- How long have you been together? We met Aug. 9, 2008 & it was pretty much instantaneous. We've been together ever since.
- How long did you know each other before you started dating? A mutual friend knew him & me, he kept telling me I needed to meet his friend Gary (Berry) that was in April/Mary of 2008-I was kinda involved with a couple of other guys (yes I was dating a few not in a relationship with any & they all knew about the others, I think?) and I was just hesitant to meet him for some reason. It was during the MySpace craze, so I looked him up, added him...we exchanged a few emails & I thought ...ummm...he's kinda TOO nice-by that I mean mature and wasn't trying to hard. Eventually I deleted him from my profile. Our mutual friend asked me again had I talked to him, I explained we had a little over MySpace and it didn't seem like he was really interested so I deleted him to save us both time. John (the mutual friend) was a bit persistent in me talking to Gary, it was like he just knew this was going to be a match. Me? I was so hopeful...I just assumed this was going to be like every other jerk and he'd end up hurting me just like the list of guys before. But...against my better judgement...I sent another request...this time it was a bit more clear he was interested. *I'd like to stop right here and let you all know that I told him upfront and honestly that I WAS MEAN! It was a few days before my (26th) birthday & he had mentioned going out of town that weekend. (He didn't know it was my birthday yet.) It was my chance to see if he was actually interested in me...so I said "Well to bad! It's my birthday this weekend and some friends and I were going out...I was going to see if you wanted to come keep my birthday glass full!" He said that it was too bad because he would love to keep it full. The next day I got a text from John that said, "Gary gave me his number to give to you..." I sat and thought for a bit (made Gary sweet it a bit) and finally texted him and said "What? Your not man enough to ask me for MY number? You have to have some guy give me YOUR number!?! LAME!" I kind of thought...he'll either respond with something clever, in which case, I'll be into him, or he'll get offended and can't take jokes...I waited. I'm not sure what exactly he responded with but it was enough to make me remember exactly were I was and what I was doing and the smile I had on my face that very instant I became interested and I mean REALLY interested in Gary Berry! I do believe that was a Thursday...he's still going out to see his friend (John from Mississippi-different John by the way.) I'm sure I went out that Friday night like always and we probably texted a lot more...but I was pretty much on cloud 9 from that first text. Saturday came, and my friends, Piper & Chris, were getting married *Yes they wanted to celebrate my birthday in a MAJOR way...it is after all, all about me!* He sent me a few text while I was getting ready for the wedding-which I didn't respond to...then finally at the wedding when I knew I was about to be really busy, I texted him back, told him I was in a wedding and that I'd have to get back to him later. He said that was fine he was on his way to Mississippi. I will admit part of me was kind of sad that he wasn't going to be able to come to Hot Springs and celebrate with me. After the wedding, Heather (Hohrine, now Grigsby) and I went to dinner at Fisherman's Warf. We ran into a couple of my other friends, Sara, Crystal, Luda (who was creepy stalker guy-early 20s and bald, who also drove a hybrid, and for some reason was obsessed with me for the longest) Brandon-who was a slight crush-but was also Sara's crush and who was 21 so he was just eye candy...and Beau, Crystals bf. There were a couple of others mixed in there as well...but I don't remember who all that was. Anyway while Heather and I were eating dinner, Gary texted and asked how my birthday was. I, of course, take it as my chance to flirt and tell him how it would be a lot better if he was here and was able to keep my glass full. He didn't respond for a bit...so I just kinda blew it off. Honestly, dealing with some of the d-bags that I had delt with previously, I figured he was either already in a relationship (which I find out a bit later there was another girl-but like me he wasn't involved with any one person-just dating) or that he was somewhere, probably not even Mississippi hooking up with someone. Heather and I order another drink and he texted me back...FINALLY....he asked me what I'd think if he told me he was on his way to see me? I told him not to tease...and he actually calls!!! I didn't answer...why would I??? lol. He calls again....this time I answer...he tells me he's in between Little Rock & Hot Springs, on his way to see me for my birthday and that he'd love to get a chance to keep my glass full. I was still a bit leary of him...but I will be honest, I only agreed to meet him out of obligation...he had came all the way back from Mississippi for me and I felt like I had to at least meet him and LET him buy me a few birthday drinks. I agreed to meet him but told him that I already had plans to go out with my friends but we could meet up if he'd like. He asked me to meet him at "The Dawg House..." Ok....THAT was not a good sign...seriously....this wasn't cool...but the mutual friend that we had was there with some of my other mutual friends & Heather needed to get home to her husband, we had only opted to have dinner together then I was meeting up with other friends to go. We pull up and we agreed this place was shady...I was meeting my friend Jennifer there and she had told me she was about 10min away. So Heather and I said, we'll go in for ONE drink, as soon as Jennifer get's here that's our out and we can leave...fine by me! I wanted to text him and tell him something came up but it would have been rude. We walked in and it was like a movie scene where the two girls THAT YOU KNOW AREN't SUPPOSED to be in dive like that...I think music stopped, pool balls flew off the tables, and glasses were dropped when these two "city, preppy type girls walked in" Heather and I were like...."umm...." John yelled at us and ran over to get us to come to his table...I will NEVER in my life forget this moment...there was Gary Berry!!! He was sitting, until we came and he stood as we got to the table (points) he was dressed nice (points) had good shoes (points) had good teeth!!! (POINTS-I would have walked right out then and there-I refuse to date a man with bad teeth!) and he asked what Heather and I would like to drink...