Stalking my Future Husband

Disclaimer: This is a true story that happened about a year ago.  Candice and I were being very silly and very dramatic.  I don't actually believe he is my future husband (I hadn't met Peter yet).  Also, some names have been changed.

   The fact that Candice was visiting from out of town was only a lame excuse for another reason to go back to the restaurant.  I had already been there 3 times in the past week and a half.  He’s not going to fall in love with me on his own, is he?  The first time I went there, I saw him – he was so handsome – I made small talk, introduced myself, ordered my food - the usual.  I mean, I was with a group of friends, what more could I do?  The second time I went there, he didn’t remember me.  But he felt really bad about it – that’s an in!  Then I took Candice there.

   Once she saw him, she understood.  He always acted awkward.  Kind of shy, self-conscious.  But his looks made up for it.  Then I met his brother.  Taller, equally as handsome, friendly, personable, not awkward...  Hey, if younger brother isn’t stepping up to the plate…

   Older brother made sure he waited on us.  He came to refill my water glass and ended up talking for 15 minutes.  Fifteen minutes.  Candice and I kept eating, he kept talking.  He had refilled my water glass 3 times before he realized he should probably wait on other tables.  But by then I was lost, hopelessly in love - younger brother completely forgotten.  There was only one small problem…

   Back at my apartment, Candice and I mulled it over.

   “It could have been a purity ring,” she said. 

   “I don’t think so,” I replied, “He seems too old for that.”

   “Well, you never know… I know a lot of guys who wear them..."

   “GAH!” I exclaimed, “Why does he have to be married?!”

   “Maybe he’s not,” she replied, ever hopeful.  “Maybe he just wears a ring to keep the ladies at bay.”
 

   “Yeah, because a waiter at a tiny, Korean restaurant in Japantown gets aaaallllll the ladies.”  I replied with sarcasm, of course.

   “Well if he’s married, then why was he flirting with you?” 

   “Maybe he wasn’t flirting with me.”

   “Julie, he stayed at our table talking to us long enough to have to refill your water glass three times,” she gave me the look, “Obviously he was flirting with you.”

   “Just my luck,” I commented, “I met my future husband and he may or may not already be married.”
 

   “He better not be married if he’s going around acting like that!”  She didn’t want my future husband to be a cheater.  Even though flirting isn’t technically cheating…

   I remembered a conversation I had with him at dinner, in between water glasses 2 and 3.

  “I asked him about his family,” I told Candice.  “We were talking about church and I asked him if he went with his family.  That would have been a convenient time to bring up a wife!  But noooo, he just talked about his dad and brother.  I knew flirting with awkward younger brother was a bad idea.  He probably thinks I like him!” 

   Candice nodded her head.  She was on Facebook and probably only half-listening to me.  Stupid Facebook.  Wait a minute… Facebook!  I suddenly had a brilliant idea.  I got on my computer and logged on to Yelp.  There it was – a Yelp page for the restaurant!  I knew he was the son of the owners… I just had to find the owners’ names and then I would know his last name.  There they were!  Tom and Shirley Douglas. 

   “Here, here, here,” I motioned to her, “I need your computer.”

   “What?” She was still on Facebook.

   “Let's do what any logical, 21st Century woman would do - Let’s look him up on Facebook!”

   “Oooo, good idea!”  (I love Candice!)

  I put his name into the search box, but there were a million Ricky Douglases.  I limited the search to _____, CA.  No one with that name in _____ appeared.

   “Maybe Ricky is his nickname,” Candice suggested.  She's so smart.  I searched Richard Douglas.  No one.  I searched Ricardo Douglas.

   “Why would a half-Korean, half-white boy be named Ricardo?” Candice stated. 

  “I don’t know, I’m desperate!”

I tried everything, every combination of name and city, but still couldn’t find him.  So I gave up.  Facebook is stupid anyway.  I handed her her computer back and got on mine.  Maybe I would watch a show on Hulu while she wasted her life away on Facebook.  Next thing I knew, Candice was cheering. 

   “I found him!”  She called me over.  I sat on the floor cross-legged, next to her.  “Richard Douglas, _____, CA, 29 years old,” she read to me from the website.

   “Where did you find that?” I asked.

   “I googled his name and city,” She replied.  “It’s some sort of background check site.  If we pay $23 we'll get a LOT more information.” 

  “Oh my gosh!” I started laughing, “We really are stalkers!”

   “Hey, it’s not stalking if it’s free information,” she defended.

  So that's how it ended... We never found out if he’s married or not.  


After that night I felt self-conscious and didn't go back to the restaurant for a while.  Even though he has no idea that we stalked him online, I still feel embarrassed.  Am I really that desperate that I resort to flirting with waiters and then researching their lives online?  Yes, apparently I am.  But at least I have a friend who is willing to join me in my quests for love, silly as they may be.  And for that, I am grateful!

P.S.
A year later - I am not out of luck in love anymore!  Yay Peter!  :)