Scott
Height: 5’8
Age: 32
Met: At work
A rugged, rough-and-tumble, Irishman from upstate New York, so no brogue
A few months ago I was brought on as the operations manager for a new boardwalk themed event space and night spot. I’ve done openings before but of the Broadway variety. I’ve never even worked outside of the performing arts industry let alone open a new venue, but when my best friend told me she thought there was the perfect opening for me at her company I decided it was worth at least speaking to the people in charge. I met with the general manager of the property and the director of human resources the next day. We sat at a booth in the lounge and talked then they gave me a tour of the skeletal space that was coming to be upstairs. On my tour of the construction site I had the privilege of meeting the president of the company and some other guy, director of something or other. It was a little overwhelming at the time and I was doing my best to just keep up. It must have worked because they offered me the job on the spot. It’s been a challenging, exciting journey thus far and whether or not I’ve found my career home I will take one thing from the experience for sure. It was weeks before I had contact with the director of something or other again or even put together what his name was.
The two weeks leading up to the opening saw me spending 16+ hour days at the venue almost daily. I was tired and running on adrenaline and through it all The Marine had disappeared. I was so grateful for the craziness of work so I wouldn’t have to spend every waking moment thinking about him. We were to open on Friday and on Wednesday it didn’t seem like it was ever going to happen. It was all hands on deck. Between those of us attached to the project from a management/development level to the new hourly staff and even the full-timers at corporate, everyone was pitching in to get it ready to go by 7:00 on Friday. It should be said that the director of something or other is a good friend to my best friend’s boyfriend so she has spent some time with him outside of work. On Tuesday morning I went into the downstairs manager’s office to grab something and the director of something or other was in there. As I turned to leave he stopped me because my tag was sticking out of my shirt. I pulled my best friend aside and said “I don’t know if it is because I need to get laid in a big way or what, but I was just completely turned on when Scott tucked my tag back into my shirt.” She looked me in the eye and without flinching said “no”.
Even with the stern direction of my best girl friend I couldn’t help but think about the unexpected feeling I had when the director of something or other, Scott, touched me. He was around the venue for much of the day and we got into some unexpected conversations as well. The most obvious connection was our love for the Yankees. He was wearing an Alex Rodriguez shirt because he was going to the game that night. Lucky bastard. At one point he said “well maybe we can go to a postseason game together .” I wasn’t sure where to go with that. I didn’t mention any of it to my friend since she clearly wasn’t in approval of anything happening. At this point I was making it out to just be a new work connection.
The next day I came into work looking less than fabulous for a day of manual labor. I was very excited to have my new shoes arrive at the venue though! Scott was at the venue again. At one point we were talking about where we both lived. Turns out he lives in the waterfront town just next to mine where I like to hang out, Hoboken, and he suggested we grab a drink sometime. Sure. Why not. In fact, why not that night, was my suggestion. The rest of the day was spent in flirtation. While talking about where to meet later that night we were joined by the president of the company and I’m not so sure we did a good job of hiding it.
Fast forward to later that day. I was an even bigger wreck than I was that morning and got a lot of crap from my coworkers that I was going out on a first date looking the way I did. Little did they know that the man I’d be meeting fully knew what to expect. I did shake out my hair and traded my sneakers for my new boots, but I still wasn’t looking or feeling too attractive. Scott had told me we’d meet somewhere near his place, which I knew the intersection, just not our meeting locale. So when I got off the train I started towards that general vicinity. He called to let me know where he was and I had just passed it, so I turned around to head back. I was surprised to see that he had come outside to meet me. I was glad that he had chosen a high top over the bar so we could actually face each other. After asking me what I wanted to drink he went to the bar to get it for me. Good start. One of the first guys to take care of me before I took care of myself. A sign of things to come?
Before getting too far into the date I had to confirm that we had indeed been flirting for the last two days and this was actually a date. He laughed at me for needing to confirm it. The conversation was easy, and even though we didn’t have a ton of similar interests we were able to share with each other and find enough common ground for some form of understanding. Maybe forty-five minutes into the evening I fessed up and told him about My Quest. I know that I laid it out that I would tell them on the third date, but seeing as how we work together I felt the need to let him in on it upfront. At that point I had every intention of continuing on with My Quest once we got through the launch party (which was being hosted by Paris Hilton the following week). He said something along the lines of ”if it makes you happy then you should” and I went into detail about how alive this project has made me and the things I’ve been discovering. I kind of expected the evening to end shortly after that reveal, instead we started talking about writing and the kinds of reading we like. Then suddenly this very manly man was reciting his favorite Robert Frost poem for me. It was completely unexpected. I had meant to keep it to myself but ended up telling him “very few people surprise me.” He’s got this great smile that completely transforms his face. In a moment he goes from that rough-and-tumble man of a man to a kid and I saw it radiate for the first time in those moments.
We both finished our drinks around the same time and the bar was closing up. I had planned on heading home since the train was right across the street and i was exhausted but when he asked if I wanted to have a drink back at his place I found myself saying “yes”. We walked to his place and he took my hand. Where normally it would, it didn’t bother me that in my boots I was taller than he was. When we got to his place he showed me around, gave me a tour of the artwork and memorabilia he talked about, then I took a seat on the couch while he made us a couple of drinks. We talked some more and decided to rent a movie On Demand. I was surprised to hear myself agree to finish it in his bedroom and even more so that I agreed to spend the night. Nothing happened. I mean a lot happened, but nothing HAPPENED.