(points) he didn't make it all about me, he was nice to my friend yet in such a way that was different from most guys. Most guys when it came to Heather, was all druggy looking, hazed over eyes, and looked like they were stunned by her-she beautiful inside and out! It was clear that his interest was in me in a particular way that was different then her. We sat for a bit and Jennifer texted that she was there...I wasn't ready to leave...Heather had to get back home to her husband...so I walked her to the door and talked Jennifer into coming in, after all we had 30-45min to kill before my other friends got off work. We go in, everyone talks...good time is had by all....then the random lady that's at EVERY bar comes around with a basket full of roses. I thought to my self...if he get's me a rose I'm going to die & not in a good way! It was the moment I think I feel in love with him...she came to him & I watch him out of the corner or my eye and so was Jennifer, we were actually talking about if he got me one that she was going to say...we gotta go! I sit and watch him and it's so funny. I remember it like it was a few min ago. He looks at the lady as she's standing there, he looks back at me, he looks back her, then me, then puts his hand to his chin like he's thinking about it, then reaches for one...I was like crap! Then he pulls his hand back and said..."It maybe a bit premature...not tonight." He told her. I felt relief! Not that it would have been a sweet gesture but it would have screamed trying to hard and I wasn't interested in some guy who felt he had to try for my attention...I wanted someone in my life that I actually wanted to give my attention to, I had never had that before. My other friends are off work buy now and we say our good byes, the group we went to meet stayed there (it was another guys bday and that was where they were hanging out) I figured he'd stay behind but he got up to walk us out (points) and I said..."We are going out with some other friends if you'd like to come..." He turned and looked at the bar that we were in and said ..."I'd very much like to come." I told him I'd find out where were going and text him while he went back and told the others good-bye and Jennifer and I left....we talked about how cute he was and all the normal things that girls talk about when they find a guy they like. I texted him where we were going and he meets us, he even get's my underage friend Sara in (whose ex-boyfriend Nick, one of my really great guy friends, tries to get us kicked out...but Gary knew the owner and Sara wasn't drinking so nothing became of that, except me bitching Nick out!) **FYI...I would NOT condone Sara drinking underage-I don't do that and I def don't buy alcohol for anyone under 21. **We go to a couple of other places and finally breakfast...I'm not even sure who all went...I did ride with him there-finally, I wasn't about to get into a car with a stranger even tho we had met (Ohhh...and by the way...he asked if he could give me my birthday kiss too...I remember where we were standing too..) We all go to breakfast and I kind of think he picks up the tab for us all-not sure, after all it was my birthday and I had had a few drinks. We say our goodbye in the IHop parking lot. As Jennifer and I are driving home he keeps calling but since we were in a bad service area I couldn't get much service on my cell. Calls kept getting dropped...so I waited until we were in a better area and getting into my own car (by this time I was fine to drive) I then called him back, he asked where I was and I told him getting my car at Heathers and going to stop at the gas station for sec-he said he would meet me there...I was like ok??? I met him there and he said..."come on follow me to the park..." I want to stop here and say...if the park had been a secluded place in our town I would not have, but it's right there on the highway & main traffic area-so it's very public. It had started to rain at this point, he gets out and ask me to get out...I said "it's raining!" the way he looked at me convinced me to get out! I can't tell you what he said and I doubt that I will ever recall words of that moment...but he took my hands, looked down at me, and kissed me, right there in the rain, it was the most seductive, sweet, amazing kiss that I had ever had! He then looks up to the sky...so I look up and wonder what the hell he's looking at and how could he ruin the moment like this....but this...I do recall...."It's kinda like a movie and I feel like this is a dream...meeting you...and the way things have happened tonight." WOW...all I could say was "I know." He kissed me one more time and walked me back to my car & said that was all he wanted, was to tell me good bye one more time and to give me one more kiss. I kind of think of it as his way of sending me off to think about him...but it was clear he wasn't interested in anything sexual but he was interested in me! THAT was exciting! I went home that day knowing that I had met the man I was going to marry and knowing that I was falling head over heels in love with a guy I had just met and it didn't scare me bc I knew it was our destiny....it was fate...the moment in the rain, that kiss, sealed everything for me. We have been inseparable ever since.
There will be more to come...lots more!!!
