He Who Finds A Girlfriend

Chapter 16: How We Met

Flashback

Just as I was about to hit the hay, my phone rang, cutting through the stillness of the night. I squinted at the caller ID, recognizing my cousin's name. 

"Hey," I said, my voice heavy with sleep, each word a struggle to form as I fought to shake off the drowsiness that clung to me like a thick fog.

I could hear the sounds of music in the background. "What's up?" she asked, sounding cheerful. 

"I'm feeling pretty tired, about to call it a night," I replied, stifling a yawn that threatened to escape. The clock on my bedside table read 10:30 PM, and I had been ready to surrender to the comfort of my bed. "We could do something fun," she said, her voice brightening with enthusiasm. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. "Like what? It's pretty late, you know."

"Why don't we go out? I'll call a few friends," she suggested. ! I'll have Kenneth come get you; be ready at 11:00." She hung up, not waiting for a response.

*****

We were enjoying ourselves at the bar, eating and drinking, when four tall guys came in. Two were pretty muscular, and one guy stood out with a confident smile. He was tall with broad shoulders and a nice-looking face.  He would flash a flirty smile at a girl who seemed to want his attention.

Later that night, I had to visit the restroom, and while there, I heard my friends laughing loudly. When I returned, I discovered that my seat had been taken. Not wanting to seem impolite, I smiled and said, "Pardon me." 

"You have a beautiful smile," the guy with the confident smile earlier said as he rose to welcome me, but I quickly wiped that smile off my face to indicate that I wasn't interested. "Oh, she doesn't like men; she prefers women," he said, causing me and everyone else eating at the table to laugh in amusement.

And that was the line that got me. "Hi, my name is Mason."

~~~

Over the next few months, we spent almost every day together.

He was the first person I spoke to in the morning and the last before I went to bed. When we were on the phone talking Before hanging up, he would say, "You are my favorite person."

I was a late bloomer and was still a proud virgin at the age of 18.

I knew for the first time that I was in love. He made me feel special and unique.

One day, when we were hanging out, he shocked me by saying he wanted to introduce me to his family. He claimed they had heard about me and pressured him to bring me over. I was nervous and asked him what he'd told them about me.

When we got to his parents' house, his brother, who was there the night we first met, came in and joked, "He can't stop talking about you. He's whipped!" Then, his brother tossed a pillow at him, but luckily, he dogged it. After that, Mason told me he wanted to take our relationship further and asked if I would be his girlfriend. I was in a happy place. 

He would ask thoughtful questions, and there were always small gestures of mild physical touch, like holding my hand or placing his hand on the small of my back.

He was interested in getting to know my friends and family.

He and my brother Otto had gotten close because they both loved fishing. He also had a great relationship with Nicole, who cared for him. Nicole was always there to support him, whether it was a celebration or support.

He was fun and easy to be around, and my family loves him.

I was happy to be in a relationship with someone who loved me just as much as I loved him.