Hey is the story I submitted to Elements in Cedar Falls, Iowa to enter Joe and I for a couple massage and goodie basket. I'll post the link if we are one
of the finalists :)
In Janurary of 1999 my heart was
broken. My boyfriend of over two years
broke up with me his reasoning was “your life is going nowhere and you will
never amount to anything”. With those words still ringing in my head I went to
work at KJ & Kompany at Crossroads Mall in Waterloo, Iowa. As the receptionist my job was to greet
customers, make appointments and stock the shelves. As I stocked the shelves it was at that
moment I noticed the US Cellular guy who worked across the hall. Tall with glasses, dressed in navy blue
Dockers and a light blue button down, with light brown hair and kind eyes. Still reeling from my break-up I wasn't
looking for someone new, at the time I wanted my old boyfriend back, but there
was still something about this guy that I took note.
As the weeks after my break up went
on I went on a few rebound dates and starting talking with the cute “US
Cellular guy”. Though the gossip
grapevine I learned his name was Joe, he had a five month old son, and was not
seeing anyone. It started by us running
into each other by the drinking fountain,
“Hey, I didn't see you yesterday” Joe would comment.
“Oh I had yesterday off” I replied.
“What, you only work part time?” He teased.
“No. I am a full time employee” I replied with mock anger.
It was definitely flirting, but I was oblivious.
As the days went on Joe would walk
by after going to lunch or coming into work and he would call out to me “How’s
it going Part-Time?” I would glare at
him and then smile, quickly turning around so he wouldn't see me blushing. The cosmetologists I worked with teased me
about my crush on the “US Cellular guy”. The flirting continued and I realized
I really liked this guy.
On January 29, 1999 the girls I
worked with finally gave me the courage to ask him out. It was the 90’s so it was completely
acceptable right? What’s the worst he
could say? “No! Go away” I was just off
work and with my heart in my throat I walked across the hallway to US Cellular,
I went in and Joe wasn't anywhere to be found so I had to ask for him. He came out of the back and saw me,
“Aww what do you
want” Joe said with a smile.
“Wondering if I could talk to you for a second” I replied,
trying not to blush
“Well, I just got off work I’ll walk you out” as we walked
the short distance to the doors I finally blurted out
“I was wondering I maybe you would like to go out sometime”
“Sure.” Joe replied.
He got out a pen and gave me his number and I gave him mine. We parted and went to our own vehicles to go
home.
As I sat in my car I replayed the conversation
in my head Sure. Sure?! That didn’t sound
very convincing. Maybe he will call
tonight to set something up, I thought.
That night passed without a phone call. The next morning I got up to go to work again
mortified that I asked him out and he wasn’t interested in me. I immediately immersed myself into work
avoiding looking across the hall at all costs because making eye contact with
Joe would reduce me to a puddle of mortified goo. Until I heard someone whistle. I looked up to
see Joe trying to get my attention,
“Hey! Katie! Want to
go eat lunch?” Joe called to me across the hallway. We met for lunch at Diamond Dave’s, as we sat
down Joe handing me pictures of his son as if to tell me “here is my baggage”
. I looked at pictures of this beautiful
little boy knowing full well if Joe and I took this relationship forward this
little boy would be in my life forever.
Only being twenty at the time it was something I considered before I
asked Joe out. Our lunch together was
fantastic, there were no awkward silences, we laughed together and teased each
other. As we conversed I realized he
was just as heartbroken and damaged as I was.
It has been 15 year since the day I finally got the courage
to ask out the cute US Cellular guy. After
that first date our relationship moved forward quickly, we had some bumps along
the way even broke up for a time, but that’s what people with baggage do. Joe and I now have been married for almost 13
years and have two daughters 9 and 11 and then, of course, Joe’s son, now
15. I look back at those carefree days
and realize it was truly love at first sight.
Joe and I were two heartbroken souls brought together by destiny. The people we were with before were not our
happily ever after, we had to go through that storm to find the peace on the
other side.
Tell me about your love story. What do you think of mine. Remember to follow my blog to get updates on when I post :)
No comments:
Post a Comment