Training Camp and Our Love Story (Finally!)

Well boys and girls, it is that time of year!  C’s team has officially moved into their hotel to start training camp!  I can’t believe this will be my third season cheering for this guy from the sidelines. 

I do have to say this is my least favorite part of it all. Having C move out of our home for 2 ½ weeks is just no fun.  I mean, he’s pretty much my chef so I am stuck eating rice or soup for dinner right now. Obviously there are other reasons but that one really stinks haha.

Thankfully the hotel they are staying in this year is a lot closer to the apartments than the one they had previously stayed in. We’ve been able to see each other every other night.

I will miss going to that other hotel though, for a very significant reason. 

Two years ago today, this happened.  Go ahead, check it out.  I promise it’s really short!

Ok, for those of you who didn’t feel like clicking, Tuesday, February 28, 2012 was the day I first met C, and it was at the front door of that old hotel.  I wrote a teeny tiny little post about meeting a boy and how I was being cautiously optimistic about it.

Alright fine, here it is:

“So....I met a boy.  Well, I've met lots of boys I suppose, but this one is special. He is very attractive, tall (6'4),  and a total gentleman. 

I've been helping out my friend A that plays for the Rattler's (the one I went to Vegas with) and given him a few rides around town. The other day, he brought along a teammate, C.  We totally hit it off. 

We've chatted during the day every day since I met him, which is really only 4 days ago.  I've hung out with him twice and we are going out again tonight. He asks me how my day was. He texts me goodnight. He texts me good morning. He even called to say goodnight last night.  It's been years since I've had a man do that. I love it :)

I wish I had better radar because what I can't tell is if he actually likes me or if he is just bored and loney in Arizona and needs a friend.  He is from Tampa but the team is currently living in a hotel for training camp.  He also doesn't have a car yet, which means he can't go anywhere unless someone takes him.

So......I'm being cautious.....but optimistic.”

Well, I have to say, two years later that I am so, so, so, thankful for that day and that we both did something that we really didn’t actually feel like doing.

Let me back up a bit. 

One of my friends, A, from high school was playing for the Rattlers at the time. Since the team was in training camp, the players were all staying in the same hotel, like they are doing now.  Since A had previously had his license suspended, he needed rides everywhere.  To be honest, I kind of had a crush on him but I knew he was absolutely and completely all wrong for me. He was a bad boy in every sense of the word. I had already told him that we would never be and we were just fine being friends.  That afternoon, he asked if I would give him a ride to speak to kids at a youth sports training thing he runs.  Now, this place was NOT close.  By not close, I mean about 25-30 miles away.  I really didn't want to give him a ride, but since it was for children and I’m pretty much too nice, I said ok.  I am so glad I did. 

Meanwhile, C had arrived in Arizona about 3 days before this. He was originally going to play for another team, but ended up getting traded (on my birthday!) and made his way to Arizona for training camp. He didn’t know a single guy on the team yet, so that evening he was just kind of hanging out in the lobby with nothing to do.  When my friend A walked by, he randomly asked C if he wanted to come and speak to the kids too. C was just planning on lounging around and didn’t really want to go, but at the last minute he changed his mind.  I am so glad that he did. 

Because I didn’t really feel like waiting around alone for A to do his thing with the kids, I had brought a friend and thought we’d find something to do while A was busy.  When we pulled up to the hotel, A came out and started crawling into the back seat (I have a 2 door car) because one of his new teammates was going to come along.  Then out the door came C.  I remember my first thoughts being “Oh man, he’s cute.  Who is this boy?” A introduced C real quick, then he climbed in the front seat next to me and we headed out.  I couldn’t stop thinking about how cute he was and obviously made sure to do the ring check right away!

C was supposed to talk to the kids at the end of their training so he had an hour or so to kill.  My friend and I had planned on grabbing dinner at that point, so we invited him along.  We all ended up at Margaritaville drinking margaritas and chatting.  He was actually late getting back because we were having so much fun!  

After watching him speak to the kids and seeing how great he was with them, I liked him even more.  I remember I kept telling my friend, “I like this guy. I wonder if he is single?”  We spent the night trying to figure it out, but never did. Once he was done, we decided to go out again to a place called Fat Tuesday’s to get “adult” slushies (they have alcohol in them).  Keep in mind, this was a week night…..I never go out on weeknights!  But we did and I had a blast.  I wish I had a picture of us that night, but alas I do not.  I only have a picture of him with my friend….womp womp. 

Where am I? Oh yeah....taking the picture. Boo.

I honestly can’t remember how we exchanged numbers or whatnot, but I am so glad we did.  We ended up talking constantly. I really liked him, but I had no clue how he was feeling. As you can see from the first post, I was definitely questioning that.  The night I was speaking about in the first post (that we were going to go out again) happens to be the night this post happened:

“So….he likes me :)

Our night on Friday was perfect.  We ate dinner at a BBQ restaurant (he sat next to me instead of across from me), walked around some outdoor shops, then rented a redbox movie (30 Minutes or Less) and drank some wine. We spent the night inching closer and closer together, feeling each other out.  Like I said before, he is just so hard to read.  Once he finally kissed me though, I knew.  I think we spent a total of 9 hours together and I didn’t want it to end.

We spent all day Sunday together getting him moved into his new apartment.  I think we spent four hours at Wal-Mart and Target. He made me laugh all day and it was nice to do something so low key and feel so comfortable.  It felt so natural. We ordered pizza and I even let him see my quirks…..how I put the pepperoni pieces off to the side and eat them all at the end because they are the best part.

I’ve never met such a gentleman.  He makes sure I walk on the inside in parking lots so I don’t get hit, walks in front of me down stairs (and behind me going up them) in case I fall, opens doors, and always sits closest to the door. I thought this stuff only happened in movies!”

I didn’t mention it in the post, but right after he kissed me he said “I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been wanting to kiss you since I got into the car.”  (The car he means is my car the first night we met).  Um?  How cute is that?  I wrote it down in my phone and dated it that night, so I know it’s real! I think about that night a lot.  I actually still have the empty bottle of wine we drank (yeah, I’m a little sentimental).  I think it would be awesome to someday serve at our wedding :) 

The wine we drank that night :)

By the way, he still does all those things I mentioned above (liking walking in front of me down stairs and behind me up them). Most guys drop that “act” after they reel you in, but not C.  His momma raised him right!

The first (very awkward) picture we took together. He wasn't ready haha.

Well there you have it!  That is how I met C and part one of our love story!  I was just going to talk about how he is in camp right now, but how could I not share the whole story (finally) when that’s where it all started!  I will try to do part two soon :)