The thirteenth of March 2000 will stick in my mind forever. I arrived at work and was introduced to a new department manager. I looked up and knew he was the man I was going to marry. There was one problem: management/staff relationships were not allowed. I had to love him from afar, that is until the fourteenth of March 2001.
I had finally decided to drop every hint in the book. It worked and he threw his phone number at me and told me to ring him if I wanted to go out. After much deliberation I did and he took me out that night, and I knew I’d been right all along. We began a secret relationship. Two weeks later we were laid on the sofa when out of the blue he asked me to marry him… I laughed. I seriously thought he was joking- he wasn’t, and next thing I knew he was down on one knee. I said yes without hesitating. Nearly five months later he still hadn’t bought me a ring, so I decided he would probably wait until Christmas. Then on the 19th of August he took me to Windermere without any explanation. After settling into our hotel he announced we were going for a walk. When we got to the lake he decided to take a rowing boat out, although he’d never rowed before! In the middle of the lake he stopped, got down on one knee and produced the most beautiful ring, and with tears of joy I accepted.
We’ve only been together six months but I know in our hearts we’ve always loved each other. Ian is my best friend, my soul mate and my lover all rolled into one. I waited a year for him to ask me out, and I know I never want to be without him again.
