Bill and I were first introduced via a dating app called Coffee Meets Bagel. I found his background in journalism intriguing and he was a baseball fan which was an added plus. Bill had only one picture on his profile which was a cropped image of his face, so I didn't have a lot of information to go on. :) After a week and a half of messaging back and forth, Bill and I met in person at a restaurant in Saint Paul called W.A. Frost. I remember thinking it was very thoughtful of him to choose a place near my home. I arrived at the restaurant in a bit of a frenzy - I wasn't able to wear my contacts because I had a stye (very attractive) and had been at a work conference all day. I had been tempted to re-schedule, but my friend, Andrea, who I was chatting with beforehand, encouraged me to go. When I got to the restaurant, Bill was waiting for me in the entry foyer (who does that?) and his one picture certainly didn't do him justice. For me, it was love at first sight.

It had been a while since I crossed the river into St. Paul and was quickly reminded of what a beautiful city it was. I was nervous but excited for the night and got to W.A. Frost early to save a couple of seats. I had hoped for a spot away from noise and away from the door and was lucky enough to find a couple of chairs halfway down the bar. I put my jacket on one of the chairs, my scarf on the next chair and introduced myself to the bartender. I let him know I was waiting for one more and I’d be right back. I checked the time and was still running a good five minutes early so I went to the men’s room to assess the shirt and sweater combo I had bought for the occasion. It was then the moment of truth as I headed to the entry foyer to meet Jess when she arrived. She had texted me earlier in the day to let me know she would be wearing her glasses, so I knew I was looking for a woman who looked like the woman in the photos, just with glasses. After a few minutes in the entry foyer, I had greeted a couple of people who weren’t Jess and helped another couple who were unsuccessfully looking for the dining room. After a few minutes, I checked the time again and nervously peeked my head back inside the bar to make sure Jess didn’t sneak in through some other entrance. Then there she was. I approached her as she walked through the door. “Hi, Jess?” I said. “Hi,” she said. I felt an immediate connection in her smile. “I’m Bill,” I replied. The next few hours flew by. My nerves had quieted quickly. We shared stories about our families and stories about the people and moments in our lives that helped explain who we are. We even slipped in some talk about politics. Little did I know, that random Thursday night in February was the start of a whole new chapter in my life when I met my future at that magical little spot on Selby Avenue.