“Happy anniversary!” The parents cheered. “One year of a happy marriage!” I looked to Jackson, who was sitting next to me in the restaurant booth. “They haven’t changed one bit, have they?” He smiled. Our conversation was interrupted as the waitress walked over to our table, holding massive plates of pizza and pasta.

 

I gaped at the colossal plate of spaghetti which was set down in front of me. “Wow...this is sufficient for at least a couple of full meals.” I whispered. The conversation started up again as everyone began to feast. I was deep in thought when my mom’s voice brought me back to reality. “Everyone, I think it would be appropriate to discuss the silly story of our kids’ first meeting.”

    

“Oh god, no…” I muttered.

 

“Ooh, this is going to be good!” My sister laughed. “You guys never told me about this. This is the perfect occasion!” Everyone’s eyes trained on me expectantly. “Well, are you going to tell us what happened?” My dad asked. I let my thoughts wander back in time.

 

Two Years Before:

“This one? No. Too preppy. How about this one? No, it looks like a trash bag.” I mumbled as I sifted through the endless row of dresses which my mom had hung up in the closet. Today, I was expected to look my best.

 

Why? You see, my parents wanted me to have a good Asian husband with “Charming looks, a sustainable, well paying job, and good manners.” So guess what they did? They set up a meeting with some guy who showed potential to be my future husband. Typical Asian strategy. My parents suddenly came to the conclusion that I was incapable of finding a spouse I actually liked, and met their standards as well. I was only 23 years old. A bit early, in my opinion.

 

Back to our story here; I needed to choose a pretty dress for today, since I was meeting this new soon-to-be husband of mine. After mindlessly looking through the rack of clothes, I came across one which actually appealed to me. It was a knee-length sundress with a red base, and a white ribbon lining the waist, hanging loose to the side. As I slid the dress off the hanger, my mom’s voice echoed outside the door.

 

“Kelly, are you ready? They’re on their way here.”

 

“I’m getting dressed mom!” I yelled back before changing into the dress. After applying a light coat of makeup and slinking a simple pendant around my neck, I was ready to go. Slipping on a pair of cream sandals on the way out, I made my way down the staircase, my feet causing the floorboards to creak with each step. Before making the grand and graceful entrance which my mother had insisted I practice, I took a deep breath, and forced a pleasant smile onto my face.

 

I proceeded through the wooden arch of the doorway, and entered the cozy living room, the sounds of my footsteps soft whispers compared to the voices booming in the room. “Ah, here she is!” I heard my father exclaim with enthusiasm, his beefy hand proudly gesturing to me.  “I’m Kelly, it’s a great pleasure to meet you all.” My voice came out flat and uninterested. I glanced at my mom, who glared at me. Taking the not-so-subtle hint, I straightened my posture and and a bright smile across my face once more.

 

“Kelly, this is Jackson.” I followed my mom’s gaze. My eyes fixated on a young man who was seated comfortably on the black futon. He looked about my age, perhaps slightly older. His eyes, shaped like crescent moons, reflected the image of a night sky on a clear night.

 

Confidently adjusting the collar of his checkered polo, he got up from the couch. “Nice to meet you, Kelly.”

 

He stood closely before me, his arm outstretched. His voice was deep, with an easy flow to it. I my bottom lip, suddenly feeling uneasy. I hesitantly grasped his hand, and he clutched mine with a firm hold. I gave him a curt nod, unable to speak. What had this guy done to me? Sure, he was quite handsome, but I just met him a few minutes ago! I had never been one to fall easily. What was with this guy…

 

“Kelly, would you mind helping me in the kitchen for a moment?” My mom waved me to follow her to the kitchen. Glad to get away from guests for some time, I briskly walked into the kitchen my feet clattering over the wooden floor. The moment I set foot on the white tiled floor, my mom’s tone changed like the skin of a chameleon.

 

“Kelly.” She said sternly, signaling that she meant serious business. “What happened to the welcoming, polite young woman that everyone knows?” As she spoke, I felt the lecture coming on. Before she could continue deeper into it, I interrupted her.

  

 “Mom. I hate to say this, but i’m sick and tired of this. It’s as if you don’t think that i’m capable of finding a partner myself. Sorry to break it to you, but I’m afraid you can’t control every single aspect of my life anymore. I live by myself in an apartment, I take care of myself everyday. Shouldn’t I be treated as an independent person?”

    

“We’re doing this for your own go-” She started.

    

“No. You never even bothered to give me a chance. Now, I think I should go excuse our guests politely.” I turned to head back to the living room, but I was prevented from doing so when I felt my mother’s thing fingers wrap around my forearm.

 

“Please, Kelly. At least give him a chance at friendship?” I could hear the sincerity in her voice. It was clear that she thought that she was doing the right thing, and she wasn’t quite ready to give up.

 

Frustrated, I grumbled, “Friendship. Nothing more. This is a one-time thing, just to let you know.”

 

A smile a spread across her face in response to my hesitant agreement. “If you wouldn't mind, please give these cups of tea to our guests?” She said sweetly, passing me a floral painted tray. I rolled my eyes as I walked out of the kitchen. Jackson's face lifted when he saw me, and I offered him a small smile.

 

I started with one side of the room, holding the tray out for Jackson’s parents to take a cup. As the cups of tea disappeared, so did the weight of the tray, allowing my arms to relax. Unfortunately, I might have relaxed a bit too much. When I reached out to him Jackson with the last cup of tea, my clammy hands lost grip of the tray. The flowery tea cup went airborne like a missile, with Jackson as the target. I gasped as it splashed his shirt.

