Nos Casamos!

It was early December 2019 on a Friday night. I had just gotten off work and made plans to go bar hopping with a friend who had been going through a breakup. I hardly ever went out, but that night I showed up for him. At the same time, Mitzi and her cohort were getting ready for a night out of their own, celebrating the completion of their first semester of grad school. My friends and I, four of us total, piled into my tiny Honda Civic and headed downtown (the same Civic Mitzi would later call La Carcacha). We hopped from bar to bar until we ended up at San Jose Bar & Grill, where the music was loud, the dance floor was packed, and the vibes were right. At one point, I was on the dance floor just doing my thing when one of my friends came up to me, pointed across the room, and said, “Do you want me to ask her if she’ll dance with you?” I looked over and saw a beautiful woman dancing with her friends. I told him, “No, it’s okay. She’s with her friends, leave her.” Of course… he didn’t listen. Next thing I know, he’s across the dance floor talking to her and pointing back at me. A few moments later, he comes back and says, “Yeah, she doesn’t want to dance with you, bro.” I just stared at him like 😑… and went back to enjoying my night. After some time, I figured it was getting late and I was ready to head out. I went to the bar to grab some water and started signaling to my friends that it might be time to go, when suddenly, I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around… and it was her. The same woman from across the dance floor. She smiled and said, “Why didn’t you ask me to dance yourself?” I was honestly speechless. She was stunning, lip gloss popping, makeup done, hoop earrings, long dark hair with highlights, and wearing a black shirt that read “brava pero cute.” I remember just standing there in awe… and that smile? I fell for it that night. She laughed (probably because I couldn’t get a single word out at first), but eventually I pulled it together and explained what had happened. We ended up talking over a beer, and at some point, I turned to my friends and let them know… yeah, we’re not leaving anytime soon. Before we went our separate ways, I asked for her number, and later, for a date. She said yes. And the rest is history.