Meeting Mr. Right at the Wrong Time

All types of people come to live in New York City for all types of reasons. For some it's school, work, or even play--yet for many--it's a thing called love; but looking for love in the Big Apple is not a task for the weak-hearted. Some say it's about luck, but me, I've learned that it's all about timing.

Several weeks ago I met "the writer". He was previously living in Miami but made the move to fully develop and pursue his writing career. I mean, where else can a tortured writer really exist if not the mean street of the city? He reached out to me online, through a dating website and the flirting began. We had our first date a week later and things were looking up. We shared similar interests, had similar goals but did I mention I lost all cool when I first saw him?

I was walking out of Barnes & Noble when he called to say he was right outside. I went through the revolving door and saw a tall figure turned away from me standing to the side who had just put down his phone. I walked up to the stranger and called his name. He turned around and flashed a smile. My heart stopped, he looked nothing like his photo--in person, he was more like a chocolate Greek god with his chiseled facial features along with deep soulful brown eyes that relaxed me. Being so relaxed, I panicked, freaked out and my mouth did the damage.

Nando: Oh my God, you're so handsome!

The Writer: (Flashing another smile) Thank you.

Had I just ruined the first date? You're supposed to say "hello," "hi," or just something other than that. I sounded like Baby, Jennifer Grey, in Dirty Dancing when she first spoke to Johnny, Patrick Swayze, "I carried a watermelon!" was the brilliant line she delivered. I had now been inducted into the first-date hall-of-shame.

As it turned out, I didn't ruin the first date after all, since we spoke several times afterwards and set up a second date. "The Writer" was a panelist at conference in New Jersey and he had invited me to attend. After he mesmerized the crowd, including me, we returned to the city where I invited him to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Due to the traffic, I was worried we had gotten there too late and they'd be closed but we managed to grab a booth and ordered. And after two frozen lime-aides and some spring rolls I learned something about "the writer" that he was keeping all to himself.

Nando: How's the food?

The Writer: Oh very good, thanks for introducing me to the place.Nando: It's my favorite place but not everyone makes the cut, you know?

The Writer: I'm glad to hear that. So I've made the cut?

Nando: So far. But don't push it--the night's early.

The Writer: (Flashing his masculine yet boyish smile) I promise to be on my best behavior.

And that's when it hit me--sort of--a familiarity about him that I couldn't explain. Why was it that he seemed so familiar yet I couldn't remember?

The Writer: Nando, is everything okay?

Nando: Have we met before?

An awkward silence filled the restaurant and I thought, "Okay, now I've ruined it for sure." The writer put his head down and looked at his chopsticks.

Nando: You reached out to me through the same dating site, like six months ago, didn't you?

The Writer: (Still looking down) Yeah.

Nando: And what happened?

The Writer: You weren't interested in me.

Nando: Was I rude to you?

The Writer: Not rude, but I could tell that you weren't into me then.

Nando: Then what made you contact me again, six months later?

The Writer: Because you sometimes meet the right person at the wrong time.

Was he right? During the hustle and bustle of it all, do we come across people who are meant to be in our lives but because of bad timing, we don't see the value so we just move onto the next item on our ever-growing "to do" list? Are people today in such a rush that we don't make an effort to really "meet" and connect with those around us?

In a world designed to give us fast internet connections, fast food, and even faster times, have we forgotten to slow down in order to check the timing on potential relationships? Have we missed out on creating beautiful relationships with our neighbors, family member, or even pushed away potential love interests because the timing was off? And how many of us would be lucky enough to find these people all over again and be given a second chance?

As I shifted my focus back to "The Writer" and felt a little ashamed for rejecting him in the past but excited that he obviously believed in second chances; I couldn't help but wonder what the future had in store for us. And as we left the restaurant the lights went off because they were closing and as I turned to "The Writer" I smiled knowing we had made it...just in time.