And we meet!

I later learned he had serious reservations about making the trip.  He wasn't so sure about meeting me.  Thankfully, our mutual friends provided just enough encouragement to get him on the plane. 

I joked about holding a cheesy sign and acting absolutely crazy when I saw him.  While I did bring a cheesy sign just in case we wouldn't recognize each other, untrue to my character, I was unable to calm my nerves and gain enough courage to "go crazy" when I saw him. 

This worked out to my advantage.  I know Johnie well enough now to know that had I made a scene, he probably would have boarded the next flight to Wichita and pretended he didn't even know me.

I remember waiting nervously at the bottom of an escalator in the airport where new arrivals descended on their way to baggage claim.  I arrived half an hour early.  My eyes jumped between the arrivals/departures board and the escalator.  His flight arrived.  My eyes stayed glued on the escalator, waiting to see him.  A few people headed down.  And then I saw him.  My knees went a little weak, and my heart melted just a bit.  I was relieved that he was as handsome as his pictures.  And, he had worn dress slacks and a dress shirt.  He was endearing.

And nervous.  Our eyes locked and we both smiled as he continued his ride down the escalator.  In my mind I had imagined that there would be a warm embrace and a couple minutes of small talk there, before we left the airport.  In actuality, he stepped toward me, said "hi" with a shaky voice and made a bee line for the door.  I had trouble keeping up with his long strides and from a step behind I asked about his day and his flight.  He provided short answers, always looking straight ahead.  I was finally able to reach my hand out and stop him before he made it to the door.  He turned and I said something about owing him a hug for flying out to Kentucky.  It was awkward.

We left the airport and stopped at Olive Garden for lunch.  He was obviously nervous and still visibly shaking.  I was trying to recall things I learned in several of my communication classes to bolster our lack of conversation.  The awkwardness was thick.  As we ate in mostly silence I began to wonder if this had all been a mistake.  If the chemistry, in fact, wasn't there. 

I thought maybe he already knew I wasn't for him.  Maybe he was already thinking of heading back home (he joked before his flight that he planned to stay until Wednesday, but could always get an earlier flight back if needed).  This wouldn't be the last time I would have to push through the awkwardness that weekend.

After we finished eating, we drove around Lexington and took some back roads to Richmond so I could show him some of the beauty of the state.  Things became more relaxed.  Later that evening, we made a trip to Wal-Mart so he could pick up hairspray (yes, I gave him a hard time about it) that he had failed to pack.  As we stood in line at the Wal-Mart and chatted (we were chatting now!), he leaned up against a post or a rail there by the register, his hands in his pockets.  We were laughing.  Our eyes met.  I'm not sure if it was because this was the first time I saw him truly as he was (and not a nervous wreck), or if my nerves had taken several hours to settle, but that moment changed everything. 

He was even more tall, dark, and handsome than his pictures or his airport arrival.  It was there in the Richmond Wal-Mart, standing in the checkout line, with our eyes locked, sharing a joke, that I knew I would marry him if I ever had the chance. 

I mean, you know, as long as everything checked out and went okay and he didn't make any mistakes or turn out to be a creep, or I didn't find out anything crazy about his past.  I was smitten, but I wasn't stupid.  And yes, that was my actual internal dialogue.