Two Years Ago Today

Two years ago today, I decided that I was going to fall in love with a boy in a bar.  Don’t judge.  This is how it happens out here in the for real world.  Told by Ryan, here’s the skinny on what went down that night ... (also, please note that I called him "Taylor" until he told me that wasn't his name in the middle of our first date.  Embarrassing.):

03.07.2009:  I was out and about on this Saturday night like many in the past. No expectations to the evening except to have a good time with my friends doing activities we enjoy. On this night, the activity was a hard rock concert and the friend was Zac Lendyak. The venue was Amos Southend (an empty warehouse that has been renovated into an ideal concert venue, I highly recommend).

It was not Zac’s first hard rock concert (or mine, it’s my favorite pastime), but it was the first time he felt the rush of being in the middle of a mosh pit. And might I say I had a hand or two (in his back) in his discovery of the mosh pit. I won’t get into the details of the concert as it’s not the focus for today’s story. However, to set the stage, I left the concert around midnight a sweaty (and not all my own sweat…ew), cocktail drenched mess, thrilled with the experience and rush that only a live concert can inspire.

I was dressed in my favorite ripped jeans, a “Ron” t-shirt sporting my signature blue and white Chicago Cub’s mesh baseball cap. It was in these sweaty, yet familiar clothes that I arrived at the uptown pub, Blackfinn, to cap off the evening with a few cold beverages.

Blackfinn, being one of the newest establishments in Charlotte at this time, was jam packed. Zac had gone to a different location to meet up with his finance. So it was just me with some familiar, friendly faces mixed in with many unrecognizable strangers, some more attractive than others.

I was alone on the dance floor showcasing my patented “tailspin” move when a little tiger crept up beside me. This would be her initial attempt at taming a big tiger.

She danced about half a song with me and then the Lil Tiger looked up at me and proclaimed, “Hey, you have a great smile”. Before I could respond, she demanded “give me your phone!!”. Being three years into my cell phone contract, I was rather embarrassed to pull out the original blackberry, but my curiosity got the best of this cat. So I reluctantly gave this semi-crazed lil creature my ancient cell phone.

“What’s your name?” she inquired as she began punching the keypad on my phone. “Taylor” I said, (that’s what all my close friends call me).

“Well Taylor, here is my phone number, call me tomorrow and let’s go out sometime soon”. Before I could respond, she had vanished into the dark shadows and cracks of the dance floor.

So I put the phone in my back pocket, thought to myself “that cat is a little crazy” and went on with the rest of my evening.

When I woke up the next morning, I began replaying to myself the prior evening’s events. Many memories were created that night. As I recalled the Lil Tiger, I pondered on whether or not to call this crazy creature. The consensus in my head was not in her favor…"what girl in her right mind gives a boy here phone number by dialing it herself on HIS phone?”. She can’t be sane I concluded.

Just as I was about to dismiss the encounter, a text message came through. “Hey, when are we going to get together?”. That was all the encouragement I needed. We agreed on meeting for dinner the next Wednesday, and that’s when a little bit of HEA began to brew….to be continued March 11th.