Maybe the most unconventional love story ever... My side of the story is in bold, and his is in italics.
I was a dancer at a "Gentleman's Lounge" in the city. I had been working there for about a year when I noticed managment had hired a new (and extremely HOT) bartender. It was his first night and he was standing there behind the bar kinda looking at me funny. So I flashed him an evil grin and relished in the bright pink that spread across his face. Despite his long rocker hair and tattoos, he had this look about him that screamed "nice guy". Being an evil goth girl, I thought he might be fun to toy with...
After 24 years of waiting and searching and almost giving up, I found the girl (literally and metaphorically, for I had dreamt about her before) of my dream, in the most unexpected of places. I didn't even know her name, and yet there she was, dancing on the stage right in front of me. And I already knew her. I already loved her. She was the one. I went home that night and immediately called my best friend and told him about it. "Dude, I found her." "No you didn't. " "Yes, man. I did."
The next time I saw him he had cut off all his hair. I was SO upset that he got rid of those beautiful locks. I marched straight up to him and said "NO! Why did you cut off all your hair?! Ugh, I'm so disappointed!" and walked off. I guess I might have come off as a little mean, but that wasn't my intention. I thought his hair was so sexy and then it was gone. With my dominant personality, I guess it came off like I was authentically mad, but really I was just sad for him. I've cut off super long hair too, and I know it's kind of a big deal.
She yelled at me about my hair. I had maybe had thirty seconds of conversation with her at this point, and she already hated me. My fantasy goddess right here, and I ruin everything.
Some months later, we're both at work. Every now and then there's an occasional hello, but that was about it, and I had completely failed to notice how he would follow me from stage to stage. If I was on stage one, he was stocking bar one. If I was on stage two, he was cleaning stage two. It was the night of another bartender's birthday, and, of course, he was completely hammered. I was giving him a dance as my birthday gift, and he whispered in my ear, "You know, Stephen is completely in love with you. He follows you around the the stages he loves you so much." For the next week, I watched him, and it was true. He WAS following me! You wouldn't normally think an adult entertainer has no confidence, but I was really floored that he thought I was pretty. And did he...really have feelings for me? I had to find out.
Of course all of my fellow bartenders knew I had the hots for her. It wasn't uncommon for us to find our future wives in our co-workers. I actually got the term "fantasy goddess" from a fellow bartender who had married one of the dancers 20 years ago. To this day he adores her. And of course, all the guys knew she was the one for me by my third week working there. But they told me she was seeing someone, which furthered my feeling of failure to snag her when I first saw her. So when Luke got drunk and told her everything, I wasn't too shocked. She approached me about it and I just kind of smiled at her.
I was having a really bad night about a week later. One of my clients drank a little too much and was trying to get a little fresh, which was never alright with me. I excused myself to powder my nose, and Stephen and I bumped into eachother in the service hall. Being the evil girl I am, I said "Please! This guy is being WAY too touchy-feely. Can you just pretend to be my boyfriend? Just for tonight?" Of course he agreed. *snicker* I went back to my client and sat down. About two minutes later, he came up to me, took my hand, kissed it like I was a fairytale princess, and said, "Hello, my love." I looked in his eyes and forgot to breathe for a second. Haha. My client left soon after, and I went on the search for him. Finding him at one of the bars, I thanked him for his help and told him I owed him big time. Again, opening up the door for him to step up, I said "I'll give you anything. What do you want?"
I knew she was going to talk to me after that stunt, so I had to have a few drinks in me and get up a little nerve. While she was sitting with her client, I quickly downed three shots of Grand Marnier and waited. When she asked me what I wanted in return for helping her, it took everything in me not to squeak like a boy hitting puberty. I suggested she go to breakfast with me after work and we'd call it even. I didn't think she'd actually say yes though. So when she did and flashed me that smile, I had to pour another drink.
Of course I said yes! He was adorable! And those eyes...oh my lord. How could I have said no? When I first saw him I thought he was one of those "nice guys" (which he is) and I would eat him alive. I'm NOT a "nice girl" by any means. But we went to breakfast that night. We both agreed the restraunt served the worst food on the planet, but it didn't matter. We just sat there letting it get cold and talked for hours. I've been completely devoted ever since. About three days later I went over to hang out at his house. I never left. It seems like it was yesterday, but January will be three years. Since then, I've managed to bring forth a little of his bad boy side, and he's domesticated me entirely. Life with him is bliss.
She is everything I dreamed of and more.
