Dear Party Pop, I have a great story to share not about my wedding, but about a wedding that changed my life. It took place 9 months ago and I have been in relationship bliss ever since. My good friend and co-worker, Bob, was getting married and I was invited to attend the wedding. I have worked with Bob for about 3 years and during that time we have been each other’s sounding boards when it came to dating. When Bob met Merrin I knew he had finally met his match and an engagement wouldn’t be far off. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been so lucky and my dating dilemmas continued. The invitation was addressed to myself and a guest, but there was no one I was interested in bringing. Bob did tell me there would be some eligible bachelors at the wedding so that it wasn’t necessary for me to bring someone. I wouldn’t be the only one without a date. I decided to go all out for the black tie affair and bought a new sexy dress, expensive shoes and some jewelry. On the day of the wedding I went to a salon and had my hair and make-up done (I usually don’t wear much so I’m not good at applying it) and had a manicure and pedicure. I thought I looked pretty good when I walked out the door and had this funny feeling that it was going to be a good night. The wedding was at a country club about an hour away so on my drive there I thought about just letting loose and making an effort to be friendly. I was curious about the single guys that would be there and hoped there would be some tall ones. I’m 5’10’ and over the years that’s been one of my biggest challenges in meeting someone. Not that height is really important to me. I’ve dated guys shorter than me but they’ve always had a problem with it. I hit traffic on the way so got to the wedding right before the ceremony was to start. I quickly found a seat toward the back and settled in. I took a quick look around trying to find other co-workers and friends. While I was doing that a really cute guy did catch my eye and I made a mental note to find him again later. The ceremony was beautiful and when it was over we made our way to cocktails and hors de oeuvres. I met up with some friends and we hung out eating and drinking. When they opened the door to the reception room I searched for table number 10. When I got there the cute guy I had seen earlier during the ceremony was already sitting. I smiled and took the seat next to him. I remembered Bob saying I would be sitting at a singles table so I was pleased to know there wouldn’t be a wife or girlfriend sitting on the other side of him. We introduced each other and there began one of the greatest nights of my life. His name was Derek. We were the same age. We had similar backgrounds. He had a great sense of humor. And I thought he was really sexy. I was a little upset Bob hadn’t mentioned this guy to me before but then I found out he had only just moved back to the area. We talked all through dinner, pretty much ignoring the rest of the guests at the table. I was completely absorbed by him and he seemed taken with me. The band got into full swing after dinner and I really wanted to dance with Derek. He seemed a little bit nervous but finally we both spit it out at the same time and stood from the table to head to the dance floor. And there it was. The dagger in my heart. The unfortunate circumstance of my being. I looked down at Derek and he looked up at me. I was about 3 inches taller than him. I think I must have made a face because he hurriedly grabbed my hand and led me to the dance floor. I soon forgot about our height discrepancy (and had ditched my shoes) because he was an awesome dancer. His hips were moving in ways that made my body tingle and when we slow danced and he put his arm around me, I almost melted into him. We danced and danced the night away. When his blue eyes looked into mine I felt like I’d known him forever. We were so comfortable with each other and had so much fun! When the music stopped for the bride and groom to cut the cake he whisked me out of the room and to a quiet spot. He gently backed me up against a wall, took my face in his hands, and kissed me like I’d never been kissed before. His mouth sent shivers down my spine and I didn’t want the kiss to end. I let him take charge of me and knew he was a man who would stay that way. No matter how tall we were, we were a perfect fit. So while this letter isn’t about my wedding, it was the wedding that I’ll never forget. At least until my own. Derek and I have talked about getting married and I know I’ve met my soul mate. The height thing even has some advantages, especially when we’re horizontal. Sincerely, Leslie Reed