The wounded pup that I am, I thought for sure that things would be weird at the venue the next day. I thought that he was probably just trying to get laid or regretted having me spend the night. Much to my surprise the only thing that was weird was how great he continued to make me feel. Whenever our eyes would happen to meet I could feel myself blush. I found myself looking for reasons to be alone with him. I know he was doing the same. Though we kept a professional physicality, the words spoken were not always work related. I had somehow let him convince me that I couldn’t even tell my best friend what was going on. He didn’t want anyone to know. I don’t keep anything from her! Yet when she asked about who last night’s date was I found myself lying about who it was with. I hated not letting my best friend in on my newly found happiness but sensed that maybe Scott was right, that it should just be between us for now.
Friday came and every moment spent near Scott was one that made my life better than it had been before. I had hoped that he would stick around for the doors to open but he went home. Finally seeing people in the space and seeing my team do what they had been hired to do was incredible and I was on such a high. All I wanted to do was share it with Scott so I left my own bed empty and stayed with him again. Saturday was a really long day. I had thought I’d get out around 10pm after coming in at 9:00 that morning, but at 1 the next morning I was still at work. I told Scott I’d let him know when I was done. At 2:00 he called to see when I was going to be done. When I told him about ten more minutes he said “Ok, I’m downstairs waiting.” He had gotten out of bed, walked to the garage where his car was parked, and driven into the city to get me so I wouldn’t have to take the train home. Smitten, right there in that moment.
When I got down to the street I just wanted to jump across the arm rest and hug him for being so incredible. He kissed me and said “So, Joe (we’ll call him Joe) knows.” “What?” “Joe” is my best friend’s boyfriend and a good friend of Scott’s. I was kind of surprised to come out and find Scott parked almost directly in front of the venue. He wanted us to be so secretive so I expected him to be down the block somewhere. Of course his buddy knows his car and his buddy left just before I did. Tap, tap, tap on the window. “Bro, what are you doin’ sitting here?” And so Scott told him. And without doubt my best friend would know within a few hours.
To my surprise my best friend wasn’t upset with me at all. And though I still don’t know what her initial hesitation was (other than the Scott I know is a much different Scott than everyone else knows) she immediately changed her tune and was even a little excited about it.
All of this happened five weeks ago. The next week not only did Scott introduce me to his father but also handed over keys to his apartment so I could just come crawl into bed with him after getting out of work at 3:00 in the morning. I spend more nights at his place than I do at my own and my cat is not really thrilled about the arrangement, but I hope he’ll forgive me someday. I’ve actually spent time with his dad on four separate occasions. We’ve been out on couples’ outings with my best friend and her boyfriend. He took a day off from his work week (which is different than my own) so he could take me flying in this small engine plane, officially the best date EVER. Even if I wanted to continue on My Quest right now I don’t know when I‘d have the time because every moment I have that isn’t spent at work I want to spend with Scott, and usually do.
There have been many unexpected twists and turns in the last 5 months but even though a happy ending was the ultimate goal I definitely didn’t expect that I’d actually meet someone who wants to be with me as much as I want to be with him. Scott is good to me in ways that I didn’t know existed. We have fun together but we are also able to talk about the difficult things. I’ve even had my first lover’s quarrel with Scott. I’d never been secure enough to speak an adverse opinion in previous relationships. Don’t get me wrong, we have our differences and we are by no means perfect together, but we’re really good together. If opposites really do attract we are proving the adage true. It isn’t always, but every once in a while Scott looks at me with these eyes that tell me there is no one else he would rather be with, nowhere else he’d rather be than right by my side and it stops my heart. I tell him “you’re giving me ‘the look’” to which he almost always responds “and what does it say?” This has all happened very quickly and we are both aware but can’t stop it. We are in love.
How can I deny this possibility just to finish a quest on which I set out to actually find myself a happy ending? I don’t know what the future holds for Scott and I. We have a difference of opinions on some key points that could be the end of our happiness, but we’re not quite at that defining point yet. For now, I am basking in the warm glow of new love. If, for some reason, it comes to an end I will pick up where I have left off. I will keep you updated until then. If it doesn’t work out, I have until June to finish my fifty dates in the year timeline I gave myself. But for now there is a strong possibility this could be it. I can’t help but think about The Ramone, whom I do still love and always will in some way. He never wronged me, so why shouldn’t I? I do think that he and I are a much more obvious pair but maybe that’s why it hasn’t worked out for us. And maybe that is why Scott and I could work, we have each other’s missing parts. The Ramone and I are one in the same with different anatomy. I go forward now with a hopeful, yet guarded heart. I’m not directing us towards failure, but I’m definitely being cautiously optimistic and trying to keep my head in the game when my heart has the ability to overpower it.
So, friends, stay tuned! There is either more heartache and more lessons to be learned in my near future, or stories of success and romance. Either way I will continue moving forward, still on my quest for romantic enlightenment, but with a different path to guide me.
Bonus Features:
*a bigger Yankees fan than even I am
*very ambitious
*close with his family, both geographically and emotionally
*says he will protect me and I believe him
*listens to me
* doesn’t always take me, himself, or us too seriously
*just wants to make me happy
As-Is Defaults: (This seems harsh and inappropriate right now)
*doesn’t want children, I can’t have children of my own so maybe it is meant to be
*hot tempered, but I seem to calm him
*not sold on the idea of marriage
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