What the worst first date can lead to

Wow. Okay. So I'm going to tell you guys about the worst first date ever. So buckle up, and here we go.

Let me back up a bit. I had been single for about seven-ish months when I decided I wanted to get serious about dating again. I could have done better at choosing guys for myself. It's taken a lot of therapy and digging into my history to find out that I tended to pick guys who didn't understand my career and what I needed in the relationship. I only knew what I needed in a relationship once many of my layers (and childhood misconceptions of relationships) were peeled away like an onion. Here are some steps I took to get to the point of entering back into the dating world: Thanks to a fantastic therapist, I learned my magnet to pull in narcissistic people to my world was incredibly strong. I constantly kept (and keep) unlearning some of the unhealthy behaviors I entertained in said above unhealthy relationships. Finally, and most importantly, centering my life upon Jesus was the utmost priority. Jesus is the one who shed light on all these dark corners of my life. There's no other way I'd get there without Him.

Okay, let me set the scene. I'm on vacation at White Lake and thought I could use that to my advantage. You know, like, "Oh no, I have to get back to this weird emergency at the lake" thing. I knew that if he knew I had to back somewhere soon, then there was no way this would run late. I wasn't trying to avoid this date. I didn't want to do what I usually did, which was completely open myself up and make myself available on the first date, already morphing into something I wasn't. So, I get ready. Cute beachy maxi dress. Wavy, salt-sprayed hair. I was nervous but excited, not sure of what to expect.

I arrived at Alredo's in Clinton, NC. I confidently walked in and saw tealight candles lit on the tables. My first thought was, "awwww." Then when I saw the looks of the patrons and waitstaff, my second thought was, "uuuuuuh." They were not sitting any more people because the power just went out, and they had no idea when it would come back on.

I took a deep breath and said okay. I walked outside the door to already see Chris walking towards me. We met eyes, and then he glanced to the ground.

"We have an issue," were the first words out of my mouth to this man face to face.

"I already know what the issue is," he replied.

He said he noticed streetlights surrounding the restaurant were out on his way, and he assumed something was going on with the downtown's electricity.

As we shifted weight from foot to foot and fumbled with words, he suggested we go somewhere else, which I agreed to. But in Clinton, options are limited, to say the least.

We ended up at a local steakhouse. We began the typical first-date conversation. We sat next to the salad bar and kitchen, which was loud with everyone and constant foot traffic. Smoke from the grill filled our section during the busy shifts, but we expected all the typical steakhouse things. The conversation got deeper and gained momentum because it wasn't till we looked around that I said, "Is it just me, or is it hazy in here?" He agreed, but everyone in the restaurant still indulged in their steaks, so we continued our discussions. Gradually, the smoke kept building. The staff opened doors, and big fans were used to push the smoke out, and then with sirens and all, the firefighters showed.

Yall... the actual firefighters! It was a terrible first date!

More things contributed to the awfulness of this first date, but needless to say, the next day, my mind was made up: God was trying to warn me that this man was not the man for me. Haha.

We continued texting, and Chris convinced me that at least the date needed a do-over and second chance. So even after the second date, I wasn't confident there would be a third because that's how rattled I was by the first date. The second date was much better, and I began to not see the actual (smoke) alarms as alarms for danger but to pay special attention to. Then, on to a third date, we proceeded.

Nine months later, Chris surprised me with a cute date night idea. I was to choose envelopes that determined the fate of where we went and what we did. Eeeeekkkk! So sweet!

Mystery envelope choice 1: Do we go out or stay or stay in? I chose to go out.

Mystery envelope choice 2: Do we go casual or fancy? Fancy! Yessss!

Mystery envelope choice 3: Who picks where to go to dinner? Chris wins that one.

Mystery envelope choice 4: Who picks desert? Megan, for that.

Mystery envelope choice 5: Do we watch a movie at the theatre or home? The theatre (please say that in your most Shakespearian voice)!

We got dolled up and began to trek out, and you know where Chris decided to take me? You guessed it... Alfredo's in Clinton. We joked, and I asked if he called ahead to see if they had power. That dinner was some of the best Italian food I have ever experienced! The homemade hazelnut cheesecake was the perfect ending to the meal. I learned there was a commissioned piece of art upstairs, and I couldn't resist asking. The restaurant owner's wife was happy to let us up there and experience that for ourselves. I love that restaurant. Not because we got an unbelievable do-over. Not because it was top-notch cuisine that I would recommend a million times. But when we were leaving, out that same door where I executively told Chris that we first had an issue, I turned around to see Chris drop to a knee and ask me to marry him. That's why I love that restaurant. It was one of my life's most beautiful, heartfelt, genuine moments.

The Verry Happy Couple

K Bye

Megan

Doing life, the best way I know how…