Do you ever look back and think about how stubborn you were when it came to allowing someone to take you on a date? Why did I wait so long, could we have had even more time together if I said yes earlier, or would it have turned out completely different?
I have no real answer to these questions except, I did wait awhile, and boy did it work out in my favor. I maybe lost two weeks of time with someone I am now spending the rest of my life with (sorry for the spoiler), so it was worth it to me.
Now to the reason you are reading this post, the last first date I will ever have.
It was sometime in December 2012; I believe around the 14th that I finally allowed this man to take me on date. He had tried for over two weeks to get me to accept a date with him. So, the day finally came, and I was beyond nervous. Being the gentleman, he was/is he asked to pick me up for our first date at my house instead of meeting at the restaurant. So, when he arrived instead of honking his horn or texting me, he came to the door. This of course is unusual for our age and not what I was expecting. Keep in mind this is also the first time I have really seen him (see previous post where I was drunk when I first met him) and I was not disappointed. This man was handsome, he had a goatee at the time, was tall and dressed well. He walked me to the car and opened my door, to which I noticed he was driving a manual vehicle.
Side note, the reason I bring this up is the fact that my father made sure my first car was a manual and made me learn how to drive it. Which I think is something that every female should know because who knows what will happen one day when you need to drive or get away and only have a manual car present.
Not the exact car, but you get the point.
Back to the story, so I mentioned the above story of my dad teaching me and making me drive a manual for my first car. This seemed to surprise him, as I am not the person you would expect could drive manuals (I’m a very small petite feminine girl, stereotype, I know!). We arrived at the restaurant, that is now closed, Hiros, which is a Japanese steakhouse/sushi place.
(Should we be careful where we go? Cause clearly there is a pattern here of businesses closely after we go there.)
Upon sitting at a high top in the bar we ordered drinks and some appetizers. The conversation flowed so naturally, there was never a dull moment. We caught up on where we were from, him being from Maine which my father is also! And me being born in Florida, to which his family visited often. Then the topic of work came up as we both wanted to know what the other did, as people do on dates. I at the time worked at a law firm, which I did need a change from at the time. He then mentioned his job to me, Marine Engineer, and explained it meant he was gone often and sometimes for a month or more.
As I took a sip of my drink, I smiled. The reason I smiled is because of who I am and what I need in a relationship. Let me explain, I was raised to be a very independent person and to not rely on anyone. This is a big reason why I moved out on my own at 21 and bought a house at 23, I knew what I wanted and busted my ass to get it. I liked being alone, I loved reading, watching tv, and going to restaurants alone. This was a big reason why relationships have been tough for me; I never knew a good balance of too much time or too little time. I was content with seeing someone sparingly. Thus, the thought of starting a relationship with a man that would be gone at minimum six months of the year was intriguing. I clearly had no idea how this type of relationship would change me to my core. I am no longer the girl that always wants to be alone, I now want to spend all my time with him when he’s home.
Clearly, he saw me smile and asked why this might make me smile. I explained myself, not in as much detail as above (he would learn this throughout the years of us dating) as to why this was interesting to me. Our conversation continued without pause and with excitement. About two hours into our date the power went out! The waiter explained we could cash out if we wanted, but we decided to stay a little longer only to leave about 30 minutes later.
As we drive back to my house, we listen to music content in the car, smiling back and forth to one another. I have never felt more excited to be with someone new, someone who clearly could be someone I end up with. When we arrived, he walked me to my door which I thought was beyond romantic. He leaned down and kissed me. Now, clearly this became a full on intense make out session on my front porch, and I was THERE for that. This guy could kiss, and he could kiss realllllly well. After a few minutes we stopped kissing and he told me good night.
This was my last first kiss, and damn it was epic.
Hugs,
TPTW