The First Phone Calls

On October 17th, I was sitting in a meeting at work when I looked down at my phone and saw that Joseph Van Zant sent me a message on facebook.  I could hardly contain my excitement. It had been exactly two weeks since I met this boy, and I had almost given up hope. I hadn't stopped thinking about him in those two weeks, but I was thinking the chances of him responding to my message were becoming slimmer and slimmer. The message said, "Hey you! Sorry I don't get on facebook to often. Here's my number though lets chat soon!" Followed by a phone number! I was dying. It was a Friday around 3:00, and I wanted nothing more than to get off work and talk to Joseph. As soon as I was out of that meeting I booked it out of work and sent him a message. Something along the lines of, "Hey, this is Tara, thanks for your phone number! I'd love to chat, how's your Friday?" To which I held my breath............


and waited some more........


By Saturday afternoon I was fed up. I had already come up with a million reasons why this boy never texted me back, including a very detailed story of him going on a camping trip just immediately after he sent me the fb message, where he had no access to him phone or any electronics and was probably eaten by a bear and I would never hear from him again. I did the usual, "BOYS ARE THE WORST" speech in my head and to anyone that would listen to me that weekend. He never replied, what message was he sending? He wanted to chat, but yet didn't?! He gave me his number, but then never replied! What kind of boy was this?!?!?!

Tuesday after work I was at the gym, and during my cool down I got on my phone and was checking facebook. It was hard not to notice if he posted something since I had memorized what his profile pic looked like and my heart almost stopped every time I saw it. He had written something on facebook that day, not too long ago... so I felt like this was my last chance. I responded to his fb message with a message of my own, and I was going to make it a little sassy while I was at it. I'll show this boy with no response to my text whats up.

"Joseph! I'm down for chatting with you! My number is _____. I texted you but didn't hear back. So... Tag! You're it. Call or text if you want." (Followed by a winky face, thats right!)

Not 5 minutes after I sent that message was my phone ringing with a number I had recently saved as Joseph Van Zant. My heart skipped about 10000 beats and I answered. The boy on the other line said, "Tag! You're it!!!"

And then the conversing began. He apologized for not getting back to me. Said that he hated texting and was planning on calling me that day already! Talking with Joseph was like catching up with an old friend. Sure we had to get to know each other, but it was so easy to talk to him. Not even 15 minutes into the call he was teasing me about the way I say the name of the streets in Utah. He knew I was not a local. He got my back story, I got his. We chatted about the mission. I told him I knew we had things in common the first time I met him because we both think I'm really funny. He laughed a lot at that one! Before I knew it an hour had gone by, and he asked me on a date. The only problem was it was a Tuesday, and he asked me out for the following Tuesday. 7 days I had to wait for a date with this boy. 7 DAYS!!! I thought I could die waiting so long....

Two days later he calls me while I'm at work, and I answer. He seemed surprised, and he asked me when I got off work. He asked me if he could call me then, and taught me what a phone date was. I don't remember the details of that call as much, but I do remember him double checking that we had a date the next Tuesday. It was like this boy was excited to take me out or something!

The Monday before our date, he calls me again, and leaves me the most adorable voicemail. He wanted to chat about our date the next day! So I called him back, and I remember his exact words. "I want to plan the best first date you've ever been on, and I feel like I know you, but I really don't know you..." Then he goes on to ask me lots of "would you rather" type questions to get to know me, and he goes on to plan what will go down in history as the best first date ever!