It’s a Love Story, Baby Just Say Yes
We met when Armando asked me to dance for the first time.
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I loved country music for as long as I can remember, and I always wished to learn how to dance to it. When I was in college, I would play it almost constantly—so much that my roommates would be forced into start loving it too!
As soon as we were both were old enough, my best friend, Carol and I started going to Cowboy Country, a country bar in Southern California. We went there to learn how to line dance. We would get there before 7 and stay there until midnight, every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night!
After a while, we started getting asked to dance—to two-step. We’d say we didn’t know how, but they were eager to teach us. When someone asked me to dance, I always said yes. I wanted to learn so bad! I started out so confused and horrible at it… jumping up and down and tripping on my own feet. But they were so patient with us. After the evening ended and I went to sleep, I would dream… “quick, quick, slow, slow…”.
After a few months of dancing with different people three times a week, we started to catch on. Carol and I were no longer shy about our dancing and we had become regulars at Cowboy Country. It felt so good being able to dance to the music I loved so much! Our good friend, Bobby—who was one of the kind men that taught us to dance—invited us to stand at his table instead of the little corner that we always hid in on the edge of the dance floor. Slowly we inched away from our safe little corner to the table… literally…we inched our way over…
We danced with so many people every night and noticed that everyone had their own unique style of dancing. Some people liked a simpler two-step, and others liked to add in lots of spins and turns. Some people were easier and more fun to dance with and others didn’t come quite as natural.
I’ll always remember my first dance with Armando… even if I don’t remember what day it was, what we were wearing, or even the exact month that we had our first dance.
It started out like any other. He asked me to dance, and I said yes!
But once we started to dance, I noticed it was unlike any dance I had ever danced with anyone else. He led me so well, I knew exactly what to do and how to turn and step without even saying a word. I felt like I was flying! Our dance flowed so well, so naturally…
I never wanted those songs to end…
As we danced more and more, we started to talk and get to know each other a little more.
It was amazing how comfortable I became around him so quickly. I get shy sometimes when meeting new people and it can take a while for someone new to get to see my true self, sometimes. But one day, when Carol and I were being silly, I saw Armando and made a silly face right at him. By his expression, I think I surprised him, just as much as I surprised me! He saw me as shy and quiet girl at first, but that melted away quickly.
Soon he found a way to get my phone number–just so that we knew when each other were coming to dance. But soon we were talking and texting all day and late into the night. We’d never run out of things to talk about. It was amazing how much we had in common. I’d tell him about the farm and he’d share songs with me that he liked.
Sometimes he worked and couldn’t go dancing when Carol and I went, but I would still check the door to see if he might surprise us and walk in. I didn’t really know why I liked seeing him so much… except that he was a great dancer. Looking back it seems kind of obvious… but I was so clueless then…
After we’d been talking a while, he made a cheesecake from scratch and brought it to me all the way to my school apartment on his motorcycle! He gave me the cheesecake and the movie “Pure Country” with George Strait to watch. I let him stay and talk to me a little while. He rambled on about fixing cars mostly… and I had little idea what he was actually talking about. I think he might have been a little nervous that evening… But the cheesecake was really good. Over the week, I ate all except one piece all by myself!
Graduation was getting closer and I didn’t know too much about the months ahead. But I was going to move back to Bakersfield for the meantime. When I’d dance with Armando, I could see that he was going to miss me being there. The way he would say my name… I never had anyone say it just like that. We would dance for more songs and talk more and more.
The last night at Cowboy Country after graduation, I didn’t know when I would be coming back again. Armando had to work that night, so I spent the evening with Carol, dancing. But I wanted to see him once more before it was time to go, so I went over to the store where he worked to get a snack for the drive home and got in his checker line. I remember I was still a little nervous and shy around him. But he was surprised and happy to see me! And gave me a hug before I left!
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Once when we were dancing I had invited him to come see the farm. I didn’t think too much of it. I’d invited other friends to come, but most of them never actually made it out there…
It had been a month since I graduated school. His birthday was coming up and he had nothing to do. So he asked me if he could come visit and see Bakersfield and the farm.
He stayed in town for about four nights. The first night, his birthday, I brought him to Trouts to dance. Someone there—who had been watching us dance—asked us “how long have you been married?” “We’re just good friends.”
The second day I showed him around the farm and some sights in Shafter. We went to the Crystal Palace in the evening for dinner and to dance. We shared a dinner dish and had a wonderful time dancing. When the music was over, we went to Denny’s for some Apple Pie ala mode. I drove him back to where he was staying.
When we got close to the hotel, he seemed to be nervously rambling on about how he didn’t want things to change between us or something… We got to the parking lot of the hotel, so I asked him… something like… “what are you trying to say?”…
Then he asked if he could kiss me. :-*
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We would take turns coming back and forth to visit each other for the next couple months. Then I got a job at Disneyland and we got to see each other almost everyday!
