and asked him, "Why don't I buy you a drink?" I felt he might need one after the mess I made of his car.
"No thanks," Craig replied, visibly embarrassed by my outfit.
Fortunately we could both drive our cars away from the accident scene. He left and I continued down the block to rescue Jennifer from the bar. I just couldn't believe what had happened. One minute I was innocently sleeping, and the next I was in a fender bender.
The following day I called Craig at work to again say, "I am so sorry." I also asked him to send me his insurance estimates so I could have his car repaired.
Craig was a software engineer and very computer literate. I was barely up to sending e-mail. Within a few days I started receiving regular e-mail and attachments from Craig. Not realizing what these attachments contained, I deleted them thinking they may cause a computer virus.
I later learned the attachments to the e-mails I was deleting included the estimates for his car repairs.
Since I wasn't great with e-mail, Craig and I developed a wonderful phone dialogue. We would talk aimlessly for hours about absolutely nothing. We never saw each other in person. I started to think I had a crush on him. What was I thinking?
It was now the night of my birthday. A group of my girlfriends gave a beautiful surprise party for me the night before the actual date, and on the day, a good friend Jill agreed to go to the local club with me. I had thought about Craig all day and decided I wanted to see him. I figured that my birthday was a good enough reason for him to have a drink with me. After reaching Craig on the phone and encouraging him to come to the club, I nonchalantly asked what he would be wearing.
Craig replied, "Jeans, a white shirt and a red cap," the preferred outfit of most guys at the club.
I hope I'll recognize him, I thought.
I gave Craig's description to the club bouncer and eagerly waited for him at the bar. When Craig entered the club I immediately knew who he was by his preferred outfit.
I don't know what made me do the next thing but I immediately went over to him and gave him a big hug in public. At that moment our worlds collided a second time. I couldn't let go. I never wanted to let go. I felt safe in his embrace. Time stood still. I felt my whole world turn upside down.
Craig handed the hard copy of the estimates to a friend he saw in the crowd who promptly tore them up like pieces of confetti. We started to throw the torn-up estimates into the air as a sign of celebration.
A month later we were talking marriage. We were officially engaged on New Years Day six months after that, and ultimately tied the knot 18 months later.
At our engagement party Craig brought the infamous damaged bumper from the Corvette as proof of our accidental encounter!
Alexandra's Lesson
Trust your gut.
Intuition is most often right!
