I thought, why not go explore that heart-stopping-ly expensive mall again where I was positive I would buy nada anyhow so there was no danger. The thing about me is once I know the lay of the land, it's all a piece of cake to maneuver about. Bellevue, where I was staying, was no different as I effortlessly guided my car to the parking garage, found a spot and gathered my belongings.
Wandering about with headsets firmly in ears, stomach grumbled basically demanding attention I realized with a start that I hadn't eaten since the abbreviated (and unhealthy) meal from early the afternoon before It was time to appease the hunger pangs finally stumbling onto Red Robin (sings *yum*). I had no idea that this burger joint was so popular in this area of the country and once sidling up to the bar to order a drink and perusing the menu my phone rang. It was the groom-to-be, the reason yours truly had traveled 2500+ miles from home.
Fo: Hey, where you at?
Me: Red Robin having lunch.
Fo: I'm coming!
There was more to the conversation of course but you get the gist. Within 20 minutes he came pushing through the revolving door, looked around, spotted me and came with his normal goofy Fo smile. I know that he reads my blogs, most of the time, so he'll see this and probably do a little bit of gloating over what I'm about to say. That's fine, I'll just ignore it as I usually do.
My prior blog, the one that was super secret and guarded like a national treasure by me, had first introduced Fo when we had taken our month long business trip to Hong Kong. Since hardly any of you have seen that blog, I'll fill you in on who this joker truly is (and I of course say this with a lot of affection). Back then, well before moving to this part of North America, he had been residing not far from my own home, working a few scant offices away on the same floor as well, in fact we were in the same group. When I had first been introduced to him, or rather he happened to be schlepping past my office and the colleague who I was with pointed him out, Fo sort of waved, a wide arching thing that set his whole right arm swinging while he aimed a vapid smile in my direction. The colleague told me with a short laugh that the very gentleman who seemed to work backwards in time (that's how slow he was moving) would be the one to train me on a certain database, I gasped in horror. My first thought was that this guy seemed a little brain dead, how the hell was he going to be training me on anything, ever?
The meeting and subsequent training with Fo was indeed a bit disastrous with me leaving as clueless as I had walked in. But the general assumption that this guy was anything other than brilliant was soon wiped out of existence during a planning meeting for HK. The partner was struggling to remember a few simple facts about the case we were working on so he turned to Fo and asked him for a recap. And boy did the kid do just that. It was like turning on a faucet as the information literally gushed out of him in torrents, succinct, precise, with machine-like precision. After he was done, he leaned back in his chair, placed the back of the pen he grasped to his lips and went back to being vapid. Since then, I have never ever underestimated him.
And since HK, or possibly during it, we had become close friends, confiding and asking each others opinions regarding almost anything. The fact that he was an associate at the firm and deemed me 'worthy' of his friendship (yes, I'm even rolling my eyes at that sentence) made him all that more human, all that more likable. Clearly job hierarchy didn't matter a flip to him. He is chilled to the point where one isn't sure if he has a pulse, sometimes cool most of the time lame and geeky, goofy as hell, laughs without reserve, is a total and utter smartass, has caused me moments in which I contemplated choking the very life out of him...slowly...and has protected me when I most needed it, always taking my side and giving me the respect of listening to me even though I was nothing but a 'paralegal'. He is also generous and not so cynical about life that he wasn't open to not only receiving love, but giving it. Now, 6 years after that first meeting, we are close enough that I would even consider traveling so far to witness him marry the woman who is literally the perfect foil to him. And when he told me he was moving away, I was devastated and to this day try hard to convince him to move back (fat chance).
Okay enough and moving on...
So he walks in and the first thing I observe is that he had shed a good amount of weight, looked happy and calm, this last thing was not in the least surprising. Aside from two specific occasions in the past both connected to work, I've never seen him lose his shiznit nor seem even the least perturbed about things. If I had thought that some of the stress from the wedding planning was going to crack his normal cool, I was vastly mistaken. Thank goodness I have no such misconceptions.
He came, gave me a bear hug and as I went to pull away, he held on a bit longer and I thought to myself "awww, how sweet, he misses me!" Then I slightly turned my head to the right and saw that he was actually trying to grab some of the food I had sitting on the bar counter behind me. Typical Fo. Most of the time the git was hovering by my food waiting for me to declare that I was done so that he could swoop down and finish it up. This time he was a little disappointed since I was eating a salad. He told me as much too.
That was our first opportunity to really catch up as he filled me in on what was happening, ordered then subsequently inhaled/devoured an order of fries and within an hour was off to go visit his family who were comfortably situated close by. After reminding me about the rehearsal dinner that night, he was gone and I was left to more wandering around as I chatted with my mom on the phone.
Sure enough I didn't buy a darn thing...wait that's a lie. I bought a pair of linen pants from Macy's...because as you all know there are no Macy's stores in...no, never mind, there are..but when I went to pay for the 20 dollar pants I realized the sales tax was something like 9.5% or some equally atrocious number. The memories of living in L.A. came flooding back and after that I decided anything that I had to purchased (other than food) would have to be under duress.
Returning back to the hotel, I snuggled into the blissfully comfy bed with the AC blasting and watched TV till I nodded off. Afternoon naps are not only a luxury for me but a total oddity as well. Even when given the opportunity I never usually take it fully because my mind never rests most unfortunately. Waking an hour later, thanks to P being my own personal alarm clock, I quickly showered, dressed, pulled up the address and had a convo with Fo who told me he and H, his lovely bride-to-be, were already at the venue. I assured him I would be there before 7pm.
The dinner was to be held at Cutters Crab House at Pike Place. Thanks to the location I was able to at least take a pre-tourist trip to the area before coming back in a few days to give it a real visit. I wandered through the market but it was already 6:45 the vendors were either packing up or had long since put the goodies away. Empty wood stalls lined the length of the market, the smell of fish perfumed the air, the sunlight streaming in through the slightly dirty panes of glass that lined only one side of the market. The park in front of the restaurant offered a beautiful view of the water while various types of people were lounging around enjoying the warm bright weather. You wonder what I mean when I say 'types of people'? Well it was after all Seattle which meant there were hippies, potheads, poets, artists, tourists, desi's, non-desi's, geeks, yuppies, rich and poor all mingling together. This created quite a tapestry of humanity as I reached my destination, sat and waited for Fo to come get me. Here are pictures taken via my iPhone including the yummy food:
I didn't really think about how I would feel being alone at the wedding as I went through the process of preparing and arriving at Seattle but for a second as I stood in that room looking about, standing there awkwardly, I realized just how 'single' I was at that moment. And in an instant I finally understood, as well as sympathized, with all those friends of mine who bitched about having to go stag. Definitely.not.fun. Another reason I had probably not given it much thought was because up to a week prior to the wedding a mutual friend of Fo and mine, Vee, was going to attend but due to babysitter issues the poor thing couldn't make it. So when Fo's mother came with a gigantic warm smile and a welcoming hug, I was more than thrilled to return both with equal affection. Breathing a sigh of relief I was pulled into the warmth of the moment as I became reacquainted with one of Fo's sister who I had long ago met in DC, next introduced to another younger sister who I gaped at because she was just that beautiful, and his younger brother, a man the spitting image of Fo in so many ways. I also met Fo's brother-in-law who was quick to smile, laughed easily with a chuckle that demanded response (one just couldn't help but laugh along with him), and who also welcomed me heartily. He also, I came to realize quickly, had the same sense of humor to compliment the rest of his in-laws.
Now I mentioned earlier that this was supposed to be a rehearsal dinner of sorts. For those who do not know what this is precisely, basically it's a pre-wedding dress rehearsal followed by an intimate dinner of only the bridal parties. Outsiders are not usually invited, most certainly not all their guests. The fact is this non-pretensious couple had elected not to have any such event and instead used it as an excuse to welcome their out-of-town wedding guests to Seattle by treating them to a scrumptuous dinner. At one point Fo whispered to me that the amazing accomodations and generosity was thanks to his mother. I knew I liked that woman. (In recent memory, the only other occasion where this happened was at my girl Vee's wedding where she and her hubby threw a big party for everyone as their 'rehearsal dinner') We desi's don't have any such thing, we figure that the day of the wedding it's either sink or swim and that someone would pipe up and tell others what needs to be done. That's how we brownies roll.
As dinner, which was exquisite, was being served, Fo plopped down next to me (I sort of weaseled my way into the same table where his family was seated since I didn't know a blessed other soul amongst the other 25) while his fiancee sat across the room with her family. I leaned over and asked him whether it wouldn't be more appropriate for him to actually sit with his future wife but he furrowed his brow, mouth dropping slightly open as he often did and seemed to ponder this for a second. Then he lifted his glass, caught the eye of his woman, lifted it in salute (as did she) and grinned widely. "No, we're good," he assured me. And so they were. Seriously guys, how awesome are these two?
The evening was full of laughter, jokes and ribald humor. Fo's mom took all the colorful teasing with gracious good humor and aplomb, I couldn't help but admire her. She told me that when her kids got out of control, she switched her brain to the 'off' position and conveniently lost the ability to hear. Hehe...so love this woman.
Fed, satiated and happy eventually it was time to go. Fo suggested that everyone may get together later for drinks at a bar not far from my hotel, telling me he'd let me know where and when precisely. I left with a cheery wave, headed back to the car, getting only lost once in the process of going 'home' and was able to shed the clothes and slip into something way more comfortable with a soft sigh. Soon I received a text informing me where the gathering would be and I left, the hour being close to 11:30pm.
Seemed like nearly everyone from the dinner was present. It was a pleasant extension to an already pretty nice evening as we sat outside enjoying the mild warm weather, the wind blowing reprieve every few minutes and soft laughter whispering through the large outer patio/sitting area/courtyard. Eventually tired partiers dropped out one at a time until it was only myself, Fo, H (his still smiling fiancee) and her best friend left. Another half hour, closing in on 2 am we all finally took our leave of the establishment. I had to remind the couple that they had a pretty big day ahead of them and surely beauty sleep was a necessity.
Sleepily I drove back to the hotel, let myself in and plopped down onto the bed. Checking messages, responding to a few, leaving the rest for the next day I stretched out diagonally in the huge king size bed that was all mine for a few days. Then, because I am indeed a creature of habit, I straightened and fell asleep immediately.
The next day, indeed a Sunday, was the wedding. It promised to be beautiful and fun. I was anticipating it with glee, if nothing the food would be amazing and there would be chocolate, since Fo loved himself some chocolate. Yayy!
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