Spying on my girlfriend

It was a hot summer evening in July 2015. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the bustling streets of downtown Los Angeles. Marie, then 18 years old and fresh out of high school, had decided to celebrate her freedom by hitting up her favorite dive bar with friends.

As she sipped on her beer and laughed with her pals at their usual booth near the pool table, she noticed a guy sitting alone at the end of the bar nursing what looked like his third whiskey on the rocks. He was ruggedly handsome in that "just-rolled-out-of-bed-and-still-handsome" kind of way.

James, then 22 years old and working as a freelance graphic designer from home (yes he got lucky), had stumbled into this very same dive bar after hours upon hours of staring blankly at his computer screen trying to meet deadlines for his clients. His mind numbed from too much caffeine and mediocre music playing in his ears.

Marie caught James' eye when she accidentally spilled an entire pint of beer all over herself while doing some sorta-dance move to impress her friends... She froze mid-giggle as our eyes locked for that one fleeting moment before James quickly looked away again but I digress!

As the night wore on, Marie and James found themselves lost in conversation, exchanging stories and laughter as if they'd known each other for years. Despite the initial awkwardness of their meeting, they discovered a shared love for indie music, old movies, and late-night pizza runs. Before parting ways at closing time, James asked Marie out on a proper date – to see her favorite band live at the iconic Troubadour club in West Hollywood. She accepted with a beaming smile, and over the next few weeks, their dates became more frequent and intimate. They strolled through Griffith Park under starry skies, explored hidden corners of Echo Park Lake on sunny afternoons, and cozied up together during Netflix marathons on rainy nights. As summer gave way to autumn's crisp breeze, it became clear that this chance encounter had blossomed into something special – a connection that only grew stronger with each passing day.