We first met in the summer of 2022 at a work event. Andy went back off to college for his last last semester at Virginia Tech, so safe to say I did not see him for a while. Fast forward to January 2023, our work had a last minute happy hour with a couple of people that were in the office and I just happened to be there because our project team got in trouble. After getting a strong talking too with my team they invited me to Spanky’s Shenanigans. Low and behold Andy was there. After a couple of drinks Andy decided to pull me up on the dance floor in front of our coworkers and BOSS! I was super embarrassed but didn’t think much of it because he was dancing with some 60 year old ladies just before that. Then right when I left Andy texted me on my work phone asking for my personal number and the rest is history!

Our first date was at the King Street Oyster Bar in Leesburg VA… on a work night. If anyone knows anything about me they know I don’t like doing anything on a work night, but I couldn’t pass up on Andy. The worst part is I didn’t have time to go home and change so I was still wearing my work boots, jeans, collared shirt and my hair was a mess from wearing a hard hat all day. I was still super excited because I got to see Andy again and I love Oysters, something he didn’t know about me at the time. When I got there Andy was already there sitting in the front window, apparently staring at me as I walked up. Little did I know he was super nervous himself. All he could order the whole time was OYSTERS. We had 3 of each on the whole menu of Oysters and they have 13 options. When we eventually went to leave Andy walked me to my car but when we got to the garage I couldn’t remember where I parked it! We spent a good 15 min. Searching the levels and trying to pull up the KIA app to see if they showed the location on there. Once we found the car I was super glad and thought on the ride home he wouldn’t talk to me again and how dumb I looked. But he ended up texting me asking for a 2nd date so it was all good.

It was a Saturday and unfortunately we both had to work that day. Andy asked me to go to lunch because he wasn’t gonna be able to see me the rest of the weekend. We went and got cheesesteaks at a hole in the wall down the street from my work (they were the BEST cheesesteaks) and if anyone knows Andy, he loves his cheesesteaks! I went back to work and around 3:00 he called me and invited me to their family’s favorite restaurant Niks in Berryville to meet his parents. I still had to go home and shower and drive an hour and 10 min. So I rushed outta work and he told me he was gonna take a nap. I texted him when I was 5 mins out and got no response, when I pulled in he was nowhere to be found so I texted him again, no response. I called, no response. I tried honking my horn because I figured he must be sleeping and there’s no way he stood me up. Eventually I thought I either drive home and never see him again or walk on in there and see what’s going on. I walked in there and shouted his name; he came out confused and dazed and said, “oh shit” cause we were late. He finally was up and we rushed over to Niks and enjoyed meeting his parents and grandfather over some good food.

Kassi invited me to celebrate her mom’s birthday at City Tavern in Manassas. The first thing I noticed was it was right next to a police precinct. I was meeting them after work and Kassi and her parents were already there with a bunch of other hooligans. I walked in to the party and met Kassi’s mom first. She seemed really happy and excited and I wished her a happy birthday. Then I met Kassi’s dad and I found out he’s a man of little words. He ordered a prime rib and when I saw it I had to get one too. I still crave it weekly. And then there was Benny. He couldn’t get my name right, started off strong with “Handy Andy” then it was “Randy” and eventually he settled on Randall. For those who who’ve had the pleasure to meet Benny you know I can’t say anything more about him here. Kassi told me she had sent her father with explicit directions to get a fruit cake which her mother would love and he came back with a fruit tart. We couldn’t even get the candles to stay in it, but it didn’t matter cause we all had a good time.