Our Story // Verse One

if you missed part one of our story, you can read that here!

sometime in early january, aj and i started texting regularly.  we were both working our way through how i met your mother and would stay up late texting about what episode we were each on.  those conversations became more and more frequent and soon we were communicating throughout each day.

we spent a lot of time hanging out with a couple of mutual friends, courtney and nick.  courtney and i worked together and nick and aj had been friends since high school.  one day at work, court asked if i had any interest in going out for sushi.  she and nick were planning on heading towards the area where she was from, about an hour and a half away.  i asked if aj was going, and around that same time, he was asking nick if i would be there.  that was probably the first time i admitted to myself, and anyone else, that i maybe sort-of liked this boy.

our sushi outing was a hit, and only escalated our constant communication.  shortly after that evening, aj invited me to his aunt and uncle's superbowl party.  i basically knew nothing about football at the time, but i did know that our friends would be there, and that he must have some interest in me too if he was inviting me to a party, so i went.  i spent most of that party hanging out with courtney and a few other girls and not with aj.  and while i was off in another room, the game ended and he left without saying goodbye.

he did, however, ask me to pencil him in on my calendar for lunch later that week.  i obliged and a week later, left work one day and headed over to his house.  he was commuting to college at the time and had rushed home from classes to cook lunch.  he had also recently joined our youth staff and so we were both officially working together, and both had to be in a meeting that afternoon back at church.  i kind of figured that i knew what was coming, but i was super nervous, and so was he, so lunch was just a little bit awkward that day.

before heading back to our meeting, he suggested that we grab starbucks.  and while we were on the way back to church, three minutes before pulling into the parking lot, aj dropped the "i like you" bomb.  he told me later that he wasn't sure how i'd respond, so he figured that telling me right before we walked into a meeting would be a good plan.  that way, if i didn't feel the same, we wouldn't have to talk more about it.  and if i did, well, we could figure that out later.

before walking into our meeting, i told him that i did reciprocate his feelings, but was worried about the fact that we worked together and that he was in a band with my brother, so i wanted to take things slow.  we agreed that we would talk more about it soon.  "soon" didn't happen for a whole week (which basically felt like an eternity), and what was worse was that valentine's day was looming.  and if you've never faced valentine's day with someone who likes you and you like them but you're not dating yet, i don't recommend it.  it's the most awkward thing in the world.