Did Yoda Invent the Meet Cute?

There are at least two things you will find in every romantic comedy novel or movie:

1) HEA (Happily Ever After)

2) Meet Cute

If there isn't an HEA, it isn't a romance. It might be an amazing story with a wonderful romantic sub-plot, but it isn't a card-carrying member of our beloved Romance genre, where the romantic relationship is the heart of the story.

We all love a good Meet Cute –that glorious moment in the novel or movie when the protagonist first meets their soon-to-be love interest. It's that ridiculous, charming, crazy first encounter -- the cute moment when they meet. Technically, I suppose that makes it a Cute Meet, unless you're Yoda. Well, who am I to argue with Yoda?

In addition to being entertaining, the Meet Cute can help establish the Romantic Comedy Trope. For example…

Friends to Lovers

In a Friends to Lovers romance, the Meet Cute may be told in a Prologue or a Flashback, to save us from having to suffer through two people getting along swimmingly for too many pages (or scenes) and getting us into the good stuff faster.

Enemies to Lovers

If the story starts with a misunderstanding, an argument, a conflict, you're probably looking at one of my favorites: the Enemies to Lovers trope. One or both of the characters finds the other absolutely insufferable. That doesn't stop them from wanting to tear each other’s clothes off, of course. Ah, the tension!

Fake Relationship

Lots of creative options for this one. Maybe she'll run into him, literally, at Trader Joe's when they are both reaching for that last bottle of Two-Buck Chuck. A negotiation will ensue and voila! She's his fake girlfriend for the upcoming royal ball!

My Real-Life Cute Meet Cute

I met my husband at a barbecue on the 4th of July.

I was regaling the room with fascinating stories, as I am wont to do. For some mystifying reason, I used the phrase "once in a blue moon." After a dramatic pause, I giggled adorably and said, "not that anyone actually knows what that means."

The quiet geek in the corner (oh, did I mention this is an Opposites Attract Meet Cute?) adjusted his glasses and said, "it's the third full moon in a season that has four full moons."

I blinked at him. Then with a sneer, I said, "no one but a nerd knows what it means." Luckily, I'd used my inside voice. With my outside voice, I said, with the faintest of smiles playing on my lips, "Interesting. I stand corrected."

The electricity between us was palpable. One side of his mouth ticked up on his perfectly stubbled square jaw. I bit my lip, in that sexy way that only a romance novelist can.

Okay, I don't really remember what exactly happened after he interrupted my story, but I do remember noticing his jaw line. I'm a sucker for a stubbled square jaw!

But what kind of RomCom script would this be if that was all it took for us to get together? No siree. I went back to telling exciting anecdotes while gesticulating wildly, flaunting my full 1/4 Italian heritage.

Later, I found him near the dessert table. I peered up at him through my long, fluttering eyelashes and purred, "I heard you made the lemon meringue pie."

Our eyes locked. "Yeah, did you like it?" he asked, with a deep rumble that hit me right in the pubic bone.

He reached out and tucked a random section of hair behind my ear. I bit the inside of my cheek and said, "I didn't try it." Silence ensued.

Yeah, in retrospect, I probably could have handled that better. But in my defense, it was a citrus pie! I know, I know. A lot of people love them. I am not one of those people.

Despite my apparent best efforts, ours was not an Enemies to Lovers tale. But our Cute Meet Cute launched a pretty wonderful Friends to Lovers romance. And I didn't even have to wait for the next blue moon!

Do you have a Meet Cute you could share?

Add a comment below or send your Meet Cute to me at Kim@KimClarkeBooks.com

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