A New Way to Date

I'll just go straight into it:

I had a very strong suspicion he was going to ask me to be his girlfriend on this date (Date #7). Clues such as my most talkative friends stopped talking to me (they're not very good at keeping secrets so they just ignored me during the time they knew).  I put two and two together but I tried to ignore the thought so I can enjoy the moment as a beautiful surprise. And that it was. He completely blew me away. To get there, here's a recap. We had gone on 6 dates prior to this one. He asked me on #7.

Date #1: Our Explosion Date. Just as it sounds. 

It was amazing. We combined some ingredients and exploded watermelons. And after that, grabbed a shot gun and shot tomato cans and oranges thrown in the field. How do you top that date? With him, you always can.

http://youtu.be/CqaUSMlJC6I (an edit of the video I posted on YouTube last year of the date.)

Date #2: Easter Ceramics. This date was a last minute set up for a triple date. When I found out he was my date I was excited. I have so much fun with him and always have great talks. That was us afterwards getting a bite to eat.

Date #3: Sunday Morning Breakfast. Another date not planned by us but by friends. They were trying to find a double for their date. The girl asked me and the guy asked him. And of course, who was I to complain. We were becoming really good friends and still one of my favorite people to be with. After the double date was over we continued ours over to Starbucks lost in conversation and laughs.

Shared a plate with crepes

Date #4: Scavenger Hunt. He was having a really rough week and I wanted to encourage him doing something I knew he'd enjoy. This date was planned. I knew he was competitive and loved games so I set up a double date where both couples separate and document with photos the hunt. We all met afterwards for dinner and to see who won. It was a tie.

Take a photo together on a bench

 Something older than us



Silly dress up picture

A whole year had passed with our friendship growing stronger. By Christmas we both went our separate ways visiting family. He flew back to South Dakota and I flew back to Miami. It had been the longest either of us had ever been apart.

New Years Eve: I flew back for the New Years Eve Party. I was so excited when I saw him. And, Wow! Did he look good in his tux. That week I started thinking more about that night. The fact that I was excited to see him. I realized I'm always excited to see him and be with him. He's my favorite person to be with and I'm more myself with him than I am with anyone else. I took advantage of any time I could be with him, including my snowboarding trip - which only confirmed my feelings for him.





After a few hints and shoves from the guys (actually several) he finally got it. He asked me out for date #5. This time it be the first date with mutual feelings.



Date #5: The Queen Mary - Irish Folk Music Concerts. It was an amazing surprise. It was both our first time on the ship and just the details of the style of music and the wild flowers he greeted me with at my door were both overwhelming and exciting. He knew me. He knew what I loved and enjoyed and every step of the date showed that. I was being completely wooed.



Date #6: Follow the Food Truck. Earlier in the week he emailed me a list of types of food and told me to pick one. When he picked me up for this date he had 2 gift bags in the car waiting for me. He told me to pick one and whichever one I picked there was also a play list made for the ride. In the bag was my favorite chocolate and fun gifts that made me smile. Then the surprise of the date. The food choice I made determined where the date was. We followed the tuck on Twitter to where it was parked and wherever it was that would be our date. It was an adventure and great surprise. When we got to the location, it was downtown LA near Union Station, there was a Chinese New Year festival with music, performances, and Chinese themed puppet show.

We met up with our friends afterwards for a bonfire. I honestly don't remember who was there or not. I was all in conversation with him, laughing, sharing stories, just enjoying his company and friendship.





A new tradition we started for our traveling fingers :)





Date #7: He Asked Me to Be His Girl!!!! This topped it all. The biggest surprise. Like a stated in the beginning of this post, I had very strong suspicions he was asking me to be his girl on this date, but I had no idea what was to come.

He found out about my strong suspicion and tried throwing me off. Everything he tried throwing at me went right over. I was totally oblivious to his attempts. He drove us downtown (it was a triple date). It was The Last Bookstore, a place we had both heard about and were dying to go. Especially with our love for books and stories.



Art made from the books

Exploring the bookstore while the others wandered around.


I was like a little kid in a candy store, exploring and passing through each isles, touching the books and looking through them.

He told me later that he was trying to keep me still in specific locations to keep me from seeing what was being set up. Honestly, I had no idea he was planning something there. I thought this was the beginning of the date and then going somewhere else to ask me. Needless to say, I was completely surprised and caught off guard.

We finally went upstairs to explore and see the amazing book art they had in different locations.



2 floors and MANY MANY books :) It was amazing.

