Baby Steps - Jesse Eschews Creepy for "The Right Thing"

Last week as I arrived at work I noticed that a car next to where I normally park had been left with its dome light on. This car just happened to be a blue Honda Civic, which just happens to be the same type of car that Linda, the cute tax girl from floor 7 drives.

The logical assessment of this situation is that fate had intervened in my life. I would go up to the 7th floor, find her, and tell her about her car. She'd thank me and offer to take me to lunch to show her gratitude. Cut to a montage of her and I getting to know each other over the next few months including a first kiss at the top of a Ferris wheel, a trip to the zoo, a snowball fight, and finally culminating with me proposing over a candle lit dinner. There'd probably be some Journey track playing in the background of that scene... I'm not saying that's the only way it could go, but I think we can all agree that it's the most likely outcome.

I got up to my floor and decided to run it by Sean once just to double check.
"So, I think I'll run up there, find her, and tell her that her dome light is on." By this point I had our first two children named.
"Yeah, you could do that. Or you could do what a non-psycho would do and just tell security."
"Oh", that thought hadn't actually crossed my mind.

Cute Tax Girl from Floor 7

One morning last week, while walking from my car to the elevator at the office, I apparently paused to let a car go in front of me. I didn't commit this event to memory because there was nothing extraordinary about it at the time. The girl who then parked and got out of this car was a good 30 feet behind me, but I held the elevator for her because the parking garage elevators are quite slow.

"Wow, you let me go in front of you and held the elevator for me. That's really nice", she said as she got in the elevator.
"Well, I'm in no rush to get to work anyhow" came out of my mouth while "Holy crap you're a robo-babe! I love you" stayed locked safely in my head.

I kept talking to her during the elevator ride, and then as we walked in to the building. I told her where I work, and she told me where she works (7th floor doing taxes for Price Waterhouse Cooper.) We talked for a while, and it was probably the best conversation I've ever had with a complete stranger.

As we got off the first elevator and headed in I noticed my co-worker Sean about 20 feet ahead of us. He turned around and glanced but didn't say hi and just kept walking. He later told me that he had thought, "That sounds like Jesse" but when he turned around he realized, "No, he's talking to a cute girl, can't be Jesse."

As we hit the elevators to go up to our floors we said our "Goodbye"s and "Nice to meet you"s. She works on the 7th floor, and I work on the 15th, and that means we take separate elevators inside the building(Damn the segregation). As I got into the elevator Sean was waiting and told me that I was "Floating".

"Damn, what got in to you baller?"
"I have no idea. That was crazy. You saw it right? I haven't gotten so delusional that I just imagined myself talking to a cute girl have I?"
"Yeah, what was her name?"
"Dammit... I forgot ask"

I was really pumped from the experience, but tried to concentrate on my work that day. That didn't work, so naturally I spent half the day writing her name on my trapper keeper with hearts around it, putting "Mr. and Mrs. 'Cute Tax Girl from Floor 7'" on my notepad, and drawing what I personally feel is an exceptional likeness depicting her riding a dolphin through the ocean under a rainbow while the sun is setting.

All kidding aside... she seemed pretty cool and I came away with a positive feeling about the experience.

It just so happens that yesterday I ran in to her again in the parking lot.
"Oh, hey" I said, curious if she'd remember me.
"Oh, I remember you," she said, "I didn't catch your name last time."
At the same time, not wanting to miss her name, I held out my hand and introduced myself, "I'm Jesse"
"I'm Linda"

We had another lengthy discussion trading questions back and forth, and again I walked away with a really good feeling.

Note to the reader: The above drawing was actually made by Sean in reference to a joke on another blog. More info on that coming soon. Show of hands from the class... how many people thought I actually drew that picture of a girl from my building?