olate: romance

(this story has been a long time coming, so hold on tight.)

the most romantic evening of my life was probably somewhere in the realm of "nerdiest evening" for most of all y'all normal people out there.

one day in early may, i was sitting at my client's office, working and minding my own business, when got a pleasant surprise. my phone buzzed and the following text message battle with an old friend ensued ...

the captain: christianna ... we need to talk.
me: what's up?
the captain: i posted something to your wall on facebook.
me: okay. lemme look at it.
the captain: fancy.

... i checked facebook and saw a somewhat long message that ended with "maybe i can take you to dinner next week sometime?" i responded via text.

me: dinner next week sounds great. actually, dinner anytime sounds good to me -- like to eat dinner at least once a week.
the captain: you are the awesomest. i think i owe you a year of dinners.
me: ha. that's a lot of dinners. just don't make me eat them all in one sitting. i'd just embarrass myself.
the captain: yeah, i don't want you to get fat. actually, you might die. i'll need to check with science on that though. also, i think you know exactly what i mean. i hope.

not really.

me: i don't want to die, so let me know when you hear back from science on that one. for now, i am going out of town on wed next week. so ... monday for dinner?
the captain: what about tonight? it'd have to be at 9:45 ish because i have to help fix someone's computer. but monday is still good.
me: tonight works better, actually. where do you wanna meet? or whatever?
the captain: don't wait to eat if you are hungry. we could probably just go get some ice cream cones from mcdonalds.
the captain: oh and i know this is very random but i can explain everything.
me: that works, too. you don't want to tell me what this is about? you okay?
the captain: i'm fine. i've had a rough week but i just think it's satan getting after me. no, wanting to see you is because i want to see you. i've been going the wrong direction for a year. sorry to be so deep or whatever.

ummm ... what does that mean? ...

me: okay. glad you're okay. i'll see you tonight. it *has* been way too long.
the captain: don't we know it.

and then i waited for the evening. totally and completely unsure of what was coming.

at around 930 i caught my first glimpse of what was coming as i opened the door and watched as a very anxious man walked up the drive trying desperately to pull *on* his red jacket. (as he was coming *into* the house? hmm, okay.) he got to the screen door and i was waiting for him there.

it was good to see him. i told him so.

i welcomed him into the house. this kid was nervous. apparently. he had some trouble mastering the function of the screen door, which, i know, is harder than it looks: guess not everyone is capable of timing it just right so as to *not* hit himself/herself in the face. so count yourself blessed and talented if you can.

having hit himself in the face with the screen door, the captain was rubbing his temple as he stepped across the threshold. but upon entering, he landed on me with a fabulous hug. after a little minute he asked, "hugging's good, right?" (p.s. little minute is a direct translation from the português minutinho. i haven't been able to shake that phrase in the past 4 years.)

"yeah, hugging's good."

we stood there a minute longer. then after the embrace that i didn't want to end, the captain took his red jacket off (hmm, okay) and asked to use the bathroom. i showed him the way and witnessed the second clue of his heightened nerves: as this young man walked past the bed to access the bathroom, he kicked the footboard (which is something i have done many a time), which tripped him and sent him headfirst to the ground (which i have *not* done many a time). oh, my goodness. i don't even know if i was able to contain my laughter. thinking back on it, though, i kinda hope i did, because, yeah.

the captain seemed to calm himself down a bit in there, because he came out more cool and collected. it was kinda late at that point, so we were going to just go grab some ice cream, but we just got to talking at the house.

i sat down on the couch and he asked, "can i sit by you?" okay, maybe he wasn't as cool and collected as i had thought. oh, well.

we talked for a while, just kinda catching up and other small talk. but soon he got a little more serious and was like, "well, i've known this for a long time ... and it was like a year ago when we first met. and i dunno, i kinda felt like there was something that could be there ... and then i was stupid and i went to idaho and got wrapped up in something that was really not a good relationship ...

"and you and i, we've been friends. and then i broke up with idaho and dated this other girl for a while back in february. but that wasn't right.

"and i was kinda wondering ... and i don't know if you liked me back then or what you think of me now ... but i was kinda wondering if there might be an opportunity for me to ...