My name is Karina Danni Chandler. I am a huge wrestling fan. My dad got me hooked. I started watching during the Monday Night Wars. I'm from Florida, so I was able to be in the front row of some WCW shows, when I was a kid. My celebrity crush was Ric Flair. My mom never understood why I was obsessed with watching wrestling. I used it as an escape. I was always bullied. My older sister was the popular one. She dated and always went to parties. Bullying got so bad, my dad made me get my black belt, so I could defend myself. I ended up only having one friend, Christi. I became lonely, most of the time, when she started dating. I was also never asked to dances. After college, she became a fashion designer, who also had a cosmetology license. I was a celebrity stylist. Sometimes, I would style celebs in her designs. One night, she asked me to go out to dinner. I said no. I hated going out. She begged me, and I eventually said yes. After we ate, she noticed something.
CHRISTI: "Oh my gosh! Is that Hulk Hogan?"
She knew I was a wrestling fan. She couldn't get into it, but she enjoyed watching movies and TV shows with wrestlers. I looked over and quickly looked away.
CHRISTI: "You should go over and talk to him."
ME: "I don't want to be one of those annoying fans."
I also didn't want him to see me like this. I have always been overweight, and now I was at my heaviest. This man looked like a Greek God. He had the most beautiful tan. His face was perfectly sculpted. His hair was way blonder than mine. After a few minutes of arguing, I go over there. I see him look at me. Was he laughing at me? He had a smile, as he examined my body. I got to his table and immediately started shaking.
HULK: "You can sit, if you want."
I sat down.
HULK: "What brings you here?"
ME: "Sorry to bother you. My friend thought it would be funny, if I come over here."
HULK: "Really?"
His hand went towards me, and I flinched. He ran his hand through the bottom of my hair.
HULK: "Are you OK? I'm not going to hurt you."
ME: "I'm sorry."
HULK: "Do you need anything?"
ME: "No. I should get going."
I stood up.
HULK: "Sit. I'm fine."
ME: "Why do you keep staring at me, like that?"
HULK: "I can't stare at a pretty girl?"
ME: "I'm not."
He called over the waitress, to order his food.
HULK: "...and a bottle of your best wine, for the both of us."
We ended up talking. I looked back over at Christi. She gave a thumbs up. The waitress came over. She poured the wine, then left the rest of the bottle on the table. Hulk got his plate. It was overflowing with food. I don't understand how he could eat that much, with that perfect body. We talked about things. He told me his name was Terry, which I already knew, then about his job. I didn't want him to think I was a psycho fan, so I just said I knew a little about wrestling. We talked about our personal lives. We had so many things in common. I started feeling something in my heart. I almost started crying, because I knew he didn't like me back. I got up to leave.
TERRY: "Can I have your number?"
I was shocked. No one has asked me that.
ME: "OK."
I gave Terry my number.
