Little did James Pineda know that a trip to Longs Drugs would change his life.

He was shopping at the drugstore in Pearl City with his dad and niece. That's when he spotted Sandy Pacada, the cashier at checkout stand 4 — checking him out in the mirrors overhead.

"I was looking at muscle magazines and I wen' bus' her looking at me," said Pineda, 42, a field supervisor at SealMaster Hawaii. "I was laughing. She never know I was watching her."

No, she was too busy drooling over his biceps and strong shoulders, nicely framed by a fitted tank top.

"And it was Value Book day!" said Pacada, 42, who now works as an office manager at Tri-Dent Service Inc. "So it was busy!"

At first, Pineda wanted to stand in her line and get her number. But he chickened out.

He wound up at checkout stand 3.

And that actually worked out.

The bag boy started talking to Pineda about shoulder workouts. An interested Pacada listened in, then whispered to the bag boy to get Pineda's name.

Pineda wanted her name, too. But the bag boy, who was new, gave him the wrong one: Eleanor.

A few days later, Pineda called Longs to leave a message for that cashier.

It just so happened that Pacada was answering the phones that day.

He asked for Eleanor, who wasn't available, and didn't leave his name and number.

Pacada thought that was odd — Eleanor was married and this wasn't her husband — but didn't think anything of it.

What she was thinking about, though, was the guy in the "wifebeater."

"I figured he knew where I worked, so he'll come back," Pacada said. "I put him on the back burner."

He didn't go back. Instead, he called again, this time leaving his name and number. Not for Eleanor but for the cashier at checkout stand 4.

That message somehow found its way to Pacada.

"At first I was like, 'Who's James?' " she said, laughing.

But Pacada called the number when she got home anyway. When she figured out who he was — the muscular guy in the tank top — she put the phone on mute and screamed.

They talked for about an hour before making plans for lunch the next week at Patti's Chinese Kitchen in Ala Moana Center.

This is when Pineda opened up about his "bad boy" past and a strong faith in God. That faith, he told her, comes first in his life, and he wasn't going to compromise that.

Pacada listened but didn't judge him. She appreciated his honesty and sincerity — and that only made her like him more.

"I always prayed for someone to understand me and accept me for who I am," Pineda said. "I knew in my heart that God put her in my life for a reason ... Without a shadow of doubt, I knew I was going to marry her."

After three months of dinners and workouts, Pineda dropped to his knee during dinner one night and proposed.

That was 10 years ago.

"We were supposed to get married two different times," Pacada said, laughing.

But life got in the way.

She was balancing work with her singing career. He started studying kempo, a martial art.

A year later, they bought a two-bedroom townhouse in Kapolei, where they lived together with her daughter, Cori-Anne, for seven years. (His daughter, Ashley Jovan, lives in Mililani.)

Then Pacada started her own business — Sandyz Karaoke & DJ Soundz — three years ago. That took up their weekends.

It wasn't until last year that they had enough time plan their wedding.

Originally, they wanted to get married here, with bridesmaids and a guest list of 150.

"But that got overwhelming," Pacada said.

Instead, they decided to get married at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.

On a gondola, no less.

"We wanted it to be different," Pacada said.

They exchanged vows on Nov. 17, 2004, in front of about 20 close family and friends.

Their two daughters were part of the ceremony, each getting her own specially designed ring.

Today, the couple live in Waipahu with their two dogs, Keahi and Kaihoni.

They do just about everything together. They go to the movies, bike around their neighborhood and walk their dogs on the beach.

When he goes to kempo class, she waits at the studio, reading a book. When she hosts karaoke events at weddings, he's lugging equipment.

"We like being together," Pacada said. "We really are best friends."

All thanks to Longs.

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.