Tuesday, May 17, 2011

It all started with a stool

Very strange title, I know.
But it sums up how the Hubs and I met for the first time.

I've been reading everyone's Love Stories and decided it was time to relive the beginning of my love story with the Hubs.  It all started in a month that I can NEVER remember in 2004.  I think it was May even though I always say we met in April.  I had convinced my friends to hit up a country bar in Tampa (the Dallas Bull) to take a stab at line dancing.  I've always wanted to try it but never had the opportunity to.  So we headed out on a Thursday night since it was Ladies Night (ladies drink free!!!).  I was in Tampa having dinner with a friend so I met my girlfriends there.  I was the first to get there and took one look at the place and was scared to step out of my car.  It was a run down, kinda redneck place.  So I patiently waited for my friends to arrive so we could venture in together.  They showed up shortly after and off we went. 

We got our drink tokens, grabbed a drink, and scoped out a place to hang out.  We were there pretty early so there wasn't too much dancing going on.  We enjoyed people watching for a while and then one of my girlfriends insisted that she have a stool to sit on.  Me and my other girlfriend kept saying she was being ridiculous because who sits in a bar?  Well she was adamant.  So I politely asked a group of guys who were behind us, standing at the bar, if we could take one of their stools.  They were nice enough to give us a stool and my friend was happy. We were minding our own business, enjoying our time, when I felt a tap on my shoulder.  I turned around and there was this guy (the Future Hubs) with a stool.  Here's how the conversation went:

Him Take this stool.
Me: I don't want the stool
Him: I didn't ask you if you wanted it.  Just take it
Me: I don't want it.
Him: Just take it and I'll explain later
Me: If I take it, will  you never talk to me again?
Him: Yes
I take the stool and he walks away

So I now have this stool, that I didn't want, and a very puzzled look on my face.  But whatever....weird guy was gone.  A few minutes later, another guy tapped me on my shoulder and handed me a drink token and said, "This is for taking the stool." I started to think taking the stool wasn't such a horrible idea after all.  My girlfriends were impressed and I was pretty pleased with myself.

Now fast forward an hour or so.  We have these stools and my girlfriend is deadset on not losing her stool.  She has to go to the bathroom and we all know that you can't go to the bathroom alone.  You have to take a friend.  It's just girl code.  So I said I'd stay, guard the stool and hold their purses.  So off they went and there I was, sitting on the stool with 2 purses.  Well guy #2, the rude one who forced a stool on me, aka future Hubs, came up.  I don't remember if I rolled my eyes visibly or just in my head, but here he is, standing in front of me.  He asked me if I cared to dance (very nice gesture).  I replied "I would love to but I can't.  I'm on purse watch."  He asked if that was the only reason why I wouldn't dance with him and I said yes.  He then grabbed the purses (probably not the best move on my part to let a strange man grab our purses but oh well), put them on his shoulder, and said "So now can you dance?"  Well that did  it.  Any guy who would dance in public while holding our purses was good in my book.  We danced a couple songs, he taught me a few line dances, and hung out the rest of the night (maybe kissed a little....not my usual behavior).  And he finally explained why he insisted that I take the stool (there was a couple of annoying girls that always sat by them if there was a stool available.  By me taking the stool, it prevented those girls from being around them.  They are mean boys)

He asked if he could call me some time and I gave him my number.  Now he was a smart cookie.  He didn't just let me give him my number.  He put it in his phone and called me so I had his number (and to make sure I gave him the right number).  Very clever since I usually gave my phone number with a different area code to boys I met when I went out.  But I gave him my real number (not sure if it was due to the drinks or because I really wanted him to have my real number).  But either way he had it and he was going to call me.  We said goodbye to our new friends and headed home.

A few days later I got a phone call from who I thought was one of my friends.  When I heard who was on the other line, I didn't really remember him or what he looked like (bad I know).  I reluctantly agreed to go out with him the next night.  Well the next day, I totally bailed on him.  I called him, told him I wasn't feeling good (which I wasn't) and we'd have to reschedule.  Well persisitent little bugger that he was, we picked another day to go out a few days later and from that moment on, we were inseparable.  My best friend said to me, a few years after we got married, that I came to him the day after our date and said that I met the man I was going to marry.  I don't remember telling him this but if I did, I knew what I was talking about.  I did just meet the man I was going to marry!

I never thought the guy that I asked to leave me alone and never talk to me again would be the love of my life, my best friend, my husband and father of my children.

So that was the beginning.  It wasn't glamorous or romantic but the sparks were there and I just knew (well after I finally convinced myself to go out with him) that he was the One!!!

A pic from early in our relationship at the Dallas Bull (this is one of my all time favorite pics of us)

I love you honey!!!  Thanks for rudely pushing that stool on me and then forcing me to dance with you!!!
 Photobucket

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