I went out one night back in 1999 to my favorite after hours spot called 1722.  While standing in line contemplating why I didn't just jump to the front when I know the owner, I saw someone I didn't recognize leading the crowded line of club goers through the door.  When I caught the glimpse of his face, my heart instantly began to flutter.  He was gorgeous from head to toe... the physique, the blonde spiked hair, that male model facial structure with a perfectly trimmed gotee.... absolutely stunning!  I was immediately hooked and had to know who this beautiful man was.  After I finally made my way into the club and found my friends, the owner Michael came to greet us.  Unfortunately he is no longer with us and passed away last year because it was he who made the amazing introduction.  I asked him about the man at the door and he told me his name was Paul and that he was the head of security for the club.  I immediately asked if he would introduce me to him and Michael agreed with pleasure.  He slipped away to grab Paul and then suddently they appeared walking in my direction.  I could see right away from his posture that Paul was not pleased about this meet and greet and it dawned on me that many people must have asked to meet him like this and I should never have done so.  Michael came over and made the introduction and surprisingly to me, Paul stood straight up with his green eyes gleaming and actually gave me a smile.  He seemed to be a little happier about the person standing opposite of him and I felt so relieved.  We exchanged phone numbers that night and I tried on several occassions to grab some alone time with him outside of the club.  Finally after several weeks, we set up a date to get together and I was like an excited little girl on Christmas.  I wanted to be completely honest with him so a few days before our date I told him that I had a little girl who was 3 years old named Brianna.  On the day before our big date, he called and broke my heart.  He told me that he had been seeing another girl and that they had decided to take it to the next level and he was now in a serious relationship.  While I admired his loyalty to her in calling off our date, I still wanted him to myself and so my heart was ripped in two.  I just felt there was something about him and for some reason even though I never really had much of a conversation with him, I was just so drawn to him.  I knew it was love at first sight and maybe it was just his looks but I couldn't wrap my head around it.  I cried for days that I would never be able to call him mine...

Fast forward to 2010:  While working in a hole in the wall little bar and living a fairly miserable existence of not knowing where or what I was going to do next, I prayed each and everyday for a miracle.  One evening it was particularly slow night and two men walked in and sat down in my section at the bar.  I came over and took their drink order and as I walked away to get their drinks, I realized that one of the gentlemen looked alot like Paul from 1722.  I brought his yuengling over and sat it down on the bar in front of him and then I asked the question.  "Are you Paul and did you used to work at 1722?"  He instantly responded that he was indeed Paul and although his hair was now dark and no longer blonde, I saw that same gleam in his extraordinary green eyes.  Then came the let down once again when he told me that he lived in Florida.  I figured this was just another lost cause.... he was single this time but again, I couldn't have him. We still exchanged numbers but I wasn't sure why I even bothered when he lived so far away.  Little did I know that the start of one little text message would end up taking off and only 5 months later that I would be engaged to him and moving to Florida.  Our story may be a little strange to most but to me it is a fairytale and I can't wait to live my "Happily Ever After"  with Paul from 1722!

My narrative begins back in 1999 when I was working at a little after hour’s spot called 1722. As you can probably imagine, the diversity of people at this particular club was very atypical to say the least. As I worked there for a couple years, I had had countless introductions to scores of club member’s; often times the member didn’t know who they were from day to day, to hour, to minute. That said, after a while any new introductions gravitated towards vexing and mundane at best. As I was combing the crowd the club owner, Michael Kohl (RIP), called me over to introduce me to someone. As I walked towards my next trivial prologue, I looked up and saw a glowing vision of beauty and elegance, it was Alexis. I was pleasantly surprised this was not going to the typical preamble at all. For the first time in my life, as I approached her, the only thing that I could focus on was her radiance. It was just like a movie as all the sounds and images around her became blurred in my vision, she stayed clear and in focus; as if in the limelight of my mind’s eye. I was euphoric that we had met that evening and was looking forward to getting to know her.

 Over the next couple weeks, my life became more difficult and it seemed my life was on autopilot and I wasn’t thrilled about the course. It was time for a change on the road of my life, time to get out of the scene. I had to make certain decisions to facilitate this change and one of them was pre-emptive to following through with Alexis. She would remain the one that got away. Little did we know…? This was the beginning of “Our Story”…

 Now as we jump to present times in the year of 2010: That year while I was having a particularly difficult time, just getting out of a bad relationship, I decided to come home to Maryland to visit for the Holidays.  I was staying at my Brother Paul’s house in White marsh and he wanted to stop for a beer on the way home. I was a bit tired and not in the mood but after repetitive persuasion, I agreed to go.   We sat down at the bar and ordered our beers while in mid conversation. When the bartender brought our beers I heard “Are you Paul and did you used to work at 1722?” I looked and said yes. I recognized her instantly, It was Alexis. I was so excited that my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest but I managed to maintain my composure and carry on a respectable conversation. We exchanged phone numbers again then we began texting and calling each other. I can tell you that I surely I wasn’t about to let her get away again. She was having a rough time like me and I offered her to take a trip to Florida for a little vacation with me. That trip came to fruition and that finally sealed the tender of Destiny for us.

 Now here we are in 2014, and couldn’t be happier. We have Lovely home, kids, family, friends and above all our faith.

Thank you, Lord for the beautiful gifts that you have bestowed upon us and for lighting the Devine Spark in our lives.