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Exactly two years and a month after that first kiss, he told me that we were going on a 10 mile hike in the San Jacinto Mountains in Palm Springs. I put on my hiking clothes that morning and we got ready to go. He brought the whole box of granola bars-” why do we need the whole box?” -I thought. We drove there and then stopped at the restroom before heading all the way to the tramway. Armando was taking a llloooonnnng time. But he usually does… XD So I just waited.
Finally, we got up to the tram way. We presented our tickets. It was 20 minutes too early–but we could switch the tickets for an earlier time if we wanted… Armando asked me if we should… and I said “Why not? Lets go!” So we went! It was really pretty seeing the views as we were taking the tram up the mountain.
When we got to the top, we decided to get lunch at the shop up there before heading out. Then preceded to find the Ranger Station like Armando wanted. So we started on our hike. We were talking… pointing things out for each other to look at… then we were almost there.
“That girl kinda looks like Heidi” I said. “Why would she be here?” Armando said…
He asked me if I wanted a granola bar. I said, “Sure!” Its been about 15 minutes since I ate, so of course I was hungry!
But instead of taking a granola bar out of the box, he takes out a little grey box from it, and gets down on one knee.
I asked him “What are you doing?”…It took me a second to understand what was happening. He opens up the box to display a shiny new ring!
And he asked me to marry him! And I said yes!
I heard clapping in the distance by other hikers, but I was still staring at him, excited and taken aback by what had just happened…I had not been expecting this right now. I was completely surprised! I had no idea! I thought we were just going on a long hike! He had to physically turn me around to show me that my Mom, Dad, Sister Heidi, and Auntie Karen were all right there watching too! It was a lovely surprise!
We all went on a little hike and then spent the rest of the day and evening in Palm Springs.
AS TOLD BY ARMANDO
When I had first met Megan, I was not looking for anybody to fall in love with. I had seen her a few times and had asked her to dance once or twice. As time went on, I started with the usual small talk on the dance floor. She seemed so quiet to me and I spoke mostly to her through our dancing. More and more was I dancing with Megan, although I had not figured out why yet.
I still remember when her friend had asked my age, I just laughed and said lets just dance. I could tell that Megan was much younger than myself. I finally told them and they could not believe it. Megan asked for my phone number to see when I was there because they loved to dance with me. I am kind of a crazy country dancer, and am always seeing how many movements I can get in one dance.
One night Megan I had been talking after we had gone home for the night. We spoke for hours and never once did we run out of things to talk about. I had never felt so connected to a person. I thought Megan was my twin; we even had the same calculator we used in College.
One night I had told Megan that she better not fall for me, otherwise I will keep her. I had never felt more alive when I am with Megan. Talking to her made me change in some ways. I started to dream bigger, and I wanted Megan to be apart of those dreams. It was all going to end because Megan was moving back home after College. I danced with her every chance I got; sometimes I would leave work early to have just one dance.
After Megan let and was in Bakersfield, we continued to talk. I missed her, and had started missing her before she even had left. What was wrong with me? I though. My birthday was coming up and I asked Megan if it was ok to go visit her on her. She said yes! I was excited and nervous all over.
Thant first night we went dancing, someone had asked how long we had been married, oh my gosh. We just laughed and said we were just friends. There was something they saw when we danced together. It was like everyone knew before we did….. We were falling in love. The next day we went around the town seeing all there is to see. After one more night of dancing, Megan could see that I was real talkative (nervous). I did not want anything to change between us, Megan was my best friend! And then before I knew it I asked if I could kiss her.
After that my life had changed forever. My best friend, by nerdy companion, my goof when I am goofy was there with me no matter what. I have never been able to be myself like I can with Megan. She thinks of things before I say them, and puts the fun in everything we do. Every day I fall more in love with Megan.
If one thing had been different, we may have never met, I would not have my best friend. If I had not learned to dance, if she did not go to school at Loyola Marymount, the stars must have been aligned that day we met. Although I think god had a plan for us both.
In a few short weeks I am going to marry my best friend, my crazy, silly, loving, amazing woman. I have never felt so welcome in her life and with her family. I can’t wait to meet all the amazing people in her life that got her to where she is today, so I can thank them for having a part in Megan’s life. Everything, everyday, brings us to where we will be, to our future. My future, my destiny was to find Megan, to love her, to hold her, to walk down the isle and become her husband. And until my last breath, I am going to love her with all my heart has to give. Because to know Megan… is to know what love really is. I know that first nigh that I had asked her for but one kiss…. My heart was already saying…. “I Do”.