Update - 4.24.09

Settle in and get comfy... this is a long entry. :)

The Background

The craziest thing happened a week ago. I was getting coffee on my way to work, waiting for the barista to finish my drink and I looked out the glass window at the storefront. I recognized the guy standing out there talking on his cell phone, even though I hadn’t seen him in nearly four years.

The short story of how I met Eric goes back nearly 15 years. We met in 1994 – my cousin married his cousin and we ended up making out in the gazebo during the reception. It was nothing too hot and heavy – I was only 16 at the time and he was 18 – a freshman in college. Slight drama surrounded the evening – when no one could find us after the reception ended, my cousin the groom (also a State Trooper at the time) almost called in a missing persons and had us officially “looked for.” That was until we walked back inside slightly disheveled (I still catch crap from my family for this today – they call him Gazebo Boy). We kept in touch over the years and saw each other a few times – even though he lived 3 states away. After graduating from college, we both moved to the same city and would run into each other at the bars from time to time. A few times we went home with one another, but again, nothing too serious ever happened. The last time I ran into him was 2005 and I was dating someone at the time, so we just talked in and caught up.

He “friended” me on Facebook earlier this year, while I was still dating Mark. I accepted (thinking it was nice to hear from him) but we never exchanged any messages until mid-March. I heard from him during the NCAA basketball games (our colleges are rivals) so he sent me a message relating to a game. We exchanged a few emails and that was it. My heart was still broken and I wasn’t thinking of him that way. I just interpreted it as two old friends catching up and talking trash to one another about college basketball teams.

His birthday was this past week so I wrote on his (Facebook) wall to wish him a happy birthday. My note was friendly and casual – like I’d write to anyone. He wrote back on my wall. Again, just a friendly response.

So fast forward two days after his birthday to running into him at Starbucks…I was shocked to see him standing outside. I got all nervous and butterflies filled my stomach – I hadn’t had that reaction to him in years! What the heck was that all about?!? I wanted the guy to hurry up and finish my drink. As I was heading to the door, Eric started walking away, toward the building next door. I called his name and he didn’t hear me. So I kept walking to my car. And then something stopped me. it was the weirdest feeling, but it felt like my feet were cemented to the ground and something told me to try to get his attention again. So I called out to him, louder this time and he turned around and was like “Oh my God! Hi!!” And walked over. He gave me a huge hug and told me I looked great and we did a brief “How have you been? What’s new? Where are you working? Do you still live in the same place?” conversation. All in all, maybe three minutes - tops. We parted ways and I didn’t think anything of it. I’d just run into an old friend - that’s a nice way to start a Friday morning!

Sunday night – I get an email from him through Facebook: Great seeing you on Friday morning! We need to catch up. How about dinner Thursday night? My treat.” I was excited – really excited. And kind of shocked that I was so excited. I wrote him back that Thursday night worked for me –what did he have in mind?

The next day, Monday, I talked to friends and we debated – if he hadn’t said “my treat” it would definitely be two old friends catching up. But the “my treat” steered it into the direction of a date. His email back confirmed my “date” suspicions: he suggested a restaurant and then said “I’ll pick you up shortly after 7.”

Holy crap – somehow I stumbled back in the dating game!!

Update from April 23, 2009

Eric picked me up “shortly after 7” (just like his email said) and I was nervous as hell. I seriously thought I was going to pee in my pants. I went downstairs when I saw him pull in, just as he was calling me to tell me he was there. He got out of his car and we had an awkward hug in the parking lot and got in and headed over to an awesome tapas place with live music, just talking about what was new with all his friends (who I remember hearing about for years). We got to the restaurant and he’d made a reservation (bonus points). We had a drink at the bar ‘til we were able to be seated. Once seated, she brought the menus and the whole time we just kept talking. On her second time back to our table to see if we were ready to order (and we still hadn’t looked at the darn menus), the server told us that the gas was out at the restaurant, so they couldn’t prepare any hot items, only cold plates. We decided we wanted more than just cold tapas, so he suggested we head over to a nearby Italian restaurant that I’ve always wanted to try – it’s apparently one of his favorite places). So we drove over there and had a nice dinner, a bottle of wine and talked and talked and talked. At 10:30, after the bill was paid, we left and he drove me home.

There were several noteworthy things that happened throughout the evening: he remembered A LOT about me and the times that we were together. He remembered that I used to swim and asked me if I ever get in the pool anymore (he used to be a swimmer too). He reminded me that I called him an “old man” at the wedding when we met (oops! So much for being smooth at 16…). We reminisced about when we both lied to our parents and he road tripped and we spent the weekend at my parents house the summer of 1995 (my parents were at our lake house and I told them I had to work and he told his parents he was going to his friend’s cabin) – he remembered so much about that visit – including the street in my college town where all the stores, bars and restaurants are (we went there when he visited).

And this was the kicker – I introduced him to a local band – I LOVED them back in the mid and late 90s and he really liked them too. So when we got in the car to head back to my house after dinner, he fired up his iPod and played their first (and best!) album (that he bought when he was with me)! After we listened to their most popular song (which is fast), he was like “now we have to listen to my favorite song on the album” – and it was OUR song from that weekend he came to visit. We must have listened to it 10 times. It’s this amazing slow song that I still, to this day, love. I almost died – it’s a good thing I was sitting down. I couldn’t stop myself from singing along, so I made a joke about it, and he told me to “go right ahead” so he started singing along too. I guess you had to be there, but it was really funny and just felt totally normal.

Ok… so how the evening ended… he stopped his car at the end of the sidewalk leading to my door and we talked for a few minutes. I started to get out and he got out too and came around the back and we hugged and then he went in and gave me a nice, small kiss on the lips. And that happened a few more times – kiss, pull away, talk a little more… after about 4 of those, one of us went in for it and it was a really good, long kiss. So long that I was like “Oh God, please let none of my neighbors be looking outside right now. I’m totally THAT girl.” But it was really good and after we pulled away he was still hugging me close and he was like “I don’t want to let you go.” Wow.

So… he’s coming over on Sunday night and we’re cooking dinner together. I’m looking forward to it and to seeing him again, but I’m taking it a day at a time and trying not to get crazy about it or let myself get in my head but anyone who knows me knows that I’m notorious for over-thinking any situation.

I need to keep repeating it: One day at a time... One day at a time...

Update-3.18.09

I didn’t think I’d ever need to pick up this blog again… I though Mark was "The One." But sadly, things ended a few weeks ago. I’m not going to write about the details and rehash the entire thing (I do that enough in my head). I'm sorry the break-up had to happen, but I'm doing my best to focus on the positives of the overall relationship: I dated a wonderful man, loved and laughed (a LOT), met some great people, traveled to some fun and different places and in short - had the best year of my life so far. I have no regrets and that's the only way to live, right? :)

Of course I still miss him and the fun we’d have together (and wonder how if this is right, it hurts so badly?). But I’m putting my energies into spending time with my amazing girlfriends and doing things for myself.

I’m not ready to start dating yet, but when my heart heals and the quest for the Za Za Zu is back on, I’ll continue to detail my adventures here. Stay tuned. xoxo