The Night Greg and I Met - Emily's Version (Otherwise Known as "The Truth")

Greg and I met ten years ago today.  It really is a great story, and even though Greg says that I tell it wrong, it is my blog so I guess I'll tell it my way:

We met at Steve and Elizabeth's wedding.  Steve has been Greg's friend ever since they met their Freshman year at Rick's all the way back in 1989 (when I was twelve years old).  They went on their mission's together, they were even in the MTC together, and afterward headed to BYU together.  I met Liz when I was 15 doing shows at Pages Lane Theater in Centerville.  We had a huge group of friends, and most weekends either we (Lisa and I) would be at her house in Ogden or she and Latoya would be at our house.  

Steve and Liz got married in the morning and then we headed to the wedding breakfast where Lisa and I sang together.  This picture is classic: Lisa messed up on the words and was calling a "Time Out" (family joke) and I couldn't stop laughing.  You can see a white shirt behind Lisa - That is Greg (before we met).  Matt was accompanying us on the piano, and a few years later, Lisa and Matt got married.  Our very own, Mormon version of a Days of Our Lives Love Triangle.   

The reception was later that night, and I was seriously the Belle of the Ball.  

TANGENT: (I don't normally brag about my popularity, but I had just worked very hard for about a year to lose about 35 pounds.  I was heavy all through high school and it continued through much of college and when I lived in New York.  I was always so self conscious about guys liking me because of my weight.  So, with my new-found figure came some new-found self esteem.  All of our guy friends from "the theater" were there that night, and they all danced with me.  I even danced with some strangers.  I seriously danced ALL night long - every single dance.  I was feeling very, very confident by the time I met Greg.)

Where was I...Oh, yes...I was the Belle of the Ball (I just like saying it).  Toward the end of the evening, my friend and I were at the cake table.  They served chocolate and vanilla cake.  I chose the vanilla, and I suddenly hear this voice behind me say, "Why would you choose vanilla when you could have chocolate?"  Greg and his friend Jeff were standing there (First Impression: Tall, broad, sandy blonde guy much better looking than the short, skinny one with wavy hair).  He introduced himself and after a couple of minutes of small talk, he asked me to dance.  I can still remember the feeling of his hand on my back.  He was completely entranced with me.  He didn't leave my side the rest of the night, and literally hung on every word I spoke.  He was smitten immediately.  (Remember: This is my blog - I tell it like I see it!)

When the evening was over, I was talking to a bunch of Steve's friends (including Greg).  I was being friendly and flirting with all of them, but I was really just waiting for Greg to ask for my number of something.  He totally chickened out, and I was getting tired of entertaining all of the gentlemen, so I walked back upstairs to help clean up (one of my many duties as part of the wedding party).  Luckily, Greg came up with some lame excuse to come back upstairs (he said he had to give something to Steve's mom), and asked if I was hungry and would I like to go with him to get something to eat.  By some fabulous twist of fate, Lisa had to leave the reception early to go to Jessica Higg's wedding reception so I was driving home alone.  Good thing!  

Greg said that he had to get some gas first, and at that time in his life, he was purely a Chevron guy (now he's a "Just Buy the Cheapest Stuff" guy).  We were in downtown Ogden, both in our own cars since we were both headed to Salt Lake, and he said that he thought he saw a gas station by the freeway.  We drove west on 24th Street to catch I-15.  We did pass a gas station, but it wasn't a Chevron, so he kept driving.  There is NOTHING west of I-15 on 24th Street in Ogden.  It is all industrial.  I knew this, but alas, in a world without cell phones (how did we ever survive?!?) there was no way to let him know.  After a few miles, he pulled over, walked over to my car window (which I rolled down) and assured me that he wasn't this crazy, scary person who took me out in the middle of nowhere on purpose - He was just lost.  He followed me to a gas station and we then went to Bountiful.  We tried several different restaurants, but they were all closed.  But not trusty old Village Inn - It was open and we shared some delicious hash browns.  

I remember that I was wearing new heels all day long and my feet were killing me.  So, I took my shoes off and put my feet up while we were at the restaurant.  Afterward, I could hardly get my shoes back on.  We walked out to the car and he explained that his family was in San Diego so he was getting on a plane early the next morning, but he did get my phone number.  We stood in the parking lot forever and it was freezing!  He was just wasting time and flirting shamelessly, so I finally said, "So are you going to kiss me or what?"  He explained that he didn't usually do that on a first date (yeah right), but I guess he succumbed to my bewitching ways.  When I got home that night, I walked into Lisa's room, she took one look at me, and said, "What did you do?"    

In all honesty, I didn't know if he was ever going to actually call me, and it had been a while since I'd kissed someone, so I was just looking for a quick pick-me-up.  I never guessed that ten years later, we'd be working on five kids (WOW).  I never could have imagined everything that we've been through standing in that parking lot ten years ago, freezing my heiney off, making out with some cute guy I'd just met and didn't even know his last name.  I wonder what the next ten will bring...