Some Background, Part I

S. and I met at our local community college. He rescued me, though he rode up on a Kawasaki Ninja, not a white charger. (It's okay. I prefer my black bay quarter horse anyway).

To be fair, all he rescued me from was the other guy sitting next to me in the computer lab the first night of class. See, I had recently seized my independence from relationships (that's always the way it goes, isn't it?) and had sworn off dating. So I had the brilliant idea to take a beginning automotive repair class at the community college. What better place to not meet men than a class filled with them?

I'm SO glad I did. And so glad the Universe saw fit to push S. in the same direction.

It was technically the second night of class. Two different teachers, two different nights. One lecture, one lab in the college's shop. This was the first night of the lab class, and we had a safety test to take.

I went all the way to the back of the computer lab and sat down. A guy I'll call B. came and sat down on my right. He started talking in a drawl about the two lifted Broncos he had, and was so proud to have because they'd make his dead pig hauling business so much easier.

Yes, you read that right. Dead pig hauling business. Luckily, it was right about then that a handsome redhead strolled in and took the seat immediately to my left, and I spent the rest of the night talking to him instead.

He seemed gruff, is all I remember of those first few days. But he kept talking to me. And letting me follow him around and bug him. Eventually, we started staying out really late in the school parking lot talking. Like, campus security kicking us out late. Still, I was in denial that I liked him. I did, but I didn't want to admit it. I was fierce! I was independent! I was... falling for him.

Then came The Night. Let me set the scene:

Valentine's Day Eve, 2008. It was raining. It was dark. It was cold. S. asked me if I wanted to go somewhere off campus to hang out for a bit. We headed to a local mountain that's famous for its views. We talked about the next day, I said I was going to hang out with my girlfriends at our (sadly, only happened this once) annual Anti-Valentine's Day party. I told him I didn't like flowers. I told him I didn't like Valentine's Day. Ha. I don't know what I was thinking, but I do remember feeling a little bad that I had other plans. I so desperately wanted him to ask me to do something with him instead. Later on, he told me that he nearly did.

Stay tuned for Part II, in which I ask him to be my "In A Relationship" on MySpace.