Missoula News

Making it in Missoula

The “You Made It” (in Missoula) Contest Winner!

By Brook, 1-31-07

And here you have it!  The winner of January’s “You Made It” contest comes from Missoula resident Brook, who gave us the best workplace romance. (And a successful one to boot!) - Big Sis

I figured, as an alternative to therapy, I’d get this out into the public realm.  Not that it matters much, since the “other party” lives 3,000 miles away.  Here goes:

So, I was busy planning events and meetings in my past life at work, and had lots of great co-workers/friends (though mostly folks my own age and mostly females).  Then we had a guy join our team - quiet but sarcastic, educated, great musical taste, earthy/cleaned up very nicely - just my style. 

After working with him for several months (yes, things stayed within the co-worker boundaries. I hadn’t noticed all of those great characteristics in the beginning…I was at work after all), my birthday came around.  A bunch of us had a happy-hour beer-fest, which turned into “closing the place down.” Eventually, my sister and one of my friends pestered him about dating me, though I never even said anything about “liking” this guy. 

When I came back from the bathroom (that’s where I was when this went down), everyone just smirked at me.  Clueless as I was, he and I ended up going to a PGA tournament later in the weekend. (Yes, there are female golfers in the world, including in Missoula.) This led to a golf tournament between the two of us the following weekend, and the loser had to buy the first pitcher of margaritas post-tourney.  So, I lost—by a point or something ludicrous—but ended up winning later that evening, if you get my drift.

This romance continued for several months, interrupted only by the fact that I now live 3,000 miles away.  And the kicker is NO ONE knew about it at work until someone mentioned my name at a party after I left for Missoula and his roommate spilled the beans.

Brook received the You Made It bouquet (courtesy of Bitterroot Flowers) and a bottle of wine (courtesy of Ten Spoon Winery) delivered to her workplace today.

Stay tuned to www.newwest.net/makingit for February’s “You Made It” contest, and enter your story (or a friend’s!) for your chance to win next month!

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