Page 1. Our story.
Bob, the Prince of our story, met Sonnet, the love of his life, in the summer of 2002. Transplanted from his native Alabama 3 three years before, this Prince had some unfortunate encounters with love in Washington DC. Just escaped from a dysfunctional relationship, he had decided to spend some time relaxing without worrying about women. After going to events with several different social and professional groups around the area, an interesting item caught his attention: Bastille Day at the French Embassy. "Wow," said he, "that sounds like a lot of fun." Plus, there was an open bar with Grey Goose martinis. Who could say no?
Alas, none of our Prince's friends were interested - the event was a bit expensive, and definitely not for kids. And so it came to pass that the Prince went shlepping off solo to La Maison Française to enjoy drinking, dancing, and fine French cuisine. And surely, he thought, there would have to be some interesting people there.
Meanwhile, just across town, a lovely Chinese lady named Li Shi (pronounced as Lee Shur) who had been single for a while. She had a reputation for being picky with her dates. She was very confident and sure of herself, and has no time for men who didn't meet her long list of merits. Even though this eliminated most suitors, she was having a lovely life, full of friends and adventures. One of her girlfriends had kindly told her about the soirée at the French Embassy, so they agreed to go together.
When the night of the party came, the Prince found himself having a wonderful time. He ate and drank, and, um, drank, and had wonderful conversations with a variety of people. He even put in a bid on a painting for the Embassy's charity auction. Later on in the evening, the dance floor was opened, so the Prince danced for a bit, but didn't really meet anybody interesting. Getting bored, and feeling a bit shy, he decided to return to his castle - but on the way through the lobby, he changed his mind. "What the hell am I going to do at home, anyway?", he thought. So he decided to go back to the dance floor and dance some more.
Wading back into the dark room, the Prince saw an oriental beauty walking his way. "Hi there," he said, "would you like to dance?"
The Princess replied, "No, I am looking for my friends. I think we're going to leave soon." ( >> next )