Thursday, February 16, 2012

The One That Got Away


I know we all have our little stories about "the one that got away"...I even came up with a cool paranormal idea eons ago that has a very unique twist...but that's for another day. Hmmm, as far as my very own TOTGA  experience...I've had a few...but looking back now, the memories are most likely better than if I had ended up with any one of those men. I think that break ups and relationship ups and downs makes us all stronger. AND it makes for a great story. 

One memory that's stuck with me happened many many many years ago when I was just starting college. My girlfriends and I decided to have lunch at a very popular sushi bar in town. It had a rather hip vibe and drew in a younger crowd. It was also owned by a pseudo-friend of mine. As we were waiting for our lunch, the front door opened and in walks the most gorgeous man I'd ever laid eyes on. Seriously...it was a slow-mo moment in my head. He had on a black helmet, weathered leather jacket, dark denims, and boots...as soon as he stepped inside he pulled off the helmet and I melted. Tall, gorgeous blue eyes, sandy blond hair...he really did look like he had jumped out of a billboard ad...I kid you not. After I wiped the drool off my face, I made a bet that HE would be mine. Of course, my buddies laughed at me and rolled their eyes because he was now officially my target. 

Fast forward a few weeks, I learned: 1. he was my pseudo-friend's on again off again boyfriendlike forever 2. They had broken upagain (but for good this time) 3. He was temporarily helping her manage the restaurant for the summer while she visited family in Japan. WINNING! I think I ate at the restaurant every other day for a month. One crazy afternoon he finally spoke to me. I froze. Then while I was paying...it kind of happened like this... 

I signed my credit card slip and asked nonchalantly, "Aren't you going to ask me out?" 
He blinked. "Really? You want to go out with me?" Dumb-founded look.
"Yes." I scrawled my phone number on the front of the slip and slid it over to him.
He gave me a boyish smile. "You never seemed interested."
"Why else would I come here several times a week?" I smiled back. "I'm tired of waiting so I'm taking the initiative."
He laughed. "I like a woman who knows what she wants."
"Then you'll like me."
He picked up the slip and gave me a wide grin. "It's a date then."

I won that bet.

Two days later we went out. Two years later we moved in together. Six years later we broke up and I moved to Paris...to mend my broken heart. We had such a tumultuous relationship. Passionate. Intense. Painful...but those were the memories I never want to forget. I could say he was my first realhonest to goodness"love". But what I learned from that experience is that sometimes that kind of love is best kept in your heart. I don't have any regrets and I simply know that we were never meant to be... These days we're still friends and the memories, the emotions, the craziness of youthful love is what I put into my writing...what I hope will be believable, raw emotions and has impact in my storytelling. 

Okaywhere was I? Right. 

Do you have a "the one that got away" story? Do tell. I wanna know... :)

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P.S. I recently stumbled across this brilliant video below and I couldn't help laughing until tears flowed from my eyes. Maybe it's not that funny but it was to me. Sometimes you need a bit of humor to get you going. I'm sure Adele would have a good laugh at it herself. And I am a HUGE Adele fan...

7 comments:

Wynter said...

Good story. My one that got away was a college romance - my roommate's boyfriend! During one of their off-again times, he and I got together on the down low. Unfortunately, I fell in love. Looking back, it was absolutely for the best. I ran off to Florida to get away from him then a few years later I met the true love of my life.

Jax Cassidy said...

Wynter...and that's why you now have such a great guy in your life! :)

Ah...college romances...

Naima Simone said...

Damn! Mine who got away is no where NEAR as romantic and heart-breaking as yours, Jax! Mine was a college boyfriend, and though it didn't seem like a good thing at the time, I'm sooo glad he got away! What a chump! LOL! The other one who got away was in college, too--much later--but I don't know if he counts because he was a crush and we never officially got together. He looked like the Layzie Bone from Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony...sigh. Now HIM I still think about from time to time. Still can't compare to my hubby though!

Jax Cassidy said...

Naima..at least you figured out the first guy was SO not worth your time :) It's nice to have one sacred memory of HIM so you can write about it. LOL

Dalton Diaz said...

Oh man. I wonder sometimes what my life would have been like had I let my first mistake be the TOTGA. But you know what? I wouldn't have been the person my DH fell in love with had I not gone through that first hell.
DH didn't get away. Anyone else can keep on walking.

Callie Croix said...

Sounds like there might at least be some good writing fodder in there someplace! The story with my ex is something right out of a Jerry Springer show (and I'll never tell unless you feed me one too many mojitos), and while I don't regret the breakup, I regret they way it all panned out. I wish I'd handled it a lot differently.

Dalton Diaz said...

(Taking notes)
Ply Callie with Mojitos...