June 9th, 1998. That's when it all started.
Well, ok. Not TECHNICALLY...

You really have to go back to 1991- 92.  That's when we both started working
at LaRosa's Phone Center taking orders for Pizza (and over 40 other items!)
Anyway... It started as merely an acquaintance.  Soon, we were both promoted from just being Operators, to being Supervisors.  We went from taking orders, to listening to people complain.  And complain they did.  Too much pepperoni, not enough pepperoni.  My order's late, mine arrived too soon.  It was our job to make the customers happy.  Trust me, it was harder than it should have been.  I really think some people just like to complain so they can hear themselves talk.
Sorry, where was I... ahh yes.
We worked together Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights.  For some reason, we always seemed to find a way to sit next to each other.  Not that we HAD to.  It just, kinda happened.

Neither one of us certainly minded.  We enjoyed each others company very much.  And we soon built a very nice friendship.  We grew more comfortable around each other every day.  Maybe it was working till 1am every Saturday (ok, Wendy got out at midnight, but for some reason always worked for someone else so she could stay), but we would still sit and talk for hours in the parking lot afterwards.  She'd lay her head on my shoulder when she was tired.  I'd walk her to her car (which for some reason would take longer than it should).  It's funny, our co-workers knew it long before we did.  I admit, I thought about it.  But Wendy always had this rule...
"I don't date anybody I work with..."
Ok, fine.  But ya know, it was her fault for not telling me she would have made one exception!

Well, finally her career took her elsewhere.  Mine didn't.  So there's my chance right?
Nope.  She happened to already be dating somebody when she left.
I was just being a good friend.  I was happy for her.  

Then one night at work I received a phone call.  It was Wendy (we hadn't spoken for quite some time).  She was crying and I knew why.  We talked about it for a while, then set up dinner the next night to talk some more.  I didn't know it at the time, but I was the only friend she could get a hold of that night.  Luckily, I was there for her.  As a friend should be.

We kept in touch, and a couple of months later, our friend Anna was having a graduation party.  
That's when it all came together...

Since both Wendy and I were going to Anna's party, we thought we'd go together.  I'm very glad we did.  Unbeknownst to me, Anna's boyfriend felt somewhat threatened by Anna's and mine's friendship.  So when we arrived, Anna had taken Wendy aside and asked her to kind of pretend that Wendy and I were dating.  She agreed  and everyone had a great time.
Two funny observations here... 1. I didn't find any of this out until after the party.
2. I noticed no difference in the way Wendy behaved around me... hmmmmmmmm
Anyway, after the party I had to go to work, as I was leaving the car to walk in the building, that's when the bomb dropped.  She told me about Anna's little ploy.  We both had a nice little laugh.
Then she says this... "So what do you think?"

  What the *&#%@?

You can't just say that when I have to leave!  Make me go to work and stew on a question like that all night!  How rude!  I was a freaking wreck all night! 
Now I had a pretty good idea of what she was asking, but I didn't know for sure.  What if I was wrong?  Anyway, my 25th birthday was in three days and we decided we'd talk more about it then.  Man, what a wait.  It felt like years.

So on May 28th, after work, I went over to Wendy's place.  We talked for a couple of hours.  You know, the pros and cons of friends "hooking up" (which, by the way, is the best way to go).  Anyway, as luck would have it, my friend Mike and I had bought tickets (4) to see the Broadway Musical of Beauty and the Beast.  It just so happened I had a spare ticket. ; )
I asked Wendy if she'd like to go and she said yes. 

That picture up top was taken by Mike on our ride back from the show.
It's felt just as right ever since.