It was "like" at first sight for Pinky Ortal and Chad Yoshimoto.

Two years ago, she walked into Schuman Carriage on Beretania Street, where Yoshimoto worked as a service writer. Ortal, who worked at Enterprise Rent-a-Car nearby, went there to pick up a customer who was getting his car serviced.

"I saw him and I thought, 'Oh, cute. Too bad he's Japanese,' " joked the Kaua'i-born Ortal, 28, who had dated mostly haole guys.

They exchanged smiles but nothing else.

A few months later, Ortal took one of her company's rental cars to Goodyear Auto and Tire Center-Motor Supply on Sheridan Street. The new service manager turned out to be Yoshimoto. The two started talking, but they still didn't know each other's names.

A week later, Ortal had to drop off another car. As she waited for her co-worker to pick her up, the two started talking again. As luck would have it, Ortal's co-worker, new on the job, got lost and couldn't find the shop, which was just a block and a half away. Ortal waited for half an hour — long enough for Yoshimoto to build up the courage to ask her out.

The next day he called Ortal's workplace and invited her out for drinks at Ryan's Bar & Grill that night.

Since then, the two have been inseparable.

"I liked him, he was a good friend to me," said Ortal, who's now a personnel clerk with the state Department of Education. "He's so easy to talk with. And he's so sweet. It came to the point where I just couldn't stop thinking about him."

But there was one thing that stopped their relationship from going to the next level: Yoshimoto smoked. He had been smoking about a pack a week since graduating from Pearl City High School in 1991. He never had a reason to quit — until now.

After about two months, he quit completely. Two months later, Ortal moved into his Royal Kunia home.

"(His smoking habit) was the only thing holding me back," Ortal admitted.

At first Yoshimoto was reluctant to get married. His first marriage ended in divorce after five years. But being with Ortal changed his mind.

"I just felt like I didn't have to put on a show around her," said Yoshimoto, who's now an assistant store manager at Gemini Automotive Care by Goodyear. "It was easy. I could be myself. ... And as soon as I saw she wouldn't change, that things were good, I couldn't picture myself with anyone else."

Ortal didn't think she was going to get married, either. After a few bad relationships, she figured she'd never find anyone she'd want to marry.

"In the beginning, I kept expecting Chad to screw up or something really bad," Ortal said. "But it never happened."

On Feb. 10, 2004, Yoshimoto got a call at work. The engagement ring he had ordered had come in early. Instead of waiting to propose on Valentine's Day, he picked up the ring after work and decided he would do it that night.

"He came home and he hugged me really tight," Ortal recalled. "He said, 'I love you so much.' He was holding me so tight, I could hear his heart beat. I asked him if he was OK and he said he wanted to talk."

Ortal didn't expect a proposal. In fact, she thought something was wrong. When they went into their bedroom, she turned on the TV, hoping it would relax her before he dropped the bad news.

But Yoshimoto shut it off, turned to her and said, "I know this was meant to be. You're the person I want to spend the rest of my life with." He got down on one knee and held up the ring box. She burst in tears.

A half-hour later, his parents arrived at their home with an ice-cream cake to celebrate.

The two got married April 23 at Harris United Methodist Church, where Yoshimoto's parents were married. Their reception for about 150 guests was held at the Pearl Country Club.

Nothing much has changed in their relationship. They still work out, watch movies, shop, pray and go to church together.

"It's actually better," Yoshimoto said. "Now we're part of each other in every aspect."

The only thing different?

"Just the last name for me," Ortal said, smiling.