 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” I desperately apologized. I turned to grab a paper towel, and saw my mom standing by the doorway with her face in her hands. Ignoring her, I snatched a roll of paper towels from the kitchen, and hastily tore off a square.

 

“Uhm, here…” I handed him the towel not daring to look him in the eye. When I finally dared to take a glance at him, my embarrassed, flushed face transformed into a silly grin. The tea stain had spread down to his pants, making it look as if he had an accident, a yellow tint staining his khakis. I muffled a snicker at the sight, covering my mouth. No matter how funny it was,  the last thing I wanted to do was annoy my parents even more.

    

“Please, stay for a little longer?” My mom offered as a last attempt.

    

“Thank you, Mrs. Wu” Jackson answered this time. “But I think we should really get going. I believe we have a prior appointment?”

    

“Ah, If you insist. Please come again!” My mom said.

 

As the other family made their way down the driveway to their dark green sedan, Jackson glanced up. Our eyes met for a moment which felt like eons, the interaction electrifying my mind. Too soon, he turned away and got into the car. I looked to the side as I heard the engine rev as they drove away. I felt a firm hand on my shoulder, and looked up. “You should go rest.” My mom’s voice was flat, but I saw the embarrassment in her eyes. Was she not going to give me a lecture on being graceful and lady-like? I guess she had already given up on me. “Look, I didn’t mean to-” I was cut off by her sharp voice.

 

“I said, go rest. What’s done is done.”

    

The next day, I felt the weight of hopelessness bearing down on me. The evidence of last night’s events remained remained in my parent’s attitudes. After silently eating breakfast, I snatched my car keys. I felt the strong desire to be alone, after all that drama. If there was one place which could always make things better, it was Barnes and Noble.

 

After mindlessly driving to the bookstore, I walked through the automatic doors. I was pleased to see that the store was mostly empty, which meant peace and quiet for me. Instinctively, I went to the Harry Potter collection. Being an iconic series, it had it’s own display. I grabbed “The Goblet of Fire” and found an isolated spot to sit down. Burying myself in a book had proven to help me in times of stress. Even after reading through a good sixty pages, I still found my thoughts traveling back to last night. Specifically, thoughts of him. When I took a break from reading, I swear I had the worst luck.

 

Speak of the devil, there he was. The one and only Jackson Wang, standing in the line for starbucks. Apparently I couldn’t even relax in my favorite store without being bothered. I scrambled to exit the store as fast as possible. Once again, my bad luck caught up to me. “Hey, Kelly!” I heard his voice call out from behind me. Don’t turn around, just pretend you didn’t hear him. I just kept walking, but apparently Nathan was not one to give up easily. I heard his rushed footsteps behind me until he finally reached my side. “Hey!” He called out again.

 

There was no way of getting out now. “Hi Jackson.” I greeted him.

  

“How are you?” He asked casually.

 

“I’m...okay.” There was a long period of silence, and it came to a point at which I couldn’t bear the suspense any longer. “Look, I’m sorry about yesterday. If that’s what you came to talk about, then there.” I blurted. “I-”

 

“No, there’s no need to apologize. I just..” He cut me off.

 

“You just what?”

    

“I was just wondering, may be we could be friends?”

  

“Haha, what is this? A high school drama?”

 

“You’re kinda cute…” I heard him mutter under his breath.

    

“I heard that.” I snapped.

    

“I know.”

    

“You never even gave me a reason for this. What is it, are your parents forcing you to talk to me?” I inquired.

    

“No, I genuinely want to get to know you. Something about you...just drew me in.”

    

“This sounds a whole lot like Twilight. But since i’m a nice person, i’ll give you a chance.” I smirked.

    

“Fine. Want to hang out today?”

    

“Sure, but only on one condition.”

    

“What…?” He raised his eyebrows.

    

“You buy me some StarBucks cheesecake.” I grinned.

    

“So demanding!” He joked “Let’s go.”

 

Two Years Later:

“And that is how all of this happened.” I finished the narration.

 

“Wow, you were so stubborn to meet him. And look where you two are now!” My sister commented.

 

“Well…” I tried to say something smart in return, but nothing came out.

 

“What can I say, mother knows best!” My mom smirked.

 

“Oh shut up, guys.” After about thirty minutes, everyone started to rise from their seats. “I think we’ll get going now. We’ll just leave you two to celebrate.” My dad smiled at me. Our family exited the restaurant and got into their cars, leaving Jackson and I standing by the parking lot. “What now?” I asked him.

 

“I don’t really feel like going home quite yet. You?” He turned to me.

 

“Nah, me neither.” I answered. I looked around at the buildings, and one of them caught my eyes. I looked up at Jackson, and it was clear that this building had caught his attention as well. “Are you thinking what i’m thinking?” He asked me.

 

“You bet.” I answered, feeling giddy.

 

“I guess we can call it ‘ThrowbackThursday’.” He added.

 

“Ready?” I asked.

 

“Wait.” He stopped me. I gave him a questioning look. Suddenly, I felt his lips come crashing down on mine. His hands slipped around my waist, pulling me closer. His lips tasted sweet, full of happiness. When we finally broke apart, he whispered “Now, i’m ready.”

 

I grinned mischieviously up at him. “One, two. three, GO!” He grasped my hand, and we took off running down the street. As we ran, the familiar sign came closer and closer. “B & N” It glowed against the night sky.

 

Where else would we rather run off to?