The First Meeting
Sarah, a fiercely confident woman smiled timidly when I asked her about Joe. She had to pause and think about all the ways to describe him. “He keeps being more than I expect him to be and when I don’t think it could get any better, it does.”
From seeing the way they interact with each other, it was hard to believe that at the time, they had only been dating for a little over 6 weeks. Sitting beside the two of them, it was pretty clear how naturally this relationship came together.
They met at Sir Walter, a bar in Düsseldorf, Germany. Sarah was reserving some space in the crowded bar for her friends. Her stance wide, and her arms stretched out like a goalkeeper. Joe came to stand beside and casually bought her a drink and they chatted the night away.
For about 2 hours, Joe was mesmerised. He thought of all the ways to ask for her number when he finally decided to ask for her phone and dialled himself giving her “no choice” but to call him. You see, Sarah is the type to live above the rules of dating. She called him the very next day, midway through his meeting with a colleague. He was surprised but glad and called her back after he was done with work. Playing hard to get perhaps?
The First Date
I don’t think I have every met someone so committed to avoiding awkward conversation but if you know Sarah, you wouldn’t be surprised. They had arranged a date and decided to go for a hike one fine afternoon. A mixture of panic and excitement led Sarah to Google and memorise all the different trees and their properties that she could find on that trail. A little security in case they were “stuck” for conversation ideas on their long walk. To no one’s surprise, they hit it off and Sarah never needed to use her buffed up Dendrology knowledge. It may come in handy in later years Sarah, I salute you for your efforts!
The First Kiss
They both smiled at each other when I asked them this question. Sarah looked expectantly at Joe to provide the answers, I think she was just as interested to know what he was thinking that night! After a few minutes, Sarah relented and told her story first. I am pretty sure Joe was wide-eyed, smiling at Sarah the whole time. So sweet!
It was the classic, “I will cook for you” type of date. Joe decided to invite Sarah for a home cooked meal, and later that night, they ended up on the couch. Sarah, being the confident young woman that she is was trying to give Joe the “kiss me” eyes. They had a few quiet and from what was described intense moment which was broken by Joe who nervously started to talk about random things. It took 3 intense moments and 3 “kiss me” eyes before he, thankfully, found some courage to kiss her.
With the recent attacks occurring around the world, I just wanted to say, don’t give up. Love your everyday. Spend time with people that make you happy and make it known that you appreciate them. Be inspired by love and love others. Be kind to people close to you and extend that kindness to those you don’t know. This world is spiralling and I admit, it is scary. That’s why I am determined to capture and retell stories such as these. I want to celebrate the good in life, the little victories and I hope this piece make you smile. To those who recently experienced terror attacks, I am sorry for the friends and families you have lost. Stay strong, show your braveness and never give up.
If you have a cute or unique love story, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Contact me at thia@talethief.com. I would love to capture your story and share it with this world cause God knows we need more good news to weigh out the bad.
