Tuesday, October 28, 2008

And I said, I've gotta be honest...

Yesterday I was on Dashboard Confessional's site trying to find when his tour would be coming around these parts, because Aileen is on that tour with the Plain White T's. I thought it would be fun to scream my lungs out to some Dashboard while hanging out with a friend. Unfortunately, they're playing TODAY in Connecticut, so that plan was a bust.

However, my "websurfing" was not - I came upon this picture on the Dashboard news/blog page -


- and I had this weird moment. I recognize that couch, I thought. Those walls. I know that room... and then I remembered that Dashboard has been recording his/their latest album with Adam Schlesinger, who, last year, was producing Motion City Soundtrack's album.

It was February 2007, and my new friend Jesse told me I should stop by "the studio" after work to pick him up, as Erica, Jesse, and I were going to see The Matches that night. I was totally psyched, but more cause I was invited to this little enclave of music-making for a band I just happened to like...a lot. Jesse was an awesome dude, already proving to be a fun time, and I generally approved of him - cause he was interested in my best friend. (Okay, I know, this is getting tricky, maybe I'll tell THAT whole story another day...) Anyway, I met him at the studio, and I sat on that couch that's pictured, probably totally smiling (and squealing on the inside) while he played me a couple of cuts from what would eventually be Motion City Soundtrack's Even if it Kills Me.

After we left the studio, we grabbed a cab to meet up with Erica for dinner before the show, and, like typical rush-hour Manhattan, we got held up in traffic. It didn't seem to phase either of us though, because we had the best conversation. You know, one of those conversations. You're talking about nothing and everything and suddenly it's very deep but there's a nice rhythm between your exchange of words, with dabbles of joined laughter and smiling silences...

When I got out of the cab, my stomach felt weird. What was that?? Oh, right. We dined with Erica, then went to the show and met up with friends. We continued to joke and hold conversation with ease. We headed to the afterparty, and then as the night neared it's end, I just told him:
"By the way, I like you."

It didn't feel strange though; he smiled, didn't say much, and I told him I'd see him tomorrow, at another show. I love that night. We both regard it as pretty awesome. Because - hey oh! - now we're engaged! And so that story literally rushed into my mind yesterday when I recognized that couch in that picture and realized the last time I was in that room.

One final note - Carrabba, I'm going to veto corduroy hats, thanks -

13 comments:

  1. Aww, I always wondered how you and Jesse came to be!

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  2. I totally just felt butterflies when I read that story. So cute!
    You actually just may have passed on a little crush mojo to me. I need to "By the way, I like you" to someone!

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  3. I liked that story a lot! I was wondering how you guys met!

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  4. That story is so cute!

    I am a big fan of singing dashboard at the top of my lungs while drunk at 4 am with my friends.

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  5. totally just teared up reading this hahaha!

    have a great day jessica!

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  6. jamie - yeah, i always make the first move! ha! :)

    kristen - do it! can't know until you do it. i've never had the patience to wait for a dude to make the move.

    liz - now you know! (kinda!) haha, it's not the whole story, but a part of the beginning :)

    ginny - yessssssss dashboard sing a longs! how fun! i do it by myself way too often. ha.

    sabrina - aw, sabrina! thanks, you too!

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  7. you forgot to mention that you also met me that night, which was awesome as well haha, and weren't the seats at adam's studio super comfy? i wanted to fall asleep when i went there.

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  8. adam - it's true! jesse introduced me to you that night. and the super comfyness went unremembered, probably because i was so stoked out of my mind.

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  9. EEEP! although you two totally barf me out all the time, i don't really ever get sick of hearing these stories again. i pretty much just consider myself lucky to be along for the ride. it was TOTES obvs that night at dinner that you two had a connection (third wheel status BEGIN!).

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  10. aw what a gorgeous story, so sweet, and innocent. Yay for you two.
    I want to hear the story of your first meeting.

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  11. I think I just threw up all over my keyboard. Luckily, Steven is still on his honeymoon so I can just switch 'em out.

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  12. the dagger - you were there for it all! :) woo!

    toni-marie - in time, in time!

    jonah bayer - that's the exact reaction i'm going for, actually. thanks!

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  13. i love little stories like that! so simple but filled with tons of meaning. :)

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