How I met my husband

My husband was so excited that I began blogging after months of pestering encouragement.  He mentioned in one of his posts about how he was proud of me, yet scared that I would now be able to defend myself against his stories.  He was also terrified of my version on how the two of us met.  So I decided I wouldn't let him down.  Ladies, grab a beverage and some chocolates, get ready to hear the romantic story of the decade (Um?).  Gents, please feel free to take notes (of what not to do).

Imagine the most romantic setting you can, add mood lighting, music and some friends around.  An out of town girl glances across the room and notices a good looking guy noticing her.  He smiles, she returns the smile and shyly turns away with her face blushing.  A few minutes later she chances another look in his direction, but he's gone!  Disappointed, she turns back to her friends and notices he has taken the chair next to her.  He smiles again at her, because they now both know that she was looking for him.  He leans in and begins to talk to her.  Several minutes of conversation pass, both enjoying themselves and wanting to know more about the other.  

He leaves to discuss something with his friends.  Her friends drag her out the door to go somewhere new.  There is the small chance they will meet again.  Fate has something in store for them, because they do meet again and rekindle that connection they had.  

Sweet huh?  Reads like a romance novel, doesn't it?  

Yeah, that didn't happen, not even close.  

So a friend, named "C," drags me to a seedy establishment, we'll call it a bar.  Yep, a bar with a cover charge and you bring your own alcohol.  It was out of the city limits and it didn't look very nice on the outside.  Fortunately nothing bad happened, because if I ever find my daughter repeats this stupid behavior, she'll be locked up until she's 30.  

C brings a female friend "M" of his along.  M and I try to have conversations as we painfully look anywhere but at the entertainment.  Mid-conversation about work, I notice someone looking at me.  I return the look and notice that a good-looking man is staring at me.  

My first thought is, oh please no, of all the places to be hit on, not here!  Second thought was, well at least he's good looking, because then would be unbearable.  

I return to M and try to forget about it.  A few minutes pass, C leaves to go experience the entertainment and M leaves to find a restroom.  I am left alone.  I get this weird feeling, like someone sat next to me, yep, it's him.  

He smiles and attempts to have a conversation with me.  I'm being polite and speaking with him, all the while I'm thinking, "why here?!"  He seems to be nice and polite as well, the conversation actually starts flowing a little easier.  Then the unthinkable happens.

"Have you every thought of becoming a dancer?  (slight pause) Because I would pay you more than anyone in here!"  

At this point, I am shocked and it takes a LOT to render me speechless.  I'm debating whether to slap him or not, and considering the place, it really wouldn't be all that unusual.  

Then he just continues on, as if he had just not said the oddest thing I've ever been asked, "So, where are you from?"  

I have decided at this point that I'm just so out of my natural element that I should just answer his question.  The one about the where my domicile is located, not the other one.  

Conversation continues as if nothing awkward had ever occurred.  C returns and wants to leave to go to a different place, so I politely excuse myself and run toward the exit.  

C, M and I end up going to another person's house.  On the way in I notice an old Camaro parked in front of the house.  Hey, this night may be turning around after all.  (My weakness, happens to be classic muscle cars, specifically Camaros.)

Later it turns out, seedy bar guy and his group of friends came to the same person's house that C, M and I arrived at earlier.  However, seedy bar guy decided for some reason to run to his car and go home.  

It seemed our paths crossed that once, never to happen again.  C mentioned later that night, that seedy bar guy was the owner of aforementioned Camaro.  I will now come clean, I was a very shallow person back then.  My interest in seedy bar guy just switched 180 degrees.  

Weeks and months passed before seedy bar guy finally got my number and called me.  I never thought I was going to get to drive his car our paths would cross again.  

Needless to say, I had chanced upon my soul mate in a questionable location.  If there is one thing that is constant in our relationship, we are never short of stories.  I'm not sure what it is about the two of us, but we find ourselves in the oddest situations, where the end result is always the statement, "Well, it wouldn't have been that good of story!"  I guess it seems fitting that we met this way.  As long as we have stories, we will always have something to look back and have a good laugh.  Here's to a lifetime worth of stories Military Dad!