Our story is probably just like any other fairytale beginning, the only difference is it's mine.
During the summer of 2009 I was working as the manager of a Cowboy Amusement Park. Yes, that means we were all dressed up as cowboys, I was the rough and tumble twenty-one year old who had worked her way up to being in charge of the whole park. I loved that park every day of every summer. I loved all of my employees and I like to think they really liked me too, we were all so close, good friends. We all worked full time during the summer, and after work we'd all hang out.
One of my close friends that summer, Don, had a hard core crush on me and I knew it. But I ignored it because I loved his friendship, greedily so. That was the summer of attracting every wrong guy within a twenty mile radius. At the time I had thought that any guy was the wrong guy because I just couldn't seem to get over my ex.
He was my first love, innocent and intense, we had broken up about a year before, in August '08 because he said he didn't love me anymore, at the time I overanalyzed everything I had done trying to pin-point the reason I lost him. I let myself become wrapped in the pain of being alone, and the pain of screwing up what I thought was the best thing I ever had. I always blamed myself.
Looking back, I realize it's just the bullshit guys tell you when they want to see what else is out there. At the time, I was crushed, and he strung me along for months afterward.
Unfortunately, he also happened to work at Cowboy Town with me, and he was furious that I had been made manager over him, which I secretly found gratifying. In an effort to forget about him I had practiced gun spinning. Once I perfected throwing five pound guns over my shoulders and around my back, I auditioned for the cowboy stunt show that was put on for customers. To my amazement I was chosen. For two months I played a gun slinging cowgirl which also infuriated him as he had to watch me everyday. His job was to provide all the sound and prepare the set for each show.
He tried everything to make my life a living hell, and almost succeeded with the help of the evil granddaughter of the owners. She was a year older than me, and just wanted to take me out. She tried to steal my job as manager and she even attempted to take my part in the show. Luckily to no avail, but it doesn't mean she didn't try everything she could to try and show anyone and everyone that she would be a better choice. She even used the fact that I still had feelings for my ex against me. I heard she tried to sleep with him while he was completely trashed. She was just that classy. She also snuck into his house slipped on one of his shirts and waited in his bed for him to come home. Can you say psycho? My employees hated her, with a passion. They guarded me against her, and I them. It was beautiful.
I made many wonderful friends that summer; one of them was especially interesting. He was working as a cashier in one of the shops. He was hilarious and easy to talk to. Until he asked me out, I was completely taken off guard and responded with, "Hahaha… no…what?." VERY NERVOUS LAUGH. But still, I laughed, and I felt horrible. It took two weeks to repair that damage, but after we were inseparable. I had explained to him that I didn't want to date, I only wanted friends, it was all I was capable of after being emotionally bulldozed. He said he understood. We went shopping together, watched movies together and he even came with me when I had the urge to go check out an abandoned, haunted boy scout camp; we were the best of friends.
Or so I thought. All of my other friends kept telling me he was in love with me, but I didn't listen because I needed his friendship so badly. He didn't exactly make me an ‘in-love’ happy, but he definitely made me forget about the big gaping hole that had been gorged into my chest. I was content when I was with him. But I didn't love him, and I tried. I tried to grow to love him, but I just couldn't. Again I thought that I was just incapable of ever being with someone ever again.
Then one day Don brought his friend and his friend's little 3 year old brother into Cowboy Town on his day off. I had heard Don talk about his 'sexy beast' friend before but I highly doubted that long haired, laid back, hippie-Don had a sexy friend.
I still remember exactly where I was in the park when I first saw him. I was coming up from the back of the park just crossing the railroad tracks when I looked over about 100 yards away and saw a very handsome guy in a bright blue shirt and a beautiful head of curly blonde hair. I remember thinking 'wow from here that guy does look FINE!'
Then I forgot about him and went back to my need-to-finish-a-million-things-at-once mindset. About an hour later I was walking through the Saloon when I saw Don again, and his sexy friend. This time I saw him closer. My heart started beating faster, first time since my break up with an ex that I even found another guy attractive. He had the most adorable three year old boy with a moppy head of even brighter curly locks with him. Don introduced me to Derek and his younger brother Tristan. Phew he was no baby daddy.
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