To properly set the stage for you I first have to tell you how it is that Clint and I came to know each other. When we were 15 years old Clint and I began talking over the phone after his best friend urged him to call me on his behalf, trying to convince me to leave my boyfriend to be with him instead. The noble and very social Clint did this favor for his painfully shy buddy, but it turned out that Clint and I hit it off as fast friends and his ill-fated buddy was soon forgotten. Some time later the phone calls stopped and we lost touch as our lives went in separate directions. It wasn't until 6 years later that, either by happy accident or cosmic design, our paths crossed once again when he unknowingly stumbled upon me on MySpace, struck up a conversation with me and I recognized him by name and friendly association. A week later we had plans to meet in person for the first time, on a completely nonthreatening lunch date at a local bar & grill. This is where my insane parents come into play.
When I offhandedly relayed the details of my plans for the day to my parents (keep in mind I was 21 years old at this point) they somehow got the idea that I was planning to meet up with some completely random dude from the internet on a dangerous flight of fancy. Maybe it was all of the alarmist Lifetime movies they'd watched about internet predators that set them off, all I know is that when I turned off the ringer on my cell phone that day like any polite dining companion, I set off a chain of idiotic events. Meanwhile, Clint and I enjoyed a nice meal and lovely conversation; we had a great time and found that we had a lot in common. Further plans for the afternoon were made and it was all very laid back and adult. As we walked back out to the car to head to the movie theater together, I checked my phone and realized that I had multiple missed calls from both of my parents and several panicked voicemails from my mother who was near tears and ready to call the police to report me as "kidnapped by a psychorapistkiller" if I didn't call her back in the next 5 minutes. I'd never been so mortified in my life. I called my nutty mom and tried to put out the fire that was raging in her brain as Clint laughed hysterically at my shocked and ever-paling face. All the while, my dad had located my car and was stalking us, watching us like a hawk from the innocuous green Subaru Outback. I'm telling you, I was embarrassed to the point of near-nausea. I was instantly made to feel like a reckless 13 year old about to be dragged home, kicking and screaming, by my over-protective parents. I was so sure that I would never see Clint again and I would become nothing more than a funny story he would tell his buddies at the bar. The fact that he stuck around to see what would happen next still amazes me to this day. 4 months later we were married. He still thinks my parents are crazy though. They are, anyway.
Every year my dad loves to threaten to follow us on our date while we celebrate our anniversary, and every year I give him hell for it. The embarrassment manages to stretch through time.
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