I love...soccer!

Year: 2001
Scene: Las Vegas
Background: Sean and I had been dating for about a year (most of which I was away at BYU). We went with a group of friends to Vegas for some reason, I can't remember.

Saturday night: walking down the strip holding hands, involved in some important conversation, the topic of which I can't remember. But I do remember this:

Sean: you know I love you.
Jess: what?
Sean: umm, you know I love...soccer.
Jess: no, that's not what you said
Sean: yes it is...I really love soccer. So when do you have to go back to school?

Classic. And this is only Part 1.

The call (5)

We last left off here

Later that week one of my friends called me to see if I wanted to meet him and a group of people at the movies. I thought it would be fun but asked who was going. He listed off the names and one of them was Sean. No thanks, I'm out. Why my friend, asked? I don't like Sean. Before I even finished my sentence, Sean was on the phone asking me to meet them at the movies. I had plans with Nick I told him. He asked me to cancel them. I said I couldn't. He went to the movie and I stayed home and watched 90210. (my "Nick" excuse had worked again!)

The next week I was over at a friend's house and "we" decided to call Sean. I called him.

Sean: hello
me: um, hi, do you know who this is?
Sean: ya, are you at Nick's house?
me: no, not right now
Sean: oh, too bad
me: ya, you're still pretty stuck on yourself (another good comeback, i'm full of 'em!)
Sean: you too. we should go out on friday
me: i can't. i have plans
Sean: with Nick?
me: no actually, with this (basketball) guy i'm dating
Sean: ok, then saturday?
me: ok

i can't wait for saturday...

Stuck (4)

*for a refresher on where we last left off read here.

So I was pretty mad that Sean was apparently back on with this other girl. I went to FHE the following week and was a few minutes late. We were playing softball. I walked up to the field and walked right past Sean (remember, play on playa, right). As I walk past him, he calls out to me and says, "you're late."
me: had to make my grand appearance i guess
him: you're so stuck up
me: and you're so stuck on yourself so i guess we're even (good one, i know)

i walk away. i play 3rd base one inning and catch a line drive that was hit super hard. i'll be honest, people were impressed. especially, sean. i hope. he didn't talk to me the rest of the game. i was still mad at him. i left thinking, he really is stuck up. why wouldn't he talk to a superstar like me, right?

The Luau (3)

I was having a great time at the Luau. Playin' it cool. Talking to Sean but also talking to other people. He was talking to me at one point and winked at me. It was at this point that I knew I liked him. He invited me to go hot tubbing with a bunch of people after the Luau. I followed him to his house to get his suit (I don't know why but I had mine in my car?). We then went to another house to meet up with everyone else. When we were leaving I thought I would ride with Sean. I was pretty shocked when I saw two other girls in his truck. I decided this was no big deal and just drove myself. While hot tubbing and swimming at the Camelback Inn, Sean paid 0 attention to me. Not even any winks in my direction. He did however, pay A LOT of attention to the afore mentioned on again off again girlfriend. Apparently, they were back on? I was furious. After an hour or two of this, I had had enough. I got out of the pool and got ready to leave. I "made" a phone call. At this point, Sean comes up and asks where I am going. I tell him that my friend called and asked me to meet up with him. Sean asks who. I say, "why does it matter." He asks who again so I tell him I am meeting up with Nick, a guy I dated last summer but we are friends now. Sean asks me to go watch a movie with everyone. What?! Umm, no. We all end up leaving at the same time. Sean is in the lane right next to me as we are heading back home. I can see that he is looking over at me. Instead of looking back, I play it cool and take a phone call for the rest of the drive while he is looking at me. I guess I will call basketball guy the next night when he gets back in town.

***note...it was not until much later in our courtship that I let Sean in on the secret that I did not have plans with Nick later that night after the hot tub; nor was I talking to anyone on the phone while driving home. Play on playa.

We meet (2)

I was starting to like basketball guy and enjoyed hanging out with him. But he went out of town every weekend. So I went to a wedding reception for my friend Jamie with my parents. While there, I spy high socks guy. He's not with on again off again girlfriend. Good. I go talk to some friends who introduce me to high socks guy. His name is Sean. He gives me high five when we meet and tells me I am pretty good at frisbee football. He asks me to go to a movie with them after the reception. Cool. I talk to my married friends who tell me the guy they want to set me up with is at the reception. They point to Sean. Small world. The movie was horrible, we were both embarassed during the whole thing; so we mostly talked during it. After the movie, Sean invites me to come to the ward luau the next night. "It's gonna be off the hook" he tells me, "I'm the ward activity chairperson." He's got confidence. Impressive.

Before We Met (1)

Awhile back my friend Em documented on her blog her journey of meeting/dating her husband. I want to document my journey with Sean.

I had just come home from my second year at BYU and was ready for a fun summer. I had become more outgoing at BYU, a little more bold, and a little less shy than I had been in high school. I had been home a few weeks when I got my wisdom teeth out. I was out from that event for a few days but decided to go to the local single's ward Family Home Evening. I was a little self-conscious about this because my brother (one of them anyways) told me to not worry because since my face so swollen, my nose looked smaller. Nice. I went anyway. After the activity I stayed to play basketball. I was the only girl. After awhile it was only one other guy and I shooting around. We started talking and made a bet on a shot. Whoever didn't make the shot, had to buy the other one a drink at Circle K. I lost. We drove to Circle K and got some drinks and talked in the parking lot for awhile. He was impressed with my car. It belonged to my sister Amy, who I was living with at the time.

The next week I went again (even with my nose that now looked bigger since my face was no longer swollen) to FHE hoping to see this same guy. He wasn't there. The ward was playing frisbee football. I had learned to play this at BYU and I've gotta be honest here, I dominated that night. I noticed a guy who was yelling to his team a lot on where to go. He had his socks pulled up to his knees and I could tell he was getting frustrated that no one was catching me. I ran faster. He couldn't catch me either, and trust me, he was trying. At the end of the night I saw "cute high sock guy" talking to another girl. I asked a friend who he was and she said, "oh that's Sean, I wouldn't talk to him, he's on and off with his girlfriend all the time." Too bad, I thought.

The next week, basketball guy called me and we started going on some dates and hanging out a lot.

A few weeks later, I am hanging out with a married couple who tell me they have a friend they want to introduce me to that would be perfect for me. They are "just waiting for him to finally end things with his girlfriend."

Whatever. I'm dating basketball guy.