L.A. Affairs: I asked her a question that completely changed our lives: 'How's your pad Thai?'

In Fairfax, nestled connected Beverly Boulevard adjacent Pan Pacific Park, I ran a humble yet beloved pan-Asian edifice called Buddha’s Belly. More than a spot to eat, it was a gathering spot wherever our squad and loyal regulars created an ambiance of warmth and community. Every day, we exchanged stories astir our guests, the generous, the quirky and the benignant souls whose smiles lit up our small country of L.A.

For 5 years, 1 regular stood out. The Buddha’s Belly squad referred to her arsenic “Aloha.” She had a acquainted and beauteous look and she adored our shao bing digit sandwiches and pad Thai. During those 5 years, each I ever said to her was: “How’s your pad Thai?,” “Nice to spot you” and “Thanks for coming in!” Her affable grin and beingness were the highlights of our regular interactions.

Then 1 hectic day changed everything. Rushing to a gathering and astir to leap into my car, I caught a glimpse of Lynda sitting astatine Table 64, smiling astatine maine done our bamboo-lined patio (a.k.a. “bamboo forest”). I went implicit to accidental a speedy hi.

“How’s your pad Thai?” I asked, and past I was off.

A mates blocks from the restaurant, I was struck by the feeling that our little brushwood was antithetic this time. There was a spark — a look successful her eye. So I did thing retired of character: I called the manager connected work and asked him to spell to Table 64, Seat 3, and inquire for her number.

The adjacent day, I recovered a concern paper connected my table with Lynda’s compartment number. It was on! That tiny motion signaled the commencement of thing extraordinary.

Eager to prehend the moment, I called and invited her retired for a day that aforesaid weekend. However, it was her day month, and that meant her calendar was booked coagulated for the adjacent 3 to 4 weekends. Not wanting to fto clip gaffe away, I projected an unconventional plan: to articulation maine and an octogenarian person astatine our yearly opening nighttime astatine the Hollywood Bowl. Little did I cognize this would crook retired to beryllium adjacent parts astonishing and mortifying. My person was truthful excited — she had nary filter.

Shortly aft picking up our meal astatine Joan’s connected Third, my person started asking Lynda questions, archetypal airy questions similar “Where are you from?” and “What bash you do?” Then erstwhile seated astatine the Bowl, her questions continued. But present they were much pointed questions: “Have you ever been married?” and “Do you person kids?”

Amazingly, Lynda didn’t flinch, and her honesty, unfiltered yet graceful, was refreshing and alluring. She had been done life’s fires and knew that erstwhile it’s a fit, it should not beryllium based connected immoderate mendacious pretense. Although I did negociate to get a fewer questions successful that evening, I inactive chuckle astatine the representation of myself, sitting back, legs extended with a enactment pad successful manus taking notes!

After dropping her off, she didn’t cognize if she would perceive from me, arsenic she didn’t cognize thing astir me. But I didn’t hold 3 days to interaction Lynda. I called her the adjacent time to marque plans to spot her again. With it inactive being her day month, I asked her to articulation maine that nighttime for a surf movie astatine the Ford with my champion buddy. She said yes, and determination we were connected different chaperoned date.

By our 3rd date, we were yet alone. We ventured to an underground gem affectionately dubbed the “Blade Runner” restaurant. Hidden connected Pico Boulevard down nary evident motion and characterized by hood-free mesquite grills and stacked vino crates, the spot exuded a concealed charm. Sharing a vessel of vino with the owner, our speech deepened, and the energy betwixt Lynda and maine became undeniable.

Our communicative took different crook erstwhile I was opening a caller barroom named Copa d’Oro (or Cup of Gold) successful Santa Monica that was akin to a barroom down the thoroughfare called Bar Copa. The proprietor of Bar Copa invited maine to sermon whether the conception was going to beryllium excessively similar his own. While we waited successful the packed room, I instinctively enactment my manus astir the tiny of Lynda’s backmost to dependable america from the ebb and travel of the assemblage of radical astir us. The strength of our closeness and the vigor betwixt america was palpable, and we soon recovered ourselves astatine a quieter barroom called Schatzi connected Main wherever we had our archetypal kiss.

Our courtship continued, and it would beryllium defined by easiness and grace. There were nary caput games oregon calculations. One of america would inquire whether the different was free, and it was an casual yes. Our tendency was to beryllium together.

I fondly retrieve being astatine a Fatburger not acold from wherever Lynda lived, and I phoned her to inquire if she wanted to beryllium with maine arsenic I scarfed down a Double Kingburger with chili and ovum (yum!), and she said yes. By the clip she arrived, I was halfway done eating the sandwich. But I was practicing a caller mode of eating a sloppy burger that my member taught me. Why fuss to continuously hitch your rima erstwhile you’re lone going to messiness it up with the adjacent bite? To prevention clip and energy, hitch your rima erstwhile astatine the end.

I was practicing this caller method with a smear of condiment connected my face, and it didn’t faze her 1 bit. I could lone ideate what her interior monologue was!

After six months of effortless companionship, I asked Lynda to determination in, and a twelvemonth later, portion astatine Zephyr’s Bench, a serene and cherished hiking spot successful the Santa Monica Mountains down Bel-Air, I asked her to wed me.

Now, much than 17 years later, with 2 beauteous boys and our pandemic canine successful tow, I tin accidental I recovered my ain aloha close present successful the vibrant chaos of Los Angeles.

The writer lives successful Santa Monica with his woman and 2 children. They spell to the Hollywood Bowl each accidental they can. He’s besides aspiring to marque it into the Guinness World Records book.

L.A. Affairs chronicles the hunt for romanticist emotion successful each its glorious expressions successful the L.A. area, and we privation to perceive your existent story. We wage $400 for a published essay. Email [email protected]. You tin find submission guidelines here. You tin find past columns here.