This is not a date!
Today marks the 9 year anniversary of my first date with Nathan. In honor of this day, I think I should go back and tell you how it all began.....
For those of you who didn't know this, Nathan & I actually met in high school. We were both in the symphony together, sat together in Calculus (you can already picture how cool we were....), ate at the same lunch table, and hung out with the same group of friends. He was a nice guy but I was never interested in dating him. Plus, I think he was busy dating my friends at the time. :)
When we graduated from high school, we went off to separate colleges and pretty much lost contact. After college, I got a job at a hospital where he was consulting. While eating with a group of my close girlfriends, Nathan walked into the hospital cafeteria and this is where we reunited. When he walked away from the table, the girls teased me about Nathan and wondered if he was a potential guy for me. My response was simple. "I would NEVER date him!".
We started meeting for lunch at the hospital just to catch back up. I think he was a little jealous that the breadstick guy flirted with my friends and me and knew our orders by heart. We enjoyed our lunches and then one day I got an email from him asking me to go to the Nutrcracker with him. "What? Oh, no.... he thinks I'm interested in him. This sounds like a date to me." So... I wrote back and told him I'd go (poor guy already had the tickets and needed a date) but made it more than clear that "this wasn't a date" and that we were just to be friends.
As the Nutcracker approached, Nathan called to tell me that he found out his company Christmas party was the same night. He just started this new job and needed to go. He didn't invite me to the party, but it was obvious that he was canceling on me for the Nutcracker and needed a date to this party. I offered to go with him. That day, I remember my dad telling me to "Look out for this guy. He pulled a bait and switch!"
The night of the party, I met him at his apartment and got there early, of course. His roomie (who I have known since 7th grade), Chuck, kept me company while I waited for Nathan to finish getting ready. I was self-conscious in my spaghetti-strap gown; I was not one to dress up and worried about fitting in with the other women or being 'pretty' enough. "Was I overdressed? Underdressed?" I wondered. I left my coat on over my dress in the apartment.
Now, this was no ordinary company Christmas party. There were no holiday sweaters or pigs n' blankets. It was a FORMAL. Picture prom for adults. We ate, we danced, we had our picture taken together. The party ran pretty late and then he invited me out for coffee. Keep in mind I am NOT a night person nor do I like coffee. So, of course I went. :)
We enjoyed the night together and then started spending more and more time 'catching up' as friends. I was careful to admit only to myself that these were actual dates and that I was growing more and more attached to my old Calculus buddy.
And, that's the story of our 1st date!
Oh, and I'll have you know that on our 5-year anniversary of our first date, I pulled a bait & switch back on him. I told him we were going to my company Christmas dinner and instead surprised him and took him to the Nutcracker!
Nathan-- Happy Dateversary! I love you!
For those of you who didn't know this, Nathan & I actually met in high school. We were both in the symphony together, sat together in Calculus (you can already picture how cool we were....), ate at the same lunch table, and hung out with the same group of friends. He was a nice guy but I was never interested in dating him. Plus, I think he was busy dating my friends at the time. :)
When we graduated from high school, we went off to separate colleges and pretty much lost contact. After college, I got a job at a hospital where he was consulting. While eating with a group of my close girlfriends, Nathan walked into the hospital cafeteria and this is where we reunited. When he walked away from the table, the girls teased me about Nathan and wondered if he was a potential guy for me. My response was simple. "I would NEVER date him!".
We started meeting for lunch at the hospital just to catch back up. I think he was a little jealous that the breadstick guy flirted with my friends and me and knew our orders by heart. We enjoyed our lunches and then one day I got an email from him asking me to go to the Nutrcracker with him. "What? Oh, no.... he thinks I'm interested in him. This sounds like a date to me." So... I wrote back and told him I'd go (poor guy already had the tickets and needed a date) but made it more than clear that "this wasn't a date" and that we were just to be friends.
As the Nutcracker approached, Nathan called to tell me that he found out his company Christmas party was the same night. He just started this new job and needed to go. He didn't invite me to the party, but it was obvious that he was canceling on me for the Nutcracker and needed a date to this party. I offered to go with him. That day, I remember my dad telling me to "Look out for this guy. He pulled a bait and switch!"
The night of the party, I met him at his apartment and got there early, of course. His roomie (who I have known since 7th grade), Chuck, kept me company while I waited for Nathan to finish getting ready. I was self-conscious in my spaghetti-strap gown; I was not one to dress up and worried about fitting in with the other women or being 'pretty' enough. "Was I overdressed? Underdressed?" I wondered. I left my coat on over my dress in the apartment.
Now, this was no ordinary company Christmas party. There were no holiday sweaters or pigs n' blankets. It was a FORMAL. Picture prom for adults. We ate, we danced, we had our picture taken together. The party ran pretty late and then he invited me out for coffee. Keep in mind I am NOT a night person nor do I like coffee. So, of course I went. :)
We enjoyed the night together and then started spending more and more time 'catching up' as friends. I was careful to admit only to myself that these were actual dates and that I was growing more and more attached to my old Calculus buddy.
And, that's the story of our 1st date!
Oh, and I'll have you know that on our 5-year anniversary of our first date, I pulled a bait & switch back on him. I told him we were going to my company Christmas dinner and instead surprised him and took him to the Nutcracker!
Nathan-- Happy Dateversary! I love you!
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