How Did You and Cheryl Meet?

Back in 1994 I had moved to California from New Jersey and was living in an apartment in Sunnyvale.  For groceries I went to a Safeway a couple of blocks away.  That store was a little dark and dingy.  Then I read of a new Safeway opening up, just a few blocks further away.  I made a note to visit that store on my next shopping trip.

About a week after the store opened, I took my shopping list and off I went.  The store was bright and fresh.  It was bigger than my regular store.  And every employee was cheerful and helpful.  It was a good feeling.  “Can I help you find something?”  “May I offer you a sample?”  “Let me take you over to aisle 6 for that.”  “Did you find everything you were looking for?”

On the way toward the door, there was a woman standing there.  She was wearing a crisp white shirt and navy-blue slacks, Safeway dress code, and her name tag said “Store Manager”.  I stopped for a moment to say how much I enjoyed my experience in the store.  I don’t remember her exact words, but it was something along the lines of “Thanks for shopping in our store…and excuse me but I have work to do”, though delivered in a more graceful manner.  Whatever those words were, there was an impression left in my mind of a very capable and focused manager.

And from that first shopping experience, I shifted to make it my grocery store.  Week after week, on the occasions that I happened to see her, that initial impression grew, with a new dimension that she seemed to be a pretty neat person, too.  We didn’t talk much, just every once in a while, a brief “Hi”.

After several months of shopping, I began to realize one of the reasons I liked going to that particular Safeway was the chance to run into Cheryl.  Yes, I had been able to read the name on her name badge by that time.  I finally decided – and this took 6 to 10 months to figure out – that the next time I saw her in a quiet moment, I would ask her out.

Well, that was a delusion…the quiet moment, that is.  Every time I saw her, she was in motion, with a real sense of purpose.  And she was moving fast.  There was no way I was going to catch up with her.

The only ray of hope was the time I came around a corner and there she was, talking with Jim Bey, one of her senior employees.  I had a question about some kind of bread that I’d heard of.  So I asked her about it, in my most in-need-of-help manner.  She smiled, but Jim was quick.  He jumped right in with “yes sir, I’d be glad to help you with that,” and whisked me away.  And there is no doubt in my mind that he knew exactly what he was doing…protecting his manager from a customer hitting on her.

I was foiled, and just had no idea how I was going to ever get the chance to ask her out.  But only a few weeks later, when we passed in an aisle, Cheryl asked how the bread worked out.  I was trying to stay very cool, but I was ecstatic.  She remembers!  It was a small thing, yet for the first time it felt like some door had opened.

So I kept looking for that quiet moment, which just wasn’t going to happen.  Then one Saturday morning, when the store was busy and all check stands were going at top speed, I was standing in the express checkout line.  Directly ahead I saw Cheryl at the Customer Service Counter, with an employee on each side.  They had a line of customers.  And I decided I needed to be one of those customers.  I took my basket, stepped out of the express line, and headed around toward the Customer Service Counter.

When it was my turn at the front, I just asked her if she would join me for dinner.  There was a pause, and for me an anxious moment.  It must have been far more anxious for Cheryl.  Her two employees basically froze in place with a surprised look on their faces.  Finally, Cheryl said “just a moment” and came out from behind the counter.  We took a few steps away from the crowd and she said…no.  My heart sank for a brief second.  The answer continued “No… but I’ll have a cup of coffee with you.”  Now my standard response on having a cup of coffee is thanks, but I’m not a coffee drinker.  Fortunately, I suppressed it.  It wasn’t about coffee.  I said yes, that would be delightful.

We met at a Barnes and Noble Bookstore.  I had a delicious cup of hot chocolate, enchanting conversation, and a wonderful start to the best adventure ever.