After I met your mother

Chapter IV

3 days later.

After Robin, Barney, Marshall and Lily left New York; I had to make a decision on my plans for my career. I had many options, I could join another architecture firm, and design more buildings for companies such as GNB, I could reinvent Mosbius designs, or I could once again, become a lecturer at the local college. After a lot of thinking, I decided that what I enjoyed most and what I was best at, was giving lectures so that was what I decided to do again. I emailed the college stating that I would like to start again, which they accepted and said that I could continue in a week's time. I phoned up Marshall to tell him the good news, which he was delighted by because that was one of my best job's ever, and he was happy for me to kick-start that again.

I was very excited about this, but not as excited as I was for my date with Tracy that night, we were going to a very fancy restaurant that was highly acclaimed. At 7 o'clock, I left my apartment, which I had grown fond of ever since I purchased it a year ago, and called out a Taxi to Tracy's apartment.

We arrived shortly afterwards, and Tracy looked stunning. I stood there for several seconds, staring at her, tongue-tied. She smiled and said, "Hi Ted!" Before embracing me and entering the cab that I had at the side of the road.

"This place that we're going is this Chinese restaurant up on 5th, I've never been there, but Marshall and Lily recommended me to bring you here." I told here.

"I can't wait, Chinese food Is the best I used to have takeaway Chinese all of the time, but then I started to get out more, so I haven't really thought about it since." Tracy said.

" Why did you just start going out to meet people a few years ago?" I asked her.

"Well, I loved this guy, through high school and college but he died young, and it took me a long time to get over it. I still feel sad when I think about him." She said sadly. I then put my arm around her and responded, " That must have been rough to lose someone who meant so much to you. This is a part