How We Met
Brian and I went to High School together. He was the Star Athlete on the Basketball team and the Quarterback on the Football team. I was a Cheerleader and on the debate team. Although we had sports in common, I never really talked to Brian. We didn’t run into the same circles in high school. It wasn’t until our Senior year in High School, that we even had a conversation. If you ask him today, he will tell you he had a crush on me but I don’t know how true that is. However, we did have a psychology class together our Senior year and he was such the class clown! I thought he was very immature, seeing how I was a sophisticated Senior Lady (LOL)
Fast forwarding to our College years. Brian and I went to different schools an hour and thirty minutes away from each other. We kept in contact through Facebook and the occasional text but that was few and far in between. It was odd how that happened since we never really interacted with each other in H.S. Our Sophomore year in college Brian mustered up the courage to tell me he liked me over the phone one day and although I was flattered, I thought it was weird because I just saw him as the class clown. I was dating someone on my campus at the time and I let him down easily.
Nothing changed between us, we were still friends. It wasn’t until the summer before we were to be juniors in college, that Brian pursued me heavily. We both came home that summer and he made an effort to call or text me daily. I didn’t think anything of it, but it was when he began to show up at the restaurant I worked at, that I knew he was trying to be more than my friend (I joke and say he stalked my life because he literally came by the restaurant everyday and sat at the bar waiting to talk to me in between customers). I was single by this time and he asked me on a date. I was hesitant at first because I enjoyed the friendship we had built and I did not want to ruin that. But after consulting with friends, I accepted a date with him. I knew Brian came from a good household and would be respectful so when we went out that summer night, I was very intrigued by how much this “class clown” had grown. I mean our interaction up until that point were texts or brief phone conversations, nothing ever past the surface level.
That night I began to think, maybe this could be more than just a friendship.
That summer, we spent countless hours hanging out alone and with friends. That was one of the best summers I had while I was in college. We continued to go on dates that summer and he eventually asked me to be his girlfriend but I turned him down. I just wasn’t ready to become his girlfriend or anyone else’s for that matter. That didn’t deter him at all. By August, we were both back at our respective Universities, but continued going on dates and hanging. I even attended his college football games with his family on the weekend, but at this point we were still friends in my eyes.
It wasn’t until September 12, 2009 that I broke down and accepted his girlfriend request. I figured I wasn’t interested in anyone else and our relationship had grown in so many ways, this must be right. I must admit by this time I was secretly falling in love with him, but I just wanted it to be right. I had been in some bad relationships before and I just wanted to make sure this relationship with Brian was perfect. On Saturday, September 26, 2009 he had a big game against South Carolina State and of course I was with his family in the bleachers cheering my new boyfriend on! I left with his parents and he got on the school’s University bus, we began our texting conversation and that is when he text me, “I L you”. Of course this wasn’t good enough for me and I told him I didn’t know what he meant. My next text from him said, “I love you” and I was overjoyed because deep down I wanted to tell him the same thing all a long!
Six years later, I am telling you all our story and it has truly been a fairytale!
how they asked
The day he asked, I felt like something was off. We were shopping for New Years Eve outfits because we were going out the next night with friends and the entire time we were in the mall, he would walk away on the phone or I would notice him texting more often than usual. I shrugged it off because I know he has a group chat with his line-brothers and it was around the holidays. During the day, he asked me to go to a friend’s store opening with him that would be held downtown and I reluctantly agreed to go. It was raining and my sinus were acting up, I just wanted to lay in bed and cuddle with him.
He took me home so that I could change and get ready for the opening. I took awhile because I wanted to look decent, I felt like crap but that doesn’t mean I had to look like crap too! As usual he rushed me and I continued to take my time doing my makeup. I didn’t understand the big rush to get to a grand opening party, it started at 8PM and it was only 8:15PM. We arrived downtown but not exactly where he told me we were going, when I asked he told me the venue had changed last minute. My spidey senses began to tingle but not off the charts and we began our walk to Natty Greene’s.
Usually we walk through the front door of Natty’s but this time we went in through the patio. We were greeted by a photographer and Brian instantly said, “I remember PJ saying he would have photographers taking photos as soon as people walked in”. Once again I didn’t think anything fabulous was about to happen yet. It wasn’t until the photographer asked for us to take some couple shots, that my spidey sense went off. Brian and I sat down at one of the patio tables and he began to say sweet things to me (I don’t remember exactly what he said because he always says something sweet…its not out the norm for him). It wasn’t until he recapped our first kiss that we shared on the very patio we were sitting, that I began to think he was going to finally ask me to be his wife after SIX long years!
His brother magically appears with a box and inside that box was a ring box! The ground began to shake, my heart skipped two beats and the water works, being my tears began to flow. I don’t know what Brian said after that because I blanked out. Immediately all of our family and friends began to circle us and I remember him asking me, “is that a yes?!”. I immediately said, “YES!” and nodded my head. Tears still streaming down my face, he kissed me and I was swarmed by family and friends!
The rest of the night we celebrated and took thousands of pictures with family and friends. He listened to me talk about the perfect engagement and he produced an engagement beyond my wildest dreams! He made me feel extremely special that night and I will cherish that moment forever.
