Story Time: The MACK List — Part 3

Even now, thinking back to The Boardwalk Serenader brings a smile to my face. We had so many fun dates — the kind that make you feel like you’re living inside a movie montage. I was genuinely sad when he left to pursue his master’s degree in another state… many states away from me.

We’d grown close, but we never crossed into “officially an item” territory. Still, with his romantic flair and my need for adventure (and apparently closure), we decided to give ourselves one final date — and we got to pick how it ended.

We went to dinner, shared some tears, an epic going-away gift from me, and then… an impromptu skinny dip in the Columbia River. It was invigorating — the kind of moment that burns itself into your memory, equal parts wild and freeing.

The Self-Proclaimed MACK

Then there was Mr. I Am Your MACK. Perhaps I fell too quickly. Perhaps I got a little too attached. But none of that matters when someone’s still in love with an ex — and I believe in karma.

Spoiler alert, ironically though he would circle back.

Enter: THE MAN IN A SUIT

But let’s get back to The Man in a Suit.

It’s funny how life works. I had trained this man once upon a time, yet I honestly couldn’t remember it — nor could I place him. Frankly, he had seemed completely uninteresting and unremarkable back then.

Was he smart? Yes.
Talented in his line of work? Absolutely.
Could I tell you what he looked like? Nope.
Hair color? Not a clue.

And yet… there he was.

I’d place him around 5’11” to 6’, sprawled across his desk and our colleagues’, heading into the third colleague’s territory — his hand outstretched toward me.

The Scene

Now, I was looking mighty fine that morning. Heels in hand. Half a something-or-other hanging from my mouth (my attempt at breakfast). AirPods in.

That evening, I had a date lined up with an attorney — thank you, divorce proceedings — and I felt very much like I understood the assignment.

One of my colleagues grabbed my arm and nodded toward The Man in a Suit.

I spun around, shocked to see that he had almost managed to reach me, even though I was on the other side of the desks, headed toward my own by the window. (The window is important — we’ll get to that later.)

Removing my AirPods, I asked something dumb, like, “Did you need something?”

A minute too late, he recoiled and returned to a standing position. I swear his face was as red as a tomato.

“No, I just wanted to say hi.”

Y’all… this man had thrown himself across desks just to say hi.

I knew I had to play it cool. But believe me, I was swooning inside.

“Hi,” I replied, spinning back around to take my seat as my colleagues grumbled and righted their desks.

P.S. The Man in a Suit plays a major role over the next few segments… and the next time he made a move? Let’s just say the window came into play.