A wondrous thing

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A year ago, I was sending out job applications. I'd be sitting in my parents' home, fantasizing about getting the next job I applied to (or the last job I applied to) and moving away to this new place. I'd have very specific fantasies for each location, which included making new friends, hanging out at the local wherever, being cool, even horse wrangling when I got to Detroit (not quite sure where that came from). I'd dream about New York. Boston. Some little town in Colorado. Atlanta. And Washington DC.

What would happen if I got a job in DC?

I remembered that a young man I had recently met at a conference lived in DC. I knew nothing about him but that he seemed like a good listener and that he was funny. So I included him in one fantasy about my DC life. One day, he'd walk into my favorite cafe. We'd be like "Oh hey...!" And hit it off.

I got that job. I moved to DC.

I joined OkCupid and met some nice guys. But nothing came of it. I was alone and on this particular cold and windy Sunday afternoon in February, I was lonely.

I went to the Corcoran Gallery and by chance it was the last day of the "30 Americans" exhibit, with stunning artwork by and of African-Americans. I was blown away and grateful that I got out of my apartment to see it. Going back north to my home, I stopped by my favorite coffee shop to warm up. It was full, as always, and only one seat remained open on one of the couches. I came over and asked the man on the couch if the seat next to him was taken. The man from my DC fantasy looked up.

And as I soon found out, good reader, this was the first time in months he had come to this cafe. And, also, that he was single.

I ran into him a couple days later on Valentine's Day at a dance party. We eyed each other suspiciously. What are you doing here? He's tall and handsome. I don't usually find men to be handsome. This guy is handsome like when you get all giddy thinking about how handsome he is.

The whole thing lasted no more than three meetings. But, good reader, it was a most wondrous thing.