I had freshly moved to London and been invited to a welcome party for new masters students at my accomodation. With the second wave of lockdowns imminent, I took the opportunity to meet some of my neighbors.

It was late in the party, after Joanna and her friends had found all the local bars too crowded to properly celebrate their recent graduation, when she walked in to Gradpad and changed the trajectory of both our lives forever.

As soon as she entered in I knew I had to speak to her. I also knew, she had a posse of 5 friends out with her for ladies night and there were No-Boys-Allowed™.

Obviously, a lone boy does not simply walk up to the woman of his dreams on No-Boys-Allowed™ night. Thus, with everything to gain, and nothing to lose but my dignity, I formed a cunning plan.

I walked up and cracked a joke to the nearest of the group who, thankfully, did not seem to have gotten the No-Boys-Allowed™ memo and was game to chat.

I was in.

Chatting my way through the layers of friends, I finally reached a seat where I could speak to Joanna. At which point, she promptly arose, declared the last train departure imminent, and rounded up her ladies to leave.

Disaster!

Feeling my future slip through my fingers, I immediately pulled out my phone, asked for her number, and was swooped by the first friend I had spoken to that night thinking I was asking her.

Disaster x2!

I was faced with 2 choices: 1) take the phone from the friend saying "not you" and ostracize myself forever or 2) get everyone's number!

Everyone's number it was. Disaster averted.

Joanna, meanwhile, was working her way behind the group to catch this all important train and nearly snuck out the back. Luckily, I managed to head her off at the door and convinced her to share her number.

Success!

Almost...

For you see, Joanna had cleverly closed my phone contacts app thereby removing my ability to look at the screen and see her contact without looking it up. By name. Which I... had been told a night and a lifetime ago.

Episode V: The DISASTER strikes back.

Thankfully, two of her friends had stayed behind. I was faced with yet another choice: 1) lose my chance to contact Joanna forever or 2) debase myself completely in front of her friends and own up to having forgotten her name.

Needless to say, the friends took pity on me after a merciless grilling and reminded me of her name so I could find her number.

I left the party immediately to send her a message and luckily won myself a first date (and a soulmate) in the process!

J&L

Wedding Day