We met over 22 years ago during happy hour at a local bar. To this day we still argue if it was O’Tooles or O’Learys. I can still remember the tie he wore, although we got rid of it years ago. Chuck was a friend of my friend’s brother. We began to hang out with a large group of people every weekend, I was the social director of our group, back then making phone calls so everyone knew the plans. He saw me with some of the guys I had crushes on, we were just good friends. Chuck asked me if I would help him get a discount at one of my landscape advertising customers. He needed new bushes for the home he had just bought. The home we still live in today. He thanked me with a round of golf and dinner. I had never really talked to him one on one before. I was having a great time. We went out with friends on another occasion and soon found ourselves leaving everyone else behind and finding somewhere to once again be alone. We even ducked when another friend walked by the outdoor restaurant we were seated at. I wasn’t sure what was happening but I was having fun.
I left for vacation with my family. I had been looking forward to a week away from work and a chance to sit on the beach in Montauk, New York. My family had vacationed there for years and we would be meeting up with old friends. Funny thing was I missed Chuck. The guy I had known for two years and had never really thought of other than my friend. I had to see where this would take me. I had always heard that a way to a man’s heart was with food. Montauk is the home to some great seafood restaurants and seafood shops. The day I was leaving for home I called and left Chuck a message. I was bringing lobsters home and I was hoping we could get together the next evening for dinner. I was nervous the whole car ride home and hoped I hadn’t made a big mistake. When I showed up the next night with the lobsters Chuck had set a nice table and even had a bottle of wine. It was so good to see him. Dinner was wonderful but I still had one mission left for the evening. As I was leaving I kissed him on the cheek. We had never kissed before.
To this day we still tease each other about which bar we met at. He takes me dancing because he knows how much I love it, I watch hockey games with him, because I know how much he loves it. We run our two teen boys to baseball practice, games and all their activities. We still love lobster, and still cook it together in the same pot we used to cook the first ones in 20 years ago.
