by AJ Rodriguez
Thirteen might be an unlucky number for some, but it so happens that for him it’s become lucky.
Thirteen years ago, he met someone online. He was charming, Puerto Rican, stocky, funny, hella cute, and had a lot going for himself. Everything he was attracted to. It all seemed great on paper. But how that would translate into real life was the better question.
One summer evening, they both mutually agreed to meet up. Dinner, drinks, and a movie were on the menu, and anything else was just icing on the cake. Upon meeting, they instantly hit it off. It felt as if they had known each other for years. It was true love at its core. The courtship lasted a few weeks until they agreed that they should date.
Everything was great until insecurities set in. One of them felt fat and un-sexy. That led to problems in the bedroom, which, in turn, broke them up in just a matter of months. They mutually agreed to be just friends and have fun on those occasions when a familiar face was all you wanted, without having sex.
Both failed in other attempts at dating. One would always compare his new beau with his true love. The other would try to be happy.
One night, a few years later, after way too many frozen Cosmos, they kissed. It felt as if nothing ever changed. The love and respect was still there. It was only fitting that they resumed dating. This time around, it lasted around six months before one big misunderstanding broke up the perfect coupling.
It became clear that, while dating had its perks, being great friends meant something deeper. They quickly discovered that if they were both alone, and needed to let off steam, they could count on each other. A friend with benefits.
As time passed by, failed relationships after failed relationships, they both still felt attracted to each other. When one was sick, they’d take care of each other as if they were life partners. One evening, one of the friends tried to tell the other that he was in love—with him. He never got a chance to, being that the other was talking to someone new. 
But on a get-together, on a snowy night, surprisingly, the one who was talking to someone new found himself single and popped the question the other had tried to ask weeks before. “We’re both single. They say ‘third time’s the charm.’ Let’s do this?” he said. Although skeptical at first, the guy knew exactly what he meant.
Fast-forward, 13 years later, third time dating. There’s still romance and respect. Both their mothers love the idea. There’s the cooking of arroz con pollo. The pet names for each other. Except something is different this time around. This time, the look in their eyes is different—and it feels like it never ended.
Here’s hoping it never will.
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To learn more about AJ,
visit The AJay Rodriguez Blog.
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be understood to be shared by Being Latino, Inc.
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