...when Stephen and I had our first date. Ok, I have a confession to make. I cannot remember if it were October 4th or October 6th. I need to find a 1986 calendar to confirm it.
Our first date has a funny story to it. Of course there is the his and her version of it but since Stephen doesn't have a blahg you'll have to settle for mine.
Stephen had asked me out two weeks before. He was busy that upcoming weekend (hockey tournament) so we made plans for the following Saturday. We were in university and were in four of the same classes that term. We both lived at home with our parents whose houses were only about 2.5km apart.
Anyway, Stephen came to pick me up at my parents' house. My brother and my cousin were in the driveway installing a stereo in my mom's car and they did not even acknowledge Stephen as he walked past them (man, that still irks me! lol).
Stephen and I headed out to dinner at The Keg. Now, this is where the versions differ. I recall him telling me that he told his friends that we were going to The Keg and they might join us. He recalls no such thing and still claims that he only told them where we were going for dinner and never said anything about them joining us.
So, we arrive at The Keg (awesome Bloody Caesars BTW!) and were seated at a table for two. I was facing the door. We ordered our drinks and food. As we were waiting for appetizers, I noticed a group of people come into the restaurant and look around. A blonde woman looked over our way and started waving furiously at me. I had no idea who she was. I looked away but glanced back and she started waving again. Who was she?! I leaned over to Stephen and told him that some strange woman was waving at me. He looked over, jumped up and rushed over there. I saw them talking and then the waiter was called over. Then the waiter walked over to our table, picked up my drink and carried it over to a larger table. Then the blonde woman walked by and said "Hi" as she walked over to that larger table. Next was a guy with dark hair who said "Hi Duh-neen" and another guy "Hi", followed by Stephen who said "My friends are going to join us. I hope that's ok".
Well, I was nervous enough about the date but now I was terrified. The blonde was Stephen's next-door neighbour, Sheesh. Her boyfriend and a high school friend of Stephen's, Chech. The third person was Kev, whom Stephen had known since he was 7. Yikes! This was almost as nerve-wrecking as meeting his family!
So, throughout dinner I barely said a word. I could not eat (months later, Sheesh asked me why I ate like a bird that night). Finally dinner ended and we said good bye to Stephen's friends. They said they were headed to a bar in Markham (this was probably a code) because after Stephen and I went to a movie (Club Paradise), we went to a nearby bar and lo and behold, guess who else was there? Sheesh, Chech and Kev. And they were joined by Dan H, another friend Stephen had known since grade 2.
Hmmm, dinner with his friends and later drinks with them on our first date. I am certain he arranged for them to be there but he swears otherwise. In any event, it all turned out well because here we are, twenty years later. :)
Oh, and I just now reminded Stephen that it had been twenty years since our first date. He said "I know. That's why I bought you roses the other day". It was Wednesday. He brought me flowers on Wednesday. So now I just checked and sure enough October 4th was a Saturday in 1986. It was not the 6th - today.
So, it was 20 years and two days ago...when Stephen and I had our first date.
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