Chance Encounter
22 June 2006I spent the majority of my college years behind the desk of a little TV/video repair shop. At that time in my life it was the perfect job. The hours were 10 - 3, which usually meant I could catch some morning classes in addition to my evening load when needed. There was very little traffic - foot or phone - so I could do my homework, read the newspaper, catch up on the TV talk shows and sometimes even catch a cat nap. It was just me and the owner, and he was often out on service calls, so really, it was just me. After four years of declining business in a market where electronics had become throw-away items, we came to a mutual understanding that it was time for me to move on. My plan was to take on some loans and push through the remainder of my classes in one semester. I was living on my own in a one-bedroom apartment in Benicia, and was receiving financial support both from my dad and through grants. I didn’t need too much money to stay afloat for a few more months.
Strangely enough, within days of leaving the shop a new job came knocking on my door. Actually, it was more like a phone call from my best friend, but opportunity was knocking something. She was working for a small law firm that was being run out of the downstairs of the lawyer’s home. There were probably four employees and they needed help with interrogatories.* What it amounted to was calling up clients and getting the answers to various questions needed for their lawsuits. It wasn’t difficult work and the pay was double what I was making at the shop, so I went for it. It was an interesting job, albeit a little boring at times.
Eventually I was promoted to “Office Administrator” to fill a need the tiny office had - not because I actually had any skills in that capacity. I wore a lot of hats in the office - doing everything from computer desktop support to facilities management to running errands for the boss. The office was outgrowing the downstairs of the house and was moved to actual office space in Richmond. After about 8 months the firm had grown to about 50 people, and I was ready to leave. It was a very oppressive environment filled with heavy handed micro-management that did not fit with my sensibilities. One of the contract IT workers suggested I look for work in the computer field, which had never occurred to me. It seems surprising now since I’ve had a love of computers from a very young age, and have shown more then an adequate aptitude towards their care and maintenance.
It was the right time to look for computer work. The year 2000 was when computer businesses were booming. I put my resume online and received around 30 calls/emails a week. It was a little crazy and overwhelming. I went in and interviewed with a software development company, and I was offered a job in Technical Support. I took it and I’ve been here ever since, although I’m now in Quality Assurance.
About a year into my employ at the software company my best friend, who still worked at the law firm, called to invite me as her “plus one” to the annual company picnic. I readily agreed because I thought it would be fun to go see some old friends and catch up. I had liked the people - I just didn’t like to atmosphere fostered by upper management. Right before the event I tried to back out. I just didn’t feel like going. I had gone to my own company picnic the day before, and the Sonoma County Fair the night before with another friend, and I was a little tired. Luckily my friend talked me out of it and off we went.
And that’s where I met Drew. I saw him across a crowded picnic area and thought he was very attractive. I asked around and got nothing but glowing reviews of him from my old co-workers (who were now his current co-workers). He’d only been there about 6 months at that point, but had made a good impression. I found myself looking for an “in” - a reason to talk to him - and he readily provided one by walking by me with his fly down. Who knows… maybe that was his “in” with people? ; ) I took the opportunity to give him a status check and he thanked me while walking away embarrassedly zipping up. It made it much easier to open up a line of communication a few minutes later.
To this day he claims he didn’t know I was hitting on him - which doesn’t speak well of my skills or his intuition. We had a really nice chat and went our separate ways. I was interested enough to take the initiative to call him on his voicemail at work. Luckily, I had set up the phone system at the firm, so it was easy enough for me to find his voicemail box. I left him a message about how much I enjoyed talking to him and that I would enjoy getting together again. I told him to feel free to ask around the office about me. He called me the next day and we arranged our first date - Mexican food in Martinez which was followed by a showing of Crouching Tiger at my apartment. Three months later we moved in together and here we are, happier then ever, on the eve of our 5 year anniversary … all from a chance encounter that I almost missed.
* Written questions asked by one party in a lawsuit for which the opposing party must provide written answers.