A Long Story...!

My younger brother told me a couple days ago that my life was like an episode of Sex and the City, after he wound up watching a couple episodes with me. He's not entirely wrong. The past week, things got a bit... nutty.

I ended up going on an accidental date, got to spend an amazing night with J, and last night? Accidentally got smashed and made out with a guy. Meant nothing, but crap happens. All of this nonsense got me thinking- where is my love life going? I had been, prior to J and my prior two exes, a relatively carefree serial dater. Played the games, had fun, kissed EVERYBODY. I wanted to eventually get married and all that nonsense, but I was YOUNG and I wanted to have FUN.

So I did. And then, on a whim, I decided to try a long-term relationship with a guy I had met at a party (he was annoyingly persistent). We lasted 8 months, longest I had ever managed. Then I dated one of his friends for 6 months, almost immediately after. In retrospect, jumped into that one waaaay too soon.

J and I have known each other 6 months now. We met when I went to Birmingham, AL, for my job at the time. I was only supposed to be there a day, helping with some invoices. That one day turned into 3, and the paperwork became a never-ending torture. My second evening there, I was about ready to snap.

"Chris," I popped my head into the back office, addressing their general manager. "I'm going away. For three hours. I'll be back to 'help' close. I might not be upright when I return. Ok?"
He smirked, and waved me off. "Enjoy."
"You said the cocktails next door were good, right?"

I stepped into the restaurant, still dressed in my gray uniform shirt. A hostess said something to me, but I was in a cromagnon mindset and simply pointed to the shelves of wine and grunted, "Bar."

I examined the bar situation. Technically, there were two- the main bar towards the entrance, and a secondary bar area in front of an open kitchen. The kitchen bar was completely empty. The main one with all of the lovely booze behind it only had one empty seat between a gaggle of cackling hens and a guy taking up waaay too much space with a laptop. I took the chance.

"This seat taken?" I asked, looking pointedly a his laptop. He smiled and moved it, with a nonchalant, " Nah." I took the seat, and when the bartender came over, I informed him of my plan to stay for hours and not to rush anything except my first drink.

I sat, nursing a tasty rum something- or-other, just trading sporadic quips with the bartender, and eventually the Laptop Guy started interjecting enough where he and I started having a conversation. That was J. By the end of my meal, I was a bit tipsy and had already scanned his ring finger. He had mentioned he came to Atlanta pretty frequently, so feeling a bit bold, I scribbled my phone number on my business card and told him to look me up next time he was in town.

I left immediately after and went back to work to gossip about my encounter with my coworkers. After a few minutes went by, J came to the shop we worked in, to "pick some beers up for [his cooks]". I got to flirt a bit more, and show him off to my coworkers. Afterwards, my coworker Tim, whose house I was staying at, and I went back to his place to drink a bit more and pass out.

After that night, I finished my paperwork, went home, and promptly forgot about J. I didn't expect anything more than the pleasant conversation we had had. Besides, nobody had ever called me before, I certainly didn't expect a call now.

A few days after my Birmingham escapade, I got a single text from a number I didn't recognize- "hey whats up?" Figuring it was some loser I had met at the bar the night prior, I ignored it. I got another text from the same number the next day, a simple, "do you know who this is?"

Well, when you are confronted with a text like that, you have to answer, now don't you? To give myself an out, I texted back, "Sorry! Phone lost a lot of contacts recently- who is this?" And that is when J revealed himself. We've been talking and visiting each other ever since. This relationship has been like none other I've ever had. I actually found someone that I want to talk to every day. And after this past week, it's become even more clear that the idea of one day not having J in my life is infinitely depressing. So I decided to do something about that.

I finally told J I love him. I'll let you know how things turn out. :)