....And Then They Meet

On Saturday, Lee and I will celebrate our 6 year anniversary. I wanted to spend this week telling our story. I hope you enjoy it! 

Part I: ....And then they meet....

As I sat in my 3x2 cube that was one in a vast sea of others, cold calling Bell South customers to bother them for long distance service, someone sat down beside me..

"Hey! I'm Lee. Is anyone sitting here?"

This guy... a frat boy in his t-shirt, backwards hat, mesh shorts and... Birkenstocks?

"Sure. It's open." 

In small little Nacogdoches, being a telemarketer was about the only way to earn a decent paycheck. Since I lived on my own in an apartment, I was willing to be hung up on, cussed out, and ignored all day for $12 an hour. The only real drawback was being at work on Saturday at 8am. So when he walked in and sat down, I wasn't very alert.

As the day wore on, Lee and I talked a little bit. Where you from, what's your major, etc. When the subject of significant others came up, I was very adamant:

"I have a boyfriend. Of 4 years. We are getting married after college."

"Ok. Cool."

Lunch came up and he very sheepishly told me and the girl next to me "Hey look, I have no money until we get paid. Can someone spot me some Subway?"

You have to be kidding me!, I thought. But of course, we told him we would spot him a sandwich.

Then, at Subway, something happened. I laughed and laughed until I almost peed my track pants. He was funny! Quoting Office Space and other movies. He had this loud, boisterous, contagious laugh that I just loved listening to.

Still. I had a boyfriend.

Over the coming days and weeks, Lee talked to me often at work and I kept shutting down any advances for dinner/dates. Denial was in full force, but deep inside I knew there was something about this guy I couldn't deny. 

At home, however, boyfriend and I were having issues. We had hit the point where breaking up was too scary because after 4 years, things were comfortable and easy. But we were far from the love struck couple we had been before. 

One night, boyfriend and I broke up, for about 30 minutes. He just didn't know if I was the one. But again, neither one of us could quite pull the plug...

The next morning I went to work and pulled Lee aside and said "We almost broke up last night. How can he not know after 4 years?"

It wasn't much longer and we went on "a break." Picture the scenario in Friends and this is exactly it, except I am Ross. We agreed to take a break. See other people if we needed to, just to see what is out there. 

So I did. 

A few times. 

After one week, I told him "I want to break up. For good. This just isn't working anymore." 

Then I curled up in a ball and bawled my eyes out for hours. This was a death to me. My identity for the past 4.5 years was dead. Now I was a single girl in college!

For 24 hours.

Then it was Lee. All the time. Every day. Every night. 

At the 2 week mark Lee turned to me and said "I want to say something but I just can't. It's too soon."

I looked him in the eye and said "I love you too."

He smiled and said "This is it. I am going to marry you."

 Our First Date - Sigma Chi House Party

Stay tuned for the next part, tomorrow!