How We Met

By Sherelle:

I’ll ignore the temptation to write this in third person:

We met over dinner in the summer of 2007, but apparently had met five years before that in approximately 2002. It was a warm night in Moreno Valley, which mean it could have been anytime of the year, really, and I was hanging out with my best friend Cynthia on the sidewalk waiting for her boyfriend, Andrew to show up. Finally, Andrew came on his bike, with Justin right behind him. We were introduced and I proceeded to continue talking to Cynthia, and Justin apparently proceeded to run his bike wheel into Andrew’s sensitive parts somehow. I don’t remember that last part but I keep being told that this happened. A few days later, Cynthia had told me that Justin “liked me” (OOOOOOHHHHHHH!), and me being too serious for my own good, couldn’t comprehend how someone I hadn’t said more than a single “Hi” to, could possibly “know” me enough to like me. So I brushed it off and never saw him again.

Apparently, we spent the next five years in our own tumultuous high school sweetheart relationships, but at one point when we were both single, Cynthia commented on my MySpace that perhaps I’d be attracted to a friend of hers named Justin who made Creme Brulee, knowing I had tried it in Hawaii and loved it. Actually, this is what she said:

Cynthia Myspace

I should have listened and taken the shortcut, but you gotta enjoy the journey right? I didn’t even respond to this comment, as I was in the midst of an ugly breakup with someone named “Justin” and sure didn’t feel like I needed another Justin in my life. Not even one who made “bomb ass jasmine creme brulee”. I was so wrong.

One evening, in the summer of 2007, I was single, sweaty, and unshowered. And at home, when Cynthia and Andrew called me to eat dinner with them at BJs, despite my protests that I was sweaty and unshowered. I was also not hungry and broke at the time, but I hadn’t seen my good friends in a while. The conversation went something like this:

S: I already ate. and I’m broke.

C: Just come! It’s okay, Justin’s paying for it.

S: Who’s Justin? I’m not letting some dude I don’t know pay for my stuff.

C: It’s cool, it’s his turn anyways.

S: Whatever, I already ate. I’m just not going to order anything, I haven’t seen you in forever.

So, wanting to see my friends, I showed up. Long story shortened, Justin didn’t want to be the only person at the table drinking, or so he said, so he bought me a drink, and I’ve lost my senses and my little heart to him ever since.