Our Journey - Part II (How M & I started dating)

So, you remember that email?  The one with the poem?  The one that I was CERTAIN was about September 11?

(Missed yesterday's installment?  No worries.  Click here to catch up!)

And, of course, you remember my roommates quick response.  And then my followup response.

Needless to say, I was in disbelief.

I mean, there was no way, ABSOLUTELY no way, she could be right about M's feelings.

{ Little did I know, she was, indeed, fully, 100%, absolutely, positively correct - M had a little crush. }

The order of the next couple of events are a little fuzzy to me.  Somehow, M showed up at our pastor's house to talk about a potential relationship with me and also pulled my roommate aside at church to talk about the same thing.

 What I do know is that both times, the response was the same - shock, then laughter, then 'are you serious?', then 'oh, you're serious', then 'hmmm',  then 'wow.....ok.....', then 'you know what, that just might work'.

In both of their defense, and in case you overlooked this last time, I grew up in our church and had barely graduated high school and M had been hired as the youth director.  I repeat, the YOUTH DIRECTOR.  While absolutely nothing was wrong about the situation, it caught people off guard.  It caught ME off guard.

{ Little did I know that this was just the beginning of people being caught off guard. }

The next Friday, my younger sister was on the Homecoming Court at her high school's football game.  M contacted me and asked if I was going (of course I was) and said he was going too - because he was her youth director also.  He asked if we could talk.

Now remember I mentioned that I was in a long-distance relationship?

Well, I agreed to talk at the game.  I thought the least I could do was to hear him out.  Besides, I wasn't looking to date anyone else.  Or so I thought.

So we met.  And talked.  Ok, fine.  He talked.  I listened.

And honestly, I have no idea what was said.

Watching my sister on homecoming court was a blur (sorry Jess).  My head was reeling.  At the very least, M's interest in me caused me to reflect on my current relationship.

{ Little did I know just how quickly things would change. }

After much contemplating (I'm an introvert, so there is always MUCH introspection with any given situation) and some long talks with my roommate, I ended my long-distance relationship.

And I took the time to enjoy my single life.

And by 'took the time' what I really meant was that I needed 1 week.

One week until I received a phone call from M inviting me to go to the Hickory Ridge Mall with him.

I quickly obliged.

{ Little did I know this mall would play a vital role in the beginning and ending of our dating relationship. }

          { To be continued..... }

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