Fernel and I met May 19,1999. I had gone out for a celebration with some friends to a local bar. My friend Patricia had already been drinking when I picked her up. After being at the bar for a short time Patricia spotted Fernel in the crowd, leaned over to me, pointed at him and asked "do you think he's a real Mexican?" I looked at her oddly- she clarified- "cuz real Mexicans can dance". I said I didn't know, but I could find out.
I approached Fernel and asked him in Spanish "Sabes como bailar?" (Do you know how to dance?) He swiveled and slowly looked me up and down. He responded "Te puedo enseñar" (I can teach you.) I laughed a little and said I wasn't interested, but that my friend wanted to dance with him. He insisted that he didn't want to dance with her, but with me. I wouldn't dance with him until he had danced with Patricia.
After dancing with Patricia, Fernel came up and asked me to dance. We danced, and I told him that I was definately not interested in a relationship of any kind. I was there, celebrating the opening of a business. Fernel said he was looking for work. I gave him my phone number and told him to call me for an application. That was the beginning of our friendship-- a friendship that lead to much much more.

