Yes, I am in love and have been for a long, long time. It did take me about three years to figure out that's what it was. An old boyfriend, who I never loved, told me he found the perfect man for me. I was like, Oh right. (I was the girl who wore pink for an entire year, then black for the next. I ate broccoli for two years straight and then fish sticks for the next two. I was usually alone writing and when I wasn't, I was either in class and writing or talking to myself about what my fiction would say. I was pretty out there when you think about it.) Anyway, this man my old boyfriend thought was my soulmate had actually met me before when I had come looking for my old boyfriend at the frat house. His first words to me? "What do you want?" Second words? "He's not here." LOL He wasn't exactly Mr. Social and still isn't. This did not improve when my old boyfriend, Joe, finally set us up. The frat boys were all partying and I showed up. They were pretty wasted already, but of course I was always clueless, so I didn't know. I did know I could hold inordinate amounts of vodka without ever feeling drunk. So, my Mr. Wonderful takes one look at me and says, "I like your tight jeans, baby." I probably narrowed my eyes at him. I never did take any crap off men. I proceeded to mix him up a drink that was about 10 oz of vodka and a shot of orange juice and made myself one. I sat down by him and said, "Tell me if it's too strong. Some people don't like drinks as strong as I do." Being an NT male, there was no way he would ever admit that, so he got even drunker. We all went off to the bar, where I promptly forgot about him. The next thing I know, old boyfriend, Joe, pulls me out of the bar and tells me that John, my future husband, is in there breaking pool sticks. Apparently I got him a little too drunk. Joe took me home and the frat brothers left John to sleep it off in some bushes. By now, I'm sure you are wondering how this ever turned into love.
The next time Joe set us up, he took me to a bar where he knew John would be and we sat across from John. This time John knew enough to keep his mouth shut and not provoke me. I was still pretty much lost the whole evening and really not paying attention to them. I started writing my story on napkins that I stuck in my purse. John bought me dinner and told me to eat. So, I did. Then, when it was time to go, he took me with him. I didn't leave for three days. Three weeks later I moved in with him when he got his own apartment (he furnished it all, I never cared about that stuff and would sleep on a floor unless someone did that for me). He did everything for me. Cooked for me, cleaned the apartment, did my laundry, took me to class and work. It was great. I wasn't in love with him, but there was no way I was leaving him. I couldn't even stand anyone else to touch me and I just got along with him. He obviously felt the same way because ten months later he told me we were getting married and moving to Italy. I told him I would never have children and if he even brought up the subject, I'd divorce him. He told me to keep my office clean. (He's very OCD and he can't stand my books lying all over.) Two weeks later we were married and moving to Italy. The second year we were there, I remember standing on the balcony of our apartment and looking out at the Med and suddenly I just thought out of the blue, "I love him." I don't know how I knew. I just did. And, I do love him. I still do. He is my soulmate and always will be. That by the way, happened 26 years ago.
02 Feb 2007, 11:07 pm
