Where was I? Right... cavities and skeletons.

The Gentleman recently suggested I like holding onto old skeletons. It knocked something loose and I can’t stop thinking about these circles I seem to keep moving in between. I’ve never done much of a background on any of the names I keep dropping, so I’m taking the opportunity to not only give you the 411 on the men who’ve been keeping my senses engaged this past year, but to hopefully clarify the role each plays and why they are so important in my life.

The Candy Man: Part 2

I met The Candy Man via MySpace last year exactly a week after another crack in my universe appeared. He was awesome and helped me through so much… and not just as a distraction. We actually talked… well, mostly I talked and he listened, but he always inserted the right advice and support exactly when I needed it. He’d been through a similarly emotionally devastating break-up only a few months before and our conversations served as therapy for both of us it seemed. We talked for hours on the phone those first weeks. We didn’t see each other often because of schedules and my living situation at the time.

The first time I met him he picked me up at my office and took me downtown. I was so nervous I didn’t say anything for the first thirty minutes. We walked around Lakeview, his old neighborhood, laughing and strolling through a few of his favorite shops. We ate at a French restaurant, drank white wine, I walked barefoot to his favorite bar in Chicago and then he took me home. That night will always rank high in my favorites of nights.

The next time I saw him, we went to the drive-in and while sitting in the back of his Tahoe he asked if he could put his arm around me. He stayed the night with me in Chicago once, shared a bed with me and never left his side of the bed… even after a pretty heavy make out session. He holds doors, listens to R Kelly, watches Scooby Doo, drinks Capri Sun, likes antique stores and owns his own business. He still runs in the same circle of friends from elementary school and he takes care of his family every chance he gets.

He is a trip and to this day one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. He makes me laugh like no one I’ve ever met before and deep down, under the funny hardass persona he presents, he’s got a great heart and is one of the sweetest men you’ll ever meet.

I didn’t get to see much of that the last time we were together. We were both different…distracted. A few of my friends have met him, but haven’t been able to spend the time getting to know him. It’s too bad really. I missed this man… the way he bounces on his heels when he’s nervous, the sparkle in his eye when he’s laughing, the goofy grin he used to get when he’d see me. The way he always tells me he hears Jason Mraz and can’t help but think of me, his incredibly abnormal and all too familiar sense of humor… our numerous inside jokes.

Regardless of what has or hasn’t happened, I’ve no ill feelings towards him. I’m happy we’re talking again and I’m looking forward to getting to know him again, without all the expectations, the distractions and obstacles.

I’m also glad I can listen to this song again and not feel like something is missing. Jason Mraz’s I’m Yours will always remind me of good times with The Candy Man.