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A Southwest LUV Story in Four Parts: Part One … Once Upon A Time

swalker
Explorer C

This is the LUV Story of Steve and Jessie Garrido—told from each of their perspectives.

Jessie’s Story On June 9, 2010, I was waiting to board a Southwest Airlines Flight from Burbank, CA to San Jose, CA, when I saw this handsome gent in a suit also waiting to board the plane. He was a usual A-list passenger that typically sat near the front of the plane. He noticed I was boarding in the C group that day and decided to sit towards the back of the plane with the hope that I’d sit next to him. When I got on the plane, I sat one row behind him and to the left so I could observe him instead! When we got off the plane he slowed down so I could catch up as we headed toward baggage claim. He gave me his best opening line, “Hello, are you visiting or returning home?” I told him I was just visiting some family. He asked what I do for work and I said, “Well, I just graduated and I’m still looking for work.” He looked perplexed as he asked, “Graduated from…?” I said, “College.” He let out a laugh of relief that I didn’t say I just graduated from high school!

We had a laugh about it and introduced ourselves, Jessie and Steve. He then asked for my phone number and I said no. Then he asked for my email and said “If I say something stupid you can just delete it.” I couldn’t resist his persistence, and when I gave him my email address he asked if it was tied to a Facebook. I said yes it is but I later realized it was tied to a Facebook account that I had just opened, so it was literally empty. He sent me a friend request and I accepted but never replied to his post. I felt because of our geographical distance (he lived in San Jose, and I lived in San Fernando Valley) it’d be unrealistic to engage with someone who lived so far away. So, I never responded to his post. He thought I was new to FB since I had no posts, no friends, and even worse NO PICTURES! He was no doubt convinced I gave him a fake Facebook. I am a very private person and quite honestly weary of creepers and clingers. Steve’s Story The phone rang on June 8, 2010, and it was a call from my colleague, Paul, in Maryland.  He was booked for a meeting in New York and needed me to cover another appointment for him  in Los Angeles.  I hung up the phone and logged onto the Internet to book my flight on Southwest. I wrapped up my appointment and headed for the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Ca.  I passed through security and got on the phone with Paul to debrief.  I was walking over to Gate A2 to sit down, when I took notice of Jessie. I didn’t just take notice; I was captivated by her beautiful stature and long, flowing hair. I wrapped up my call as the gate agent called for the first boarding group. I fly Business Select and noticed that Jessie was not in the first boarding group. I wanted to sit by her in the hopes we would strike up a conversation, so I sat near the back of the plane against the window. I thought it was strategic seating on my part.  I was hoping she would take the aisle seat. She ended up sitting across from me and aisle behind. She had a perfect view of me, but I could not turn without her taking notice of me. Somewhere over the Salinas Valley in Monterey County the Pilot came over the intercom that we were starting our descent. I started to get really nervous because I couldn’t think of an opening line besides a simple, “Hello.”  Finally, as we were landing it all came together.  I would deplane and walk slowly through the terminal, in the hopes she would catch up to me, and then I could use my conversation starter. We walked into the terminal, and I started to slow down and as she approached into verbal proximity, I turned and said, “Hello, are you traveling or just coming home?” (During the whole descent this was the best opening line I could produce.) As we walked towards the Baggage Claim I knew I needed to ask for her number, and so I did. Her response was “No.”  Well, I was not going to let it end on a, “No.” so I asked her if I could get her email address. I said, “If I write something you don’t like you just hit delete and no harm no foul.” Jessie quickly produced a pen and paper and jotted down her e-mail address. I asked her if it was tied to a Facebook account and she said, “Yes.”  I told her I would send an e-mail and send a Facebook invite in a few days. I e-mailed Jessie three days later with no response and I sent a Facebook invite about a week later. I never got a response to my e-mail, but I did get a notification that Jessie had accepted my Friend Request. After work that evening I went home and logged on to Facebook to review her Profile. She had no friends, no pictures, and no wall posts. She had given me a screening account that way she could view my entire profile and make sure I was a gentleman with sound morals and ethics. I waited for a response that never came.  I contemplated deleting her profile but something in me just said to let it ride and I remember thinking, “C’est La Vie” or “Such is Life.”

Tune into Nuts About Southwest tomorrow to learn what next!