The Hard Goodbye, Part III

My job application was in at the restaurant my future friends all worked at. Who knew that a place of employment could have as much influence on the rest of your life as this place did? It was insane! It was Bennigan's...

Never heard of it? I didn't, until I went there. There were all kinds of abstract things hung on the wall, things that most people would consider clutter. Bowling pins, pool sticks, pictures from old advertisements... Eclectic if you will. It had an Irish theme... Like an Irish version of Applebee's. Everyone that I had met so far either worked at this place or worked at Disney World. Or both.

I just Googled the location I worked at, and it's apparently gone. Like most of the things I had there... I'll explain that soon.

So handing in the application... They practically had to twist the managers' arms to get me an interview! Little did I know, the man I actually handed my application to would later me the father of my child. Crazy how things work out, right? I could have done this like the whole... "How I Met Your Father" thing, but most of you who know me, know who the father is... So let's not waste our time.

He was wearing a bright orange Bennigan's shirt that he had gotten from one of his corporate trips. He used to travel around the world, opening different locations and training the new employees. Sounds ambitious, right? Sounds like the kind of thing that someone else I knew would have been interested in. When I handed him my application, Brown Boot was actually standing up at the front waiting for me. We did that, before we went off with some other friends to go to the Simpson's Movie midnight premiere. So the first time I met him, the only thing I thought was, "He's cute." And I ran down and wrapped my arms around Brown Boot. He was my forever man. My lobster. And I didn't need anyone else.

The night of the Simpson's Movie premiere was fun, from what I remember. The whole time, Brown Boot referred to me as "his old lady". I was wrapped around his finger. I had butterflies the entire time. I didn't want it to end, whatever "it" was. He had made effort to come to Florida to see me, even though he was just a couple hours away.

It gave me a false hope that things could work. I had so many dreams about him coming down to visit every time he went to Georgia, which was usually twice a year.

I had dreams about he and I and a hotel with fireworks, and kissing at midnight on New Year's which we had never done before.

I had dreams about being a princess and finally having my happily ever after with my knight in shining whatever.

He joined in our jokes. He was part of the Florida family, even if it was the only time that many of these people would meet him. Him being there... I can't explain it. He wanted me to be there, to learn and grow. He knew, for whatever reason, that I needed to be there.

He and I had one more "last night" together. We slept, totally intertwined on the couch, like we always were. It didn't matter how big of a space we had to sleep. We would be wrapped up around each other, occupying the least amount of space we possibly could, not because we needed to. Because we wanted to. We couldn't get enough.

The next morning, still wrapped in each others arms, we said our goodbyes... Of course I tried to convince him to stay a little longer... But he needed to drive back to his family in Georgia. Across the border. We had to go our separate ways, again.

It was so hard to watch him go.

I walked him to his mom's white convertible that he had driven down for the night. I held him close and kissed him a million times. Each kiss getting longer, and each kiss not feeling long enough. With the top down, he backed out of his parking space, gave me one last kiss, and drove out of the gate, waving his hand as I stared off in the direction he was going.

I stood there for a solid five minutes before I moved. For some reason, I felt that if I stayed where I was, he would come back to me. I would see that car come back around the corner. He would get out, hug me, and tell me he wanted to be with me forever, and convince me to spend my life with him... which wouldn't take much convincing, let's be honest here.

He didn't come back. He was gone. He was headed back to Georgia, and I didn't know when I would see him again.

Had I forgotten that part of the reason I went to Florida in the first place was to get out of the cycle I was in with him? Or was I convinced that something new had started? Had I broken the cycle?

Questions filled my mind... I didn't care where I was, or how much distance was put between us. I knew that I was going to love him forever.

And that's when I broke down.

I had tears running down my face as I walked back to Jamie's apartment. I wanted forever with this man, and he kept going out of my life. Who knew how things were going to be when Brown Boot was gone? I didn't go to Florida to date. I went there to learn and grow and get on with my life. Of course I wanted to be with Brown Boot forever. Even if it was just in emotion. Physical closeness would have been nice too, but I just wanted that feeling of him loving me and wanting to spend forever with me, even if he physically wasn't there.

When I got back to the apartment, I hugged my person, and sobbed like a freaking baby.

Was this goodbye yet?

No... that comes a later.

But that night called for Grey's Anatomy, frosting, cookies, and wine.... And possibly a couple packs of cigarettes.