"The" Story Part 1

The Meeting
Charlie and I met at a bar... through friends who had no intention of setting us up, but happened to be friends themselves, and so we met.

There. The End.

Just kidding...

Ok, So I was living in Wilmington, NC at the time with my very good friend Mary Anne (see, I'm trying to make it work again). When I'd JUST lost my job at a bank I will not name. And was wallowing around until 1) A new job dropped into my lap or
2) I was going to teach English in Taiwan (this is actually true)

Then in March 2009 I stumbled (not literally), on Charlie. We were at a bar called The Landmark in Raleigh, NC where he was working as a teacher, not at the bar... but in a High School. His first real pick up line for me was " You have great hair". This seemed like an odd first statement, but my hair wasn't looking horrible... so I thought, "well he is at least interesting".

He walked the crowd we were with home, gave me a hug goodnight (along with everyone else) and we parted ways for the evening.

The next day a friend Liz and I were invited over to Charlie and Will's house for drinks on the deck. Charlie and I happened to be beside each other and began talking about different things. That is when the real "spark" happened.

We talked on Facebook chat for a while, then once we found gmail chat, we began chatting for HOURS until the wee hours...keep in mind I had no job, so I was fine doing this. Where he was molding young minds everyday, I hope they all survived on the few hours he was sleeping every night.

All the while, I am working on going to teach English in Taiwan for a year and am starting to receive offers from schools and discussing them with Charlie for thoughts and advice. He is begin a very good sport and not telling me the whole time his real opinion on the move.


Saint Patrick's Day
Charlie, being the Scottish man that he is, likes to enjoy a beverage on St. Patrick's Day. Liz, her roommate and other friends were at an Irish bar downtown Raleigh and found sweet Charlie after a long night of drinking. He proceeded to tell Liz "Tell Laura that Taiwan is a HORRIBLE idea" I then get a call from Liz saying "I think Charlie likes you, I mean really likes you..." The next day I was going to a friend's house that didn't have reliable internet and he hadn't heard from me after "the" confession. He thought he'd played his cards too early, and that I was overwhelmed by the feelings he had confessed to my friends.

He was wrong.


Dating
Liz and I planned on going to see Chairmen of the Board (think beach/shag music) one Saturday night and Charlie and Will had also gotten tickets. Charlie and I danced all night and after the concert left Will and Liz to take a Rickshaw around Downtown Raleigh, and have a little alone time. That is when we really knew this was something good. He FINALLY got my number... why it took him so long is beyond me...

We began going on many dates when I would make my way between High Point and Wilmington where Charlie was certainly blowing the tiny teachers salary on me and wonderful food/drink downtown.

The "Title"

Fast forward through many other dates and drinking events to one Friday afternoon that I had come into town and gone to a local brewery with Charlie and his teacher friends. He was introducing me to everyone and then at one point asked "Can I introduce you as my Girl Friend?" of course I said yes and immediately texted out to my girl friends the big news.

This is actually the day it happened!!

Part 2 is coming....