The Story of Mr. Forrest & Jimmy John's Girl

His Version - It was April 2015 and I had just finished a workday as a boat salesman for Texas Malibu. I went wakeboarding right after work to blow off some steam. Threw my wakeboard in the front seat and drove away without a shirt on because I was still wet. On my way home I decided to stop at Jimmy Johns and order the regular (2 turkey sandwiches). I pull up to the window and this girl says, “that will be 12.68” and before I can hand her my credit card, I involuntarily say “wow you are beautiful”. She gets embarrassed and red in the cheeks. She comes back with my sandwiches and before I drive off, I ask if I can get her phone number (which I never do). Again, she gets flustered and is at a loss for words. You know what, no pressure, here is my business card, text me sometime. Keep in mind my business cards were laminated because I was a boat salesman. I get it, not the best look, shirtless, wakeboard riding shot gun, passing out laminated business cards after I just ordered two sandwiches. I go home and hope she texts me but no such luck. Finally get a text the next day “hey, thanks for making my day yesterday”. I knew I was in! We text back and forth for a few weeks, I ask her to go out on the boat, go to a movie, and she won’t give me a shot. We keep texting and it finally fizzles. I had told my friends about “That Jimmy Johns Girl” but ultimately had to just let it lie. A full summer goes by.

I walk into one of my first classes of the new semester, Macroeconomics. Sure enough Jimmy Johns Girl is sitting right next to me. We did not speak or make contact but there was tension, I think she knew who I was. Halfway through class, she texts me about a question I embarrassingly answered wrong. Then before I can text back, the professor asks her the same questions which she also got completely wrong. Thank you Dr. Vacaflores for the perfect ice breaker. We slowly started talking more and more. By the end of the semester, we were the best of study buddies, staying at the library until 2am, Stacy studying hard, me trying to come up with any excuse to talk to her and not study. Our last study session before finals the next day, I walk her to her car and we kiss for the first time. We quickly went on our first real dates to the lake and to movies just like I originally suggested! 8 short years later, we have remodeled multiple homes together, raised the cutest chocolate lab, travelled our faces off and soon will be MARRIED!

Her Version - I was minding my own business working the drive-thru at Jimmy John's, taking orders and making sandwiches. A car rolls up, the signal dings in my headset and I take a young mans order, two #4's, not thinking much about it. Next thing I know, there is a car pulled up to the window and there is Forrest - handsome, smiley, great hair, tan, shirtless, wakeboard in the passenger seat, and incredibly confident. I fumble through taking his payment and he (to my surprise) tells me I am beautiful and asks for my number. Let's not forget that I am wearing a Jimmy John's uniform inclusive of an apron, ball cap, hair in a bun and covered in mayonnaise. I was not prepared to handle any compliments! Nonetheless, he tells me I am beautiful and little did he know, all employees at Jimmy John's wear headsets to hear the drive-through orders so I am now in full panic mode with my coworkers listening to our conversation. I freeze at the opportunity to provide my cell number and before I can speak again, Forrest is handing me his (laminated?) business card and asks me to call him. I did text him the next day to thank him for the compliment, but we never found the time to go on a date due to my aggressive study antics, stubbornness, and admittedly was a bit caught off guard by whole interaction. I did however enlist the help of my sister, Kate, to stalk his Facebook (filled with only old high school photos) and try to find him on campus. We had no luck and we were off to summer break.

Many months later, Forrest and I wind up in the same Macroeconomics class at Texas State University. We played the long game and slowly but surely became friends. Forrest would switch seats in class every week slowly inching towards me. I did not realize at the time, but Forrest was pursuing me in the most patient, respectful, and loving way. At this point, Forrest finally understood how serious I was about my studies and so he would tag along to the library and sit next to me as I studied and he kept busy fake studying. He finally won me over studying for finals and we went on our first date right after finals were over. It was Kate's graduation weekend and my family was in town - they were as surprised as I was that I was going on a date with a new boy, Mr. Forrest, as my mom called him. We fell in love quickly thereafter and have enjoyed an incredible 8 years together.