When We Began

"Hey, aren't you Jens friend Rachael?"
This is what I heard one day two years ago, from an unfamiliar male voice while I was walking out of the gym.
"......Uh...yeah", I said, then turned around and immediately smiled at this guy because his eyes captured me.
"Yes, I'm Rachael?", I asked in a who wants to know? kind of way.
"I'm Jens friend Chuck, she has mentioned you to me and I thought I would say hi."

Oh, OK so this is Chuck.  He's attractive, he is introducing himself to me...awesome!

"I think you asked to be my friend on Facebook, sorry I am just now getting around to that," he said, TOTALLY serious.  I wanted to DIE.
Ugh.... Facebook making me look like a stalker! Of course he introduces himself, he wants me to know he sees me and my stalkerish ways. 
Great Rachael. Smoooooooth.

The picture of cool, I said, "Ohhhh yeah!  I forgot about that.  Yeah she told me about you and I figured I would send you a friend request...haha"...shoot.me.now.

He then told me about how he had been meaning to come eat sushi one night with us, but was either working or taking care of his son.  We chatted for a bit in the parking lot of the gym, then parted ways.

I am fairly certain I spent the next 36 hours in a cloud, daydreaming about this guy Chuck, and what he could have possibly been thinking when he came up to me out of nowhere!
I could NEVER do that. The term "guarded" has nothing on me.  I'm Fort Knox.

Looking back now I realize I didn't think twice about him having a son.  To me it showed that he was a responsible family man, which are qualities I liked.

The next couple of weeks I was an idiot.
Chuck and I evidently had the same workout schedule, so I would see him there almost every day, and when I didn't? I was sad.  Such.a.dingy.

We would always come up with some smart comment to say to each other..and I am no slacker when it comes to quick wit.  I gave it my all.

I should have known then that I had feelings for this guy, Chuck. 
I would look around the gym while I was working out, and when we would lock eyes I would smile all over myself!  I was the epitome of ridiculous.  I just couldn't help it. 

He had me.  One day while I was there he wasn't speaking to me.  Actually, he was ignoring me.
I attributed this to the day before, when he saw me talking to a guy I had previously dated. 
This was not acceptable.
I marched right over to him and said, "So, you not talking to me today?", in that "bring it" kind of way.

He tried to act like he hadn't seen me.  Such.a.liar.
I wasn't buying it.
Being that I was currently taking residence thisclose to his face, I had to come up with something to hold his attention fast, "Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted to use this Texas Roadouse gift certificate with me that I won, but you're not talking to me so I guess not."  Oh good Lord I'm a redneck. 

His next comment surprised me so much that I was speechless.  I am not often found to be without words, so this was unnerving to say the least.
"Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted to ride with me one night while I supervised graveyard."
Whaaaaaaaa?

I knew enough from mutual friends to know that Chuck didn't EVER let anyone ride with him.
I had also been told by them that he was a perfectionist.  He always found something wrong with a girl, some flaw that ended things.
I was nothing but flaws.

But I couldn't say no to him for some reason.  I wanted to be around him, to get to know him better.  Heck, I just wanted to look at him and see him smile at me.  I could make him smile, that I was certain of.

Thankfully the Texas Roadhouse commet was forgotten and he sent me a text a few days later asking me to ride with him. 
I coolly accepted, then told everyoneIknew in, like, two minutes.

The night he picked me up in his cruiser I was a nervous ball of energy.
Well, make that a butt-less nervous ball of energy.
I had to dress nice and wear khakis, and seeing as my occupation does not demand anything but jeans, the only pair I had made me look like a butt-less guy.  Awesome. 

I sat in the passenger seat feeling like a kid who had just been allowed to ride in the front.
The center console was HUGE given the fact that it was home to a zillion police-ish buttons and lights and a laptop.  I took up approximately a quarter of my seat as I curled into a shy ball, wrapping myself in my jacket.

Un.Divided.Attention.
No gym equipment, no loud music, just Chuck and I.
We spent the evening upholding the law, and talking about EVERYthing under the moon.
He asked me about the farm and I got the skinny on all 645 buttons in the car.
There were a lot of witty comments and tons of laughter.  Best.Night.Ever.

He dropped me off at my apartment at 3 am, knowing I had to go to work in just 3 short hours. 
I had been fighting sleep since midnight, but like any Cinderella didn't want the night to end.
I got into bed and sent him a text thanking him for asking me to ride.
He responded and told me to sleep well.

And I have been in a dream ever since.