Well it wasn't exactly meet, as keep bumping into him. I first bumped into him in the street coming the other way and one of us had to negotiate round the other on the pavement. I smiled and he looked a bit severe. I noticed what he was wearing though and he seemed to have his own kind of style.
Then another time I was in a pub with friends and recognised him in there, with another man, chatting at the bar. I looked across and smiled in recognition and he ignored me.
So the first couple of times I met him I thought he was not particularly friendly but kind of a bit different.
The next time I met him he had just become a Dad. He was single and they hadn't been an item for some time. Just co parenting. He was completely different then and worried about his child and seemed to be trying to chat me up so I ignored that and said "see you around" which seemed to surprise him.
For the next few months, I regularly bumped into him in various places - usually on his own. And we'd stop and chat. I thought no way - this is far too complicated. I was happily single thank you. And it went on for another few months and the chats got longer and then one day he asked me to go for a walk and then to an event.
So it wasn't love at first sight. But a friendship that developed into romance.