How it All Started: Beginning

My therapist recommended me to document certain points of my life relating to Torey – solely for me to look back on. I thought about this long and hard – whether to keep this to myself or share it on this platform.

I’m going to share most of it here – only because I know as a bi-racial couple, we helped so many people to think outside of the box. And I feel like Torey would want me to express myself here – to do justice for our relationship. So … here it goes (no, I won’t be mentioning names nor will I be specific when it comes to family issues – everything will be generalized).

I graduated high school in the summer of 1995 and started a job at a call center by the DFW airport. I was a customer service rep for Ryder Truck Rentals – yes, the rental company for moving things around. It was a new door for me to open: I met new people from different walks of life while earning some decent money. I liked it – it was an escape from my day-to-day and I looked forward to it!

Training classes came in on a weekly/bi-weekly basis … there was always “new-blood” and one week in the cafeteria while I was having lunch, I spotted him. He was in a long sleeved, olive green Tommy Hilfiger shirt and blue jeans with Doc Martin boots on (East coast vibe back then). My goodness – his almond shaped eyes got the best of me. I couldn’t help but to look at him and watched him as he conversed with his peers – he spoke with such animated arm gestures! He had these v-shaped “hoop” earrings on both ears – that was at the beginning of this fashion trend for guys back then…

It was a weekend – a Saturday shift – and his class’ trainer (Kenneth was his name) decided to pair Torey with me to help train him. Bad thing was that I was completely too relaxed in my apparel – I was in a multi-colored plaid hoodie with grubby jeans, my hair was a mess tied up and well … I was coloring in a damn Aladdin coloring book (I love art and this was my pass-time as a silly 18 year old – judge-me-not!). I wasn’t prepared to talk to the boy with the perfect almond shaped eyes!

Torey sat next to me and was ever such the gentleman – he asked me how I was, what I liked about the job, what pointers I had for him…. and the whole time I was the Ice Queen. I didn’t feel comfortable in what I was dressed in and what I thought his first impression was of me! The moment didn’t last too long. I remembered going home and telling myself, “Be prepared, ALWAYS!!”

A few days went by and I remember going to work in the typical ’90’s Left-Eye-From-TLC fashion one day … I had on my brother’s Tommy collard, shirt with some black Girbaud jeans and my Mia sandals. I sat at my station and saw the new training group being led out on the floor to sit with us. Kenneth assigned Torey to sit with me again… this is where history took place! I introduced myself to him – even shared my nickname “Anu” with him. We talked about music, movies, likes, dislikes, interests and we connected. We connected in a way that was honestly: pure. I learned that he was attending Morehouse at the time and couldn’t really afford it and was looking to move back to Texas. We didn’t have outside influences – nor did we have social media. We were just US. He liked me. I liked HIM. We had so much in common and I was in awe of how smart he was… I never had anyone quite like him have an interest in me.

A few things we had in common:

• • Gangster classics like The Godfather, Carlito’s Way, Scarface, Goodfellas, The Untouchables, A Bronx Tale, etc
  • Lenny Kravitz, Hootie and the Blowfish, Portishead, Guns n Roses, Sade, oh my goodness and so much more
  • Both of us were the oldest out of our siblings and had similar growing pains – haha!

We parted ways that day and I couldn’t wait to see/talk him again.

A few weeks went by before I saw him again. I was sitting at one of the work stations and happened to turn around to face a door with a window that showed the entrance of the center. I caught a guy in a gray CK T-shirt with familiar earrings and I could tell he was talking to the security guard. I had just gotten contacts and I knew it was Torey by sight – sad thing was the ventilation of the center made my eyes so damn irritated – pretty sure my contacts had something to do with it, too. I was so damn GEEKED!

As I stood up I saw Torey enter my portion of the center and our eyes locked and we instantly smiled! I couldn’t help it! “He was HERE TO SEE ME!!??” is what was squealing in my head – but my conscious told me to chill out because he was probably there to pick his paycheck up.

Torey got to my desk and we talked … he asked why my eyes were so red and I told him. Years later he confessed he thought I was high as hell! LOL! I ended up giving him my number and when I did, I said, “Watch out for my parents.” I’m pretty sure we were both cheesing from ear to ear!

He walked me to my car later that day and I asked him, “Are we going out or what?” – this was COMPLETELY unlike me because I had never been in the dating scene before! I felt compelled to ask because our connection was too intense and I wanted to spend more time with him! I remember this moment like it was yesterday – it was a hot, summer day and he  had one of his brothers with him. We decided on when when to meet up to watch a movie together and the butterflies in my stomach were more alive than ever!

Wait until you hear about our first date! (coming soon!)