Everything comes back to Chipotle

Today is the three year anniversary of our first date.  It is a notable, memorable story, and I love it.  When I think of that night, I get so happy, because it was the best last first date ever.

So, I was newly single.  I had been dating a guy for about 3 months, and while I was dating him, I had started the slow process of relocating from Longmont to Fort Collins, where he lived.  I had gotten a job working at American Furniture Warehouse doing sales, but was commuting to and from Longmont, almost an hour long drive each way.  After we broke up, I decided to still move to Fort Collins, because I really loved it.

Ammon was also working at American Furniture Warehouse at the time, but in the warehouse department.  Even though the warehouse and sales didn't interact, I have always made it a point to make nice with the strong guys I work with, just because you never know when you'll need a favor, or someone to walk you to your car after someone scares the crap out of you =).  All of the warehouse guys were about my age, and single.  I wasn't really interested in dating... I hadn't been single for more than a couple of weeks at a time in 2 years... I wanted a break from the whole relationship thing.  I wanted to just be me.  That's never stopped me from a little harmless flirting, though.  And there was a warehouse guy who was just so, so cute.  I found out his name was Ammon, and that he was taking a couple of semesters off from attending CSU.  I immediately assumed that he was younger than me, and got a little worried.  I mean, I have nothing against dating younger guys... but I wasn't supposed to be dating anyone, and I wanted to date someone over the age of 21 if that was going to happen at all.  He looked so young that I was convinced that I would be lucky if he was over 20.

Despite my resolution to leave Ammon alone, I found myself talking to him more and more.  Little snippets of conversation here and there.  Nothing important.  Nothing much more than small talk and flirting. Until Halloween 2009.  Things started getting real at that point.  I was going out with some friends, including a guy that I was casually kind-of dating at the time.  Ammon decided that he might want to meet up with us, so we exchanged numbers.  A long, irrelevant story short, we didn't meet up.

On Sunday at work, Ammon apologized for not meeting up.  I told him that it really wasn't a big deal.  I should have known then that he was over 21, because he was supposed to meet up with us at the bars, but I still didn't get it, so I wasn't trying to encourage anything.  He asked me if I would get Chipotle with him as we were leaving work for the night.  Well, I had stayed with friends the night before, and really wanted to get home to Mr. Beckham the kitty.  I figured he was lonely, and needed some time with me.  So I was really hesitant.  But Ammon persisted, and convinced me to go to Chipotle with him.  Did you know that Ammon loves Chipotle?  He REALLY loves it.  I figured he was lonely and wanted company.

Ammon has worked for Chipotle a few times, and I knew this before that night.  So when I was ordering, Ammon payed for both of our burritos, and I thought we had gotten them for free, because he was friends with the manager on duty.  This was the second time that night I guess I was absolutely clueless about what was really going on.  I just knew that we were good to go once my burrito was done being made.

We sat and talked for over 2 hours before I realized that we were on a date.  In those 2 hours, we talked about everything:  family, dreams, goals, religion, politics, etc.  Pretty much everything that "they " say you shouldn't talk about on a first date.  It wasn't until one of his friends from college came in and stopped to talk to us that it clicked:  we were on a date.  Wanna know what tipped me off?  He introduced me to his friend, instead of politely talking around me.  They made a point to include me in the conversation.  Oh man, did I feel ridiculous.  In that moment, I figured I had blown it.  We had talked about EVERYTHING we shouldn't, and I was just starting to like him.

A few minutes later, I was shifting the way I was sitting in my chair, and I fell out of my chair.  On our first date.  With a guy I kind of really liked.  In Chipotle.  But the funniest part?  We had just been talking about how I liked to do yoga several times a week.

You can't make that stuff up.

Finally, I decided that I had done enough collateral damage for one date, and things wrapped up.  We walked outside to our cars for the awkward first date goodbye.  And oh, was it ever awkward.  He didn't kiss me.  Nope, he didn't even try to go for a hug!  That's right... we had the most G-rated first date goodbye ever, which concluded with a wave goodnight.  That was it.  He really didn't want to date me at all.  I had gotten my original wish to not date for a while, because I had blown the whole date from the start.  I was so clueless, and then so clumsy, that he wanted nothing to do with me ever again.

Except that isn't nearly where the story ends for us...