Just like Carrie, I thought I’d stay single forever. But I guess every man has his match.
I met Antoni while I was at Le Six Seven in Paris a few months ago while I was there for New Years. I was hanging out with my crew, and he was hanging out with his, and immediately, he stood out from the rest of his Italian mobster posse. Not necessarily because of his looks (though he’s a definite looker), but because of his shirt; it read “Fiscally Republican, Socially Democrat, Sexually Liberal”. I thought, “Hmm… an interesting fella, I gotta talk to that guy.” Like I’ve said before, my foreign language skills (not to mention my bravura) increases exponentially while in the liquored-up stage, and so we did, for what felt like hours. I learned that his name is Antoni Diamante, he’s 24, and he’s an Italian student studying architecture from Rome in Paris for the holidays. We danced a bit, he introduced me to his friends, and I did likewise. He asked if I wanted to go with him to Le Milliardaire, an afterhours club nearby, but I told him that I was with my friends, and I couldn’t leave them (Kat and Frances know very little French). I gave him my French number, and I told him we could have lunch the next day.
I didn’t expect him to call, but around 11am the next morning, he sent me a text, inviting me out to a late lunch at L’Ambassade d’Auvergne in the Marais. I said yes, figuring it was safe enough. Dinner is definitely a date and breakfast is definitely just breakfast, but lunch? Now, that’s up for debate.
One of the millions of things Parisians do best is eating; they’ve got it down to a science. Aperatifs, then salads, cheese, appetizer, entrée, dessert, more cheese, and bottles and bottles of wine; before you know it, you’ve spent four hours in a restaurant. In those four hours, Antoni and I basically talked about everything under the sun. One of the things that I like about him is that I could talk to him about virtually anything, from the inane to the intense, and every shade in between. He’s funny to boot. Not the beer-bong-slapstick-comedy kind of funny, but more of the I-read-a-lot -funny variety. Rule Broken # 1: No relationships with people I’ve met in clubs/bars.
For the next few days, we played tourists in Paris together until Kat, Frances, and I left for Prague. Antoni and I kept in contact, mostly emails, and on some occasions, video chat, but I thought nothing of it. After all, I don’t do long distance relationships.
Then came spring break; I think it all came too fast, my head is still adjusting. He had mentioned a couple of times that he wanted to visit California; he even asked for my address, but I brushed it off aside, thinking that he’s not really going to come. To my surprise, when I got home, he was sitting in my couch next to my mom and my nephews and nieces. I couldn’t believe it at first, but I guess he was the surprise that my mother was talking about; I thought it was my auntie from Vancouver whom I haven’t seen in awhile that’s visiting.
We spent the next few days together. I took him around my favorite spots in San Diego: South Carlsbad Beach. SeaWorld (and of course, the requisite beer pairing sessions courtesy of Anheuser-Busch). La Jolla Cliffs. Blacks Beach in La Jolla. Mount Soledad. Mission Beach/Ocean Beach. San Ysidro Outlet Mall.
On Thursday, while we were enjoying the sunset at the cliffs, out of nowhere, he dropped in one knee (I know, how traditional of him), revealed this beautiful bracelet (because he knows I’m not a big fan of rings), asked for my hand and said “I’m yours forever, will you be mine?”
I’ve learned from some people that there’s no preparing anyone for “the moment”, but when it happens, you’ll know. And in this instance, I did. Rule Broken #2: No long-distance relationships.
Luckily, Prop 8 didn’t pass, and so we can get married. He’s still has a few months before finishing his degree in architecture, and I still have a couple of years until I’m finished, so we’re in no rush. He’s trying to get a job out here in California, but with the way the economy’s tanking like Arizona’s performance against Louisville on the Sweet Sixteen this year, prospects are a bit gloomy.
Mark Anthony Diamante. That has a good ring to it.
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