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It Was Love At First Sight, But She Was Leaving For Atlanta

Who: Laura, 34, Los Angeles, grad student

Where: Atlanta, GA

"We had our first kiss at a bachelorette party — we were both bridesmaids in a wedding, and we were just immediately fascinated with each other. So, we were on the dance floor, and we kissed. We completely lost track of time.

"It was a really intense chemistry, which had never happened before for me; I thought love at first sight was a myth. But, when I met her, it was totally different. After the wedding, though, it was just like, 'bye.' I lived outside of Los Angeles, and she lived in Atlanta. We didn’t think we would see each other again.

"Somehow, she had my phone number, so we started texting constantly, plus phone calls when we could fit it in. I got a $400 bill that first month; I had to switch my plan. Since I had never dated a woman before, this changed my world. I needed to find out what was going on with her, and I needed to see her, so about a month later, I put a flight on my credit card and was like, 'I'm coming. Can I stay for the weekend?'

"I guess it was a little bit like an extended weekend-booty-call date. I remember when the airplane was landing, I started to hyperventilate because I was super nervous, and this old lady next to me thought I was scared of flying and tried to calm me down. I got off the plane and went to the pick-up location, where there’s a really long escalator, and I remember coming up that escalator sort of disoriented, and there she was, sitting on a counter, trying to look totally nonchalant.

When we recognized each other, even though we were scared we might not, we hugged a long, long hug. It was amazing, but also kind of uncomfortable. I don’t remember a first conversation, but I do remember getting to the car and just, like, sitting there, not saying anything. We definitely needed a buffer.

"But then, we got back to her apartment, and it suddenly felt comfortable. It was a home, and I met her cat, and I was like, Oh she kept a cat alive, so that’s a good sign. She had told me that whenever her last girlfriend came over, her cat would always throw up. So, it was sort of a test. I had to pass the cat test. When her cat didn’t throw up, I was like, Alright, I’m in.

"We went to an art museum in Atlanta, and we held hands, walked through the galleries; it felt very comfortable for me. Being in public — being affectionate — was an epiphany for me. It felt right. I remember leaving and thinking, I can’t let this go. I need her to be part of my life. I have to make it work — however I can do that.

"A year later, she moved to L.A.; two years later, we moved in together. We still have that cat."