The Mystery of Serendipity
It was August 18th 2018, a slow sunset to the end of a summer evening, I had invited my cousin out to eat at a new place that just opened, Barcelona Wine Bar. Waitlist was suggested at two hours so we leave our name, and decide to venture RiNo— art district. About a block oway, we cross the street and make our way into a place called Denver Central Market. We grab a high top seat, and get lost in conversation.
Before I could comprehend anything, a mystery stranger appears to my side holding a bottle of wine and a box of chocolate. He asks me if I would share it with him. I softly smile, caught completely off guard, and before even answering him he responds, “I brought a friend!” Cute, this guy comes prepared. As he moves aside to introduce his wingman friend, an instant disappointment crosses my face. Ironically his wingman friend and I just so happen to randomly go on a rainy day coffee date a couple months prior, and though this friend of his seemed interested in a follow up date, he actually ended up ghosting me. With hesitation, I was already feeling off about entertaining someone within the same circle. What do they say, birds of a feather flock together? Before I can invite this mystery guy to sit, he immediately notices the look his friend and I give to eachother and asks, “Do you guys know eachother?” —Suddenly, serendipty handed the reciept and was like, juuuuuust kidding.
So instead—my prince charming leaves me to accompany my cousin on the other side of the table because he felt there was unfinished business between said friend and I. So here I am, sitting across staring at this charming man, with a guy who once ghosted me to my side. That dinner reservation call could not have came any slower. The four of us engaged in light conversation and finished the bottle of wine.. Yet, in an effort to save this moment, I offer to pick up the next bottle. I head to the bar, order a second, and we four continue to let sunset soak in.
The phone rings. Our reservation is calling—I start our outro speech. “Thank you for the wine….and the….” Before I could finish, Mystery man says, “Have you ever been to Bar Dough? It’s way better and you both should join us.” To be honest, it took very little convincing on their end. I don’t know what it was but I didn’t want to leave on these terms.
We all arrive at Bar Dough—We sit at the bar and I end up sitting in-between mystery guy and his friend. Somehow time passes us through conversation, and while each of us four sought out different intentions of the evening, the end comes and we all go our separate ways. I make my way home, no contact exchanged with mystery guy. No contact with his friend. Just the feeling of wow, what just happened.
We never opened that door again following up. Everything came as quick as it left.
Somehow an entire year later, through social media, we’ve finally connected through mutual friends. He makes the first move, by complete random “You are so photogenic, it’s incredible.” —There he is, the charm in him exudes. A few “Thinking of you” exchanges with weeks to space our replies. He notices i’m in Boston and recommends a few places to visit. Yvonne’s specifically. Turns out, I was sitting at that bar at that exact moment. Our timing seemed flawless sometimes. He then shares that he just hired the GM at Yvonne’s to come to Denver to work with him. He was quick to be impressive. I was quick to be complimentary of his craft.
And the ball is back in his court. Then mine, then his..
So he makes his next move, “I’d love to take you to dinner when you’re back?”
Months pass by since I was in Boston. I’ve been doing my thing. He’s been doing his. We lost touch on open ends and delayed responses. Persistent on his move, and makes it a point about getting that delayed dinner we’d been putting off…
We (finally) set a date for dinner.
Something unusual though, he starts with, “while I’d love to be seen with you, would it be ok if we sat in the back of the restaurant as we may be interrupted a bit”
It took us an entire year to finally meet in person again, and he wants to sit next to the kitchen? I’ve never felt so… confused? I’m a sit at the bar kind of gal so this was unusual for me. I knew him surface level. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I express to him that I appreciated his acknowledgement of our time. Sweetly he asks if he can pick me up in an uber as we’ll probably have a glass or two of wine….
This guy just kept charming me. It wasn’t anything over-extravagant but for the first time after so many failed dates, someone put effort into courting me. Someone wanted to pursue me, and pursue me intimately. It was refreshing. It felt incredibly special.
Morin— April 2019.
I’ll forever have a soft spot for this restaurant. I can’t remember the last time I sat and had a five hour dinner with someone I never really knew. We just clicked. Everything. The conversation, the uninterrupted eye contact. Glass after glass we kept getting deeper. Equal roast to flirt ratio.
It was hot. It was sexy. It was everything I fucking daydreamed of.
We sit up on the mezzanine, just us…and without error, someone walks and hands us a flight of bubbles. This guy planned this entire date from direct message to sit down. The back of the restaurant felt way more perfect than the front of the bar. He knew what he was doing. It was so fucking hot. The menu reads like a bible, and for once I want to see what he’s all about. So instead of suggesting a “that sounds good,” cause I was ready to appetite myself on him, I tell him, “You lead me". My tongue might’ve played with my lips while biting down, holding eye contact. He loses himself for a second, I can see it. He smiles at me intently. The tension built over all those short exchanges was exploding at the seams on us.
No phone was touched. No moment was silent. And if there was a pause, it was because we were undressing each other in our thoughts. We were ravenous about learning one another. It just felt effortless. It felt compatible. It felt safe. Everything sort of blurred around us. Food begins to blanket the table, and one noticeable dish becomes the clear stand out catching both of our attention. He blushes, that sweet smile attempting to be played down, and immediately tries to detour, “The kitchen knows i’m on a date.” So the kitchen decides to assist his game, and adds touches of thoughtfully cut out hearts out of the herbs. We laugh. We soak in about how much time has passed us and yet in that night we met, and this very night where we sit together, the time laid still.
I can’t recall how much wine was devoured. I can however recall walking out with him leading the way, strolling down the street waiting for our uber, he grabs onto my hand into the alley, and we instantly melt into each other. Pushed up against the wall, inhaling each-other. My god, we waited how long for this? To find something so incredibly satisfying… Why did we let time space us?
Everything was magnetic.
Our touch, our motion, our entire flow.
“If you have chemistry you only need one other thing, timing. But timing is a bitch ”
….to be continued