Patrick and I have been together for 12 years, and married for five. I met him for the first time at a 24 hr diner at about 2 o' clock in the morning. He was my server. My friend, and the man I was seeing on a casual basis, and I went in after a night on the town to have some breakfast. My date had left the table to use the bathroom, when I nudged my best friend and made a comment about our server being kind of cute. Before she could respond I said, "Awe, he's not my type."

Several weeks later he was hired as a server where I worked, although I didn't remember him instantly. (I had had a reasonably good time out before breakfast that night!)

During this time in my life, I was a recently single parent of a one year old. I allowed myself one night a week (Tuesdays) to go out with my best friend and enjoy the single life. I was seeing someone, but with no strings. I also had several male friends at work and we all hung out together quite a bit. Two of these friends had crushes on me, although I had told them both I wanted to be just friends. And even though these two guys had both expressed wanting to go out with me, there was never tension between any of us doing things together.

Patrick and one of the guys became friends very quickly. Within a month, they had become roomates. I continued to hang out with my male friend, and obviously got to know Patrick a little too. At this point the three guys in question are spending quite a bit of time together. (The story according to Patrick is:) Patrick says to them both, "There someone at work I would like to ask out." He has both of their attention, sensing what was coming. "Who," they want to know. Patrick had no idea that they have both already asked me out and been turned down. Patrick's roomate tells him about his feelings for me. Patrick is a loyal friend, and in Patrick's world, you don't date a friend's ex-girlfriend. But I wasn't an ex. I was a crush. His roomate gives Patrick the go-ahead.

Meanwhile, I have no idea that this discussion is taking place, or that Patrick is in the slightest bit interested in me. As a matter of fact, I had ran into him on a Tuesday night a few weeks earlier, and he politely talked to me for a few minutes, and then kinda blew me off. I was thinking, "well screw you, then." I saw him leave with a woman. (I found out later, this woman was basically stalking him, and he left with her so she wouldn't see him talking to me. He said that night was the first time he had seen me out of my work uniform and was the first time he thought, "Hmmmm...")

I think the "blowing me off" at the bar really got to me because I found myself making excuses to stop by their house, or hooking up with his roomate to hang out when I knew they were together. I know, I am bad. But even with the "accidental" encounters, I wasn't really looking to date him. And to be totally honest, my love life was a complete mess (no such thing as no strings, you know) between the man I had been seeing, Patrick's roomate, and the other friend. All I wanted was to be free from a "boyfriend".

So one night at work, Patrick walks up to me and says seemingly out of the blue, "I think you are really hot, and if you ever want to go out sometime, let me know." MY MOUTH WAS ON THE FLOOR. No one had EVER made such a statement in asking me out. I ran to our schedule book. I am looking to see if we have any of the same days off. In the background, I can hear another server asking Patrick if he can work for him on Thursday. Thursday? I have Thursday off... "NOOOOOOO!!!!" I yelled. I ran across the kitchen to Patrick and, nearly out of breath say, "No, No, I have Thursday off. You want to go out then?" He turns to the server and says "Sorry man, I got plans."

I never would have guessed on that first night in the diner that he was the love of my life... NOT MY TYPE??? Well, he became it the moment he threw that line at me. Thank goodness.

(By the way, TODAY, one of those guys is marrying the love of HIS life. I wish we could have come guys. May you enjoy all the happiness that Patrick and I have shared, and thank you for giving Patrick the "go ahead".)