our 2nd & 3rd date
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The day of our second date was SATURDAY 3/30/19 and I loved this day so much. I food shopped, cleaned up, took a shower, straightened my hair, and napped (according to my one-line-a-day journal). I don’t remember any of that, but I do remember visiting my sister’s apartment in the morning.
Visiting my sister’s refurbished, decorated apartment is significant because of the metaphor I made about it before she moved in. I talked about how my sister’s barren apartment had no idea of the grand plans she had for it, and how I hoped I was like her apartment in that way… that God couldn’t stop thinking about ME and designed a stunning & epic adventure waiting to be implemented that was going to be SO GOOD, that I am already SO LOVED, and I will feel SO FULL + PURPOSEFUL when He’s done with me.
I have a feeling Tom and I are that epic adventure.
I bought the stretchy, striped dress below for $8 at Forever21 in midtown the Friday before the date. That night I also had a date with a guy from Hinge who met me at a bar in midtown after therapy. He was nice enough, but Rowinski was the forerunner for sure. // Driving home that night before our second date, Tom invited me to join him on Bell Blvd. and I almost went. I told him it was obvious we were both excited to see each other again, but convinced him we’d wait ‘til the next day, like we had scheduled.
Those two cuties below were what we were both working with. HELLO! I sent him a photo of me below in that dress and he replied back with heart-eyes emoji.
Our second date was to The Harrison — and he picked me up at my mom’s, but couldn’t come in b/c mom had no bra on. I believe he was trying to find my mom’s street because everyone confuses 82nd DRIVE with 82nd ROAD or AVENUE whenever they visit. I think I remember looking out my mom’s window trying to guide him to where to find me.
We had a nice dinner - I ordered a steak - and then we walked holding hands in the cold night down the block to the speakeasy on Tulip Avenue. We had a couple of drinks there while he told me about his family, and I told him about mine. I found out he played guitar and that Third-Eye Blind was his favorite.
He drove me home and I kissed him HARD in the car in front of my mom’s house. I’ll never forget the look on his face as I got out of his car. It was another sweet and charming date.
Now the third date? The third date might be my favorite. It took place on SUNDAY 3/31/19, the next day. I don’t remember when I had locked down the third date, but I had. I locked down the third date at my apartment before we even went on our second date to The Harrison. (Look at me go!)
I was making vegetarian chili, and we planned to make it comfy clothes and movie night. He was supposed to play softball with his cousin, but chose to be with me instead. He brought over red wine. I’ll never forget the sight of him out my 5th floor window in all grey sweats, with the wine bottle in his hand, walking up the block to visit my apartment for the first time. What an adventure!
We tried out the fire stick, but ended up having to call Helene who said something about a ‘placenta’. Oh mom! We landed on BlacKKKlansman, and snuggled on the couch with my chili and watched it. He never tried to make any moves on me, just held me and we cuddled together and watched. This was so attractive! He was such a gentleman.
At one point in the night, I said “I like you Rowinski.” He replied, “I was just going to say that! I was just going to say: ‘I like you Zampelli.”
I asked if he wanted to sleepover and we set out to CVS to buy him a toothbrush. Yep, that quick. In the car, he said I was an amazing person. We came home and held each other through the night and slept. We were organic and sweet from the start.
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THIS IS PART 3 OF OUR LOVE STORY. (Here is PART 1 & PART 2.) This weekend of our 2nd and 3rd date - solidified for me that I really liked him, that I could even love him. I probably did. Already, I swear, I probably did.
When you look for so long, and something real and true and fitting finally arrives, it doesn’t take long to recognize it. Everything matched up for us so early on, but I think it’s because the two of us went through a lot of years of things not matching up before we got to each other. It was our time. We never could have rushed it.
