The Jon and Carrie Love Story, part 14

Friday night. Me and Jon.

He was on time. Or maybe he was early. Come to think of it, Jon was probably there waiting for me at my apartment, right as I got home from work. Everywhere I looked, there he was. At the time I didn't even realize that Jon was becoming a permanent fixture in my life.

My roommate June and I were leaving for Portland the next day. We had planned this "mega weekend getaway and shopping trip" for a while. We'd stay at my aunt's house and basically shop til we dropped. This was a new concept for me (I'm not a shopper) but June really needed someone there while she decided to buy her pink leather jacket. Come on! These are major decisions people!

Jon was sad I was leaving. Early in the evening, I was neither here nor there. Actually the forced space and time away were probably good for me. I always need lots of time to think.

We went to a restaurant on First Street, which later moved to Nob Hill, which is now gone I think. It was an Italian place that served great pasta. Tori and I had been there numerous times to eat the potato pasta--in fact a friend from the Singles Branch had worked there at one point.

I had originally emailed Jon (see Part 11) on Monday, telling Jon I could help train him to be a better date. To help him get the ladies. The email had brought us together (thanks to Madame Tori, see Part 11 where she deviously talks to Jon at Red Robin while I'm in the bathroom) but eventually its contents were null and void. Never in my life would I have thought that 1. He didn't need my training (at least with dates) and 2. I was his new lady. I felt... special. Happy. It was so surprising. He wouldn't stop looking at me.

We walked into the restaurant and who should we see? Two couples from Jon's old ward growing up. They all had hearty words for him-- something about taking clothes off in nursery or being completely crazy. By now my eyes and ears were becoming glossed over. "Oh that's great!" was all I could think of. Reality outside of me and Jon was fading away. I was slowly losing it, or my mind, or my cares.

We sat down and ordered. We talked. We gabbed. Everything was so... easy. It was like I had known him for a long time. Granted, I had known him for a long time (over a year in fact). Well at least knew of him. But I didn't know the real him yet. I didn't know how sweet, generous, forgiving, passionate, spiritual, affectionate, or loving he was. But I was having a ball finding out.

I can't remember what else we did, like if we went somewhere else, but eventually we ended up back at my apartment. It was late. We had talked about anything and everything. Jon's mom was in town, and I was leaving for Portland in the morning. "When are you getting back?" There was an urgency about the night, like being apart would be tragic. Well for heaven's sake. It's not like we were even boyfriend-girlfriend! It was only our second date! Sure, we had held hands. But it's not like we had ever..... you know. Kissed.

Kissed. Ohhhh.

There we were, looking at each other. Our minds were in sync. We had both stopped talking, and we both knew. We leaned toward each other and...

...that was it. I was soooo gone.

It was simple, but completely mutual. There was no awkwardness, no hesitations. The stars aligned, the planets stopped their orbits, and for those few seconds the world seemed right.

We said goodnight and Jon went home. But not really. I could still feel him on my lips. And in my heart. >>Continue to Part 15