Well, just a heads up, my point-of-view isn't quite the same as Paul's ... But I still think it's pretty good. So here it goes.
So there I was. I had just gotten out of the general Relief Society meeting and was on my way up the stairs to my apartment.
Little did I know my husband was right behind the door.
Yep. I had no idea when I opened that door that I would be marrying the first person I truly noticed in the small kitchen on the other side. I remember, though, the very second I saw him. I saw him from the back, he had long dark hair and was wearing a baby-blue sweater. Paul's theory of why I remember that moment so well, is that when I first saw him I thought that he was someone else - a guy who I had a crush on in my institute class at the time - but the little romantic in me says it's because it was fate ... Although, when he turned around and our eyes met for those few, awesome seconds ... I realized it wasn't the kid in my institute class and so I marched past the kitchen to my room down the hall to change, and possibly not come out until everyone was gone, being the anti-social person I was and, let's face it, still kind of am.
I emerged, though, for some reason, my skirt being replaced by pajama pants ... Paul has teased me about that, because I was still wearing my nice dress top that I'd just gone to the Relief Society meeting in and then PJ's. I guess I just wanted to be comfy. Anyway, I decided to go get some cake and while over there, I again noticed the boy in the blue sweat shirt sitting by himself on the couch eating cake and watching T.V. I looked him over. I decided that he was pretty good lookin', and saw a challenge... And bet myself that I could get him to ask me out.
So I went over and sat down by him on the couch, and just started talking. About everything, really. While talking to him, my anxiety about being in a room filled with a whole bunch of people I didn't want to be around, went away. I forgot about everyone there. It was just me and him. We talked about what was on T.V., he made fun of people on T.V. which he was, and still is, incredibly good at. He got me laughing. A lot. If there is one thing that Paul has been able to do that has made me love him from the start, it is how he can make me laugh. It's a gift he has, no one can make me laugh the way he does.
One thing I have to mention, though, because it's kind of funny, is when he started to tell me about his family. He told me, "Yeah, my brother is studying to be a doctor..." I thought, aw, that's nice. Then, he said, "Yeah, my other brother is an undercover cop in Salt Lake... " And I thought ... mmmkay ... THEN, he said, "Yeah, my sister is in California, she tried out for American Idol, she writes music ..." And that's when I thought, Yeah right. OK, you don't have to lie about your family to try and impress me. Then I met them, and holy crap! It was all true! I remember the first time I heard Earl tell some of his undercover stories, it was at Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma Rose's house, and I was just floored. I couldn't believe it. What a cool family. ANYWAY:
While we were watching T.V. an Olive Garden commercial had come on and I mentioned to him how much I just LOVED the Olive Garden, and could eat there all the time, and that led to the part of the conversation we had not much later when Paul asked (he was sitting right up against me at this point, I remember, he had just gradually moved closer and closer to me):
Paul: "So ... Do you have a boyfriend?"
Me: "Eeeehh, kind of."
Paul: "Hmm ... Do you think he'd care if I took you to the Olive Garden?"
Me: "Eeeehh, nah, I don't think so."
And it was decided. I really liked this guy and wanted to see him again.
I was actually suppose to meet my 'kind of' boyfriend (technically we were broke up, but still seeing each other, because that works...) that evening, but I was so taken by Paul that it actually was way past the hour that I was suppose to meet him before I really put my foot down and said, "ok, I better go." Everyone from the party was gone by that point. And I remember Paul and I exchanged numbers at the door, and then Paul ... I think he even said to me, "This might seem weird but, can I hug you?" And I just, thought it was funny, and kind of weird, and yet, adorable ... So I gave him a big, middle-school-dance hug.
I'd made a bet to myself that I could get him to ask me out, and even though I won that bet (guess technically I would have even if I'd lost...), it was really me who was completely swept away. Especially after our first date, but that's a story for another day.
~*~
(For some reason this thing thinks I created this over a month ago ... I guess because I saved it as a draft back then with a picture and just the one line: "So there I was." But I actually wrote this all up today, which is July 14, 2011. Not a big deal, but I thought I'd make that correction because I'm weird that way.)
