Long ago and far away (OK early 90s, Turtle Bay), on a late February night, I was supposed to go to a friend’s party to meet a cute guy she knew would be perfect for me.
It was cold out, but I was single and looking, so I got all dressed up and headed over. By the time I got there, Amelie’s teeny-tiny studio apartment was packed wall-to-wall with people. I shimmied over, we air kissed, I handed her a not-very-good-bottle of red wine, and she told me to stay put — she would be right back with Bobby — that perfect man.
While she was getting him, I looked out over the crowded room and saw a gorgeous guy looking back at me. One look into those azure eyes and I was a goner. Whoever Amelie planned to introduce me to was out of luck. The guy I’d just locked eyes with was the one I wanted to meet.
Amelie swears she brought the other guy over and I politely said “hello” and then, “Excuse me for a minute” and I never came back. I don’t remember that. I only remember Peter and I wending our way through the crowd toward each other.
It turned out we both graduated from Sarah Lawrence, but we didn’t know each other since he was a senior when I was a freshman. We talked for hours and ended the night at Bradley’s jazz club. As we walked to Bradley’s, I remember how energizing the cold air felt and how the street lights sparkled in his eyes.
I don’t think we’ve spent more than a couple of weeks apart since the night our eyes met across that crowded room.
—Suki van Dijk (married to Peter)
