The Kat House

You’re all well aware of the many losers I’ve dated, but there have been a few nice guys along the way too. And David is by far the nicest.

We met at Cotton Eyed Joe back in 2000. I was hanging out with a large group of people from an AOL chat room at the time. I had never seen David in the chat room, but he seemed to know everyone I was with. He asked me to slow dance, and we spent the next few minutes giving each other the shortened versions of our life stories. I was recently out of a relationship and not sure I was ready for another, so I politely declined when he asked me out. But that wasn’t the last of David - not by a long shot. I was a regular at the Joe, and so was he, so we saw each other on occasion.

One night I was online and got an instant message from a woman named Charlene. I knew her from the chat room and from The Joe. She said, “My ex-husband really likes you a lot, Tish. I think you should give him a chance. Things didn’t work out between us, but he’s a really wonderful guy and he would treat you like a princess.” I had no idea who this woman’s husband was! I asked, and when she mentioned David, I decided right then and there that I would give him a chance. It’s certainly not every day that a woman has only nice things to say about her ex-husband!

Charlene gave me David’s phone number, and I called him the same night. I was still a little scared of the relationship idea, so we concentrated on friendship. I came to really care about him as more than just a friend, and we eventually started dating. I remember our first date. We decided to meet for lunch on a workday. I had fallen down a flight of stairs and severely sprained my ankle a few days before, so I was wearing an ankle brace. I met David at the restaurant, where he gave me a single red rose. I remember thinking how sweet and romantic that was. But imagine my surprise when I got back to work and found 11 more waiting in a vase on my desk! The note said “Here are the other 11 to go with the one I gave you during lunch.”

We spent several months together, and every day was just like that first one. David did the sweetest things. He gave me so many thoughtful greeting cards. He owned a lawn care business, and he mowed my lawn while I was at work. He even mowed my best friend’s lawn! He stayed on the phone with me every night until I fell asleep. It was during one of those late night phone calls that I mentioned having a craving for strawberry Twizzlers. The next day he brought over a huge bag of them for me. And then there was the time I got pissed at him. When he found out that he was in the dog house, he stopped by my house with a stuffed toy dog. He had even put a leash on it, explaining that the dog was him - on his short leash. How could I stay mad at such a cute gesture?

David and I were best friends. He respected the fact that I needed alone time. He did his thing - martial arts competitions and motorcycle racing. And I did mine. We had an incredible trust between us, each knowing that the other wouldn’t even consider cheating. It was a very nice relationship - until we started talking about a more permanent future together. I got scared and ran away. And though I didn’t handle it in the fashion I should have, David remained my friend.

He eventually married someone else, and I got involved with a long line of jerks. We continued to talk on a pretty regular basis and saw each other on rare occasions. David divorced last year, and we went out a couple of times after that. Then I pulled another Houdini on him. I disappeared. I had so much going on in my life that I did what us Cancers do best - retreated to my shell. Months passed. David left messages and sent emails. He remained a caring friend even though I was a jerk. I did, however, call him back a couple of days ago. We had a great conversation, and we’ve talked a couple of times since.

I’ve included two photos of David. The first is a recent one. The second is a photo of us from 2000. And yes, I’m embarrassed to say that I had an eyebrow piercing!

As for what the future holds, I have no idea. I’m just glad to have my friend back!