We ran into the other couples near a sitting area. They got up to leave and I continued exploring. Trying to keep me in place he asked me to grab a book at random and he'd do the same. We sat down to read a passage from the books. He started, reading from a book of poems. His random pick ended up being a love poem about to dwarfs that fall in love. My turn. I opened my book and read the first passage I found. It was all about an animal fertilizing A LOT of eggs. Great way to kill the mood. What kind of animal is this. We googled it to find out it was a fish. Still, what a pick. He took the books away and asked me if I remembered him telling me last week about the book we was going to begin to write. I said yes with excitement. I know he's extremely talented and wanted to encourage him to write and do whatever his hearts desire was.


He made this for me.

He pulled out a book/journal. Immediately I knew it was something he made. I just figured he had decided to write in this form. He handed it to me and right as I opening it he said, "I need your help getting it started."


It took a while to sink in. I was looking at a sketch he made of us both sitting in the chairs we were in, with the same shelves right behind us, and the exact outfits on. It wasn't until he grabbed my hand that it dawned on me that he was asking me to be his girl. I was still in shock with the sketch, trying to figure out when he drew this? How'd he know what I'd wear? You can imagine me sitting just like that looking down at a sketch of me looking down at the same book. Kind of Twilight Zone. I loved it!

As he held my hand he began telling me how much I mean to him. All these things that I've taken for granted about myself, he noticed and loved. All that went through me mind, as I smiled listening to the words he said, was "This is what it feels like. Being desired and wooed." He looked me in the eyes and asked me, "¿Quieres ser mi novia?" I smile and said yes, nodding my head. He had the note card hiding on how to say 'Will you be my girlfriend' in Spanish. Me being Cuban, I thought it was the cutest thing.



Of course I said YES!



I'm dating my BEST FRIEND!

We met with the other guys where they were waiting for us to congratulate us. [Such a cool bookstore. It use to be an old bank. We're in the volt.]




The Bookstore was an old bank

He gave me a heart locket and handed me the key.







What a gift to be in love with your best friend.

We went to eat afterwards. And just as I thought the date was over there was a surprise party set up for us at a dear friends house with a lot of our friends congratulating us. I got a lot of "FINALLY!" from friends. They said it was only a matter of time. That we were perfect for each other.  

He took me to an Irish Pub for dinner

I was so encouraged by the greetings and love we received from our friends. They sat us down to tell the story, on how he asked me. We both took turns sharing.

In my past , patience was not my strength in the area of romance. I would get anxious and annoyed with the wait, constantly wrestling with the desire for instant gratification. Because, lets face it, that's what we learn from the movies. It happens quick and then you go for it, not much thinking involved.

This was the first attempt in doing it different. Not like what the movies teach us, rather having people we loved involved in every aspect. And I practiced patience, patience, and a whole lot more of patience. Not trying to rush things but enjoying the moments I was in. And it paid off. Not one moment would I have change. Waiting was were I was wooed and romanced.

He later told me that everyone was telling him to ask me to be his girlfriend on Date #5. After all, we were already really good friends for over a year. However, one couple advised him to give it 3 dates. He took that advice and now says that had he asked me on the 5th date he knew we would be great together because we both liked each other and had a strong friendship, BUT because he waited and did those three dates he said that's when he fell in love with me. The result of delayed gratification became the reason I have such a rich relationship with my boyfriend/best friend and why I am so in love with him. It grew through time, it was built on a solid foundation of love and trust, selflessness and respect.

The night ended, he drove me home and walked me to the door to say goodnight. I thought the date was over then. An amazing date with an amazing man, so detailed and creative. I walked into my room and was completely shocked. He had planned for this picture he made me be waiting for me in my room when I got home. I called him immediately (He says he was waiting by the phone because he knew I'd call as soon as I saw it). "Seriously? Seriously?" That's all I could say. I was overwhelmed with everything he did for me to make this day special, and that it was.


"You're the one who would dance in the rain with me..."

"Do you know what it means?" he asked me.

"I have an idea but I want to hear it from you."

"You're the one who would dance in the rain with me. No matter what life would bring we'd enjoy it and embrace it. No umbrella needed."

Wow!!!! Seriously! I could not have written a better love story for myself than this. And each day it gets better.

We both surrendered our hearts to God and trusted His promises and His Word. That's the only reason I got this amazing story. I tried something new, I let go and let God, and He gave me the desires of my heart.





Thanks for reading my story: Michelle Vaqué