It was summer 1997, I was twenty-seven and I just finished culinary school. I had placed the ad on Match.com but it was not your normal ad. It was very specific, I was looking for my Lloyd Dobbler. I made several pop culture references and asked the potential suiters to identify the references. That was my quirky, odd-ball way of filtering. I wish I had saved the ad, but alias I did not. After a few months of bad dates and a run in with some algae I decided to just let things be. I figured that love would fine me when the time was right but for now I was just going to enjoy my life.
I sorta just forgot about the ad until one day I got an email from a guy who named all but one of my references. In all fairness the one Courtney missed was from Friends and you had to be a die hard fan to know that one. So we started chatting. He told me that he was just starting culinary school, and I offered to help him if he needed it.
We emailed almost everyday for a couple of months, by this time it was November 1997. Courtney asked if he could call me, I was a little nervous but I gave him my number anyway. We had conversations that went on for hours. Then he asked if I would like to met. I said sure, I had plans to see Ben Folds Five at Gibsons on Thanksgiving, we would be in a crowed place and if the date didn't work out I could get lost in the crowd. So I said yes. I told him that I was planning on getting to the show early because I had expected it to sell out since it was a free show and so we made plans to meet at the show.
I got to Gibsons around 5pm and was like third in line which was way cool because I got to hear the sound checks and meet G Love and Special Sauce. The crowd grew and I had no idea who was going to meet me. I had told Courtney what I would be wearing, leaving it up to him to make the first move. The doors opened at 8 and no one had identified themselves yet. I had a blast at the show and really didn't think much about being stood up.
Courtney called the next day and was completely apologetic for standing me up. He was there but he got there too late and wasn't able to get in. He blames it all on Carrie for making him late. I decided to give him another chance, I didn't have anything to loose. Since we were both John Cusak fans we decided that the next date was going to see Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil at Arizona Mills. December 1, 1997 at 7pm. I'm a freak about being on time for things if not early. I probably got there about fifteen minutes before we were suppose to meet just so I could plan an escape route if I needed it.
7 o'clock came and went and no sign of Courtney. Remember this is 1997 and we didn't have cell phones. I sat on the bench just waiting. I remember that I had wanted to just get up and leave but there were forces bigger than me working and I just couldn't get up and leave. Twenty minutes late and Courtney finally showed up.
Ten years later here we are now. I can't wait to take this next step in our lives with my one true love.
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