Couple met on Halloween, saw through disguises

Halloween dress-up can sometimes lend confusion to a first encounter, yet it can also bring clarity.

Julie and Philip Horton met in 1996 on Halloween night; both were in costume. Julie, now 40 and a flight attendant with United, had taken the persona of a candy and cigarette girl. "Red bustier, short shorts and fishnets," she says. A photo of that night on her Albany apartment wall confirms that she looked fabulous.

Behind her in the picture is a handsome, long-haired man in a dress. He's carrying a cake tin and wearing a red apron with the message "I get more lovin' since I got my microwave oven." That's Philip, now 49, an industrial designer and fabricator.

In the photo, the two look very much together. "But we'd just met," Philip says, adding, "There was a six-pack of beer in that cake tin."

Of course they were in the Castro. Julie's best friend was dating Philip's best friend, and the evening started with the foursome piling into Philip's 1976 Lincoln Town Car, which, miraculously, he managed to parallel-park on the crowded street. Impressed and flooded with chemistry, Julie took two Hot Tamales from a box on her candy tray and slipped them into the glove box. "They're still in there," she says, smiling. "A Hot Tamale's shelf life is probably forever."

Even though they felt drawn to each other that first fright night, nothing happened. Philip spent the evening "protecting" Julie, who, he notes, was brimming over with - ahem - charisma. "The crowd literally parted as she came through," he says, grinning. "She looked amazing."

Despite feeling "it," neither was sure of the other's attraction. Three months later, they met at a birthday event; this time, neither let the other depart before exchanging info. The following day, a Tuesday, Julie waited home for the phone call she fully expected, but Philip waited another day to call for a weekend date.

Then he got antsy. "What are you doing right now?" he asked on the call. That night kicked off a romance that has led to 12 years of marriage and an 8-year-old daughter, Hazel.

Nowadays, with Julie working international flights to Europe, the two are often tag-team parenting. Having moved to Albany for its good schools several years back, they enjoy their '70s-decorated apartment, community music events and "making stuff." Well-organized Post-its on the back of the front door keep everyone abreast of the week's schedule and the what's-what of the household. "Dressed means SHOES!" is printed on one in block letters.

Visiting memory lane puts the duo in a reflective mood. "What a difference a year makes," says Philip, remembering his Halloween costume from the year before the two met. "I wrapped myself in wire mesh and covered myself with dead chicken's feet," he explains.

"What were you?" asks Julie, obviously relieved she missed that getup.

"Slimy," says Philip.

Louise Rafkin has contributed to the New York Times and NPR's "All Things Considered." Couple suggestions? Send a story to onthecouch@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page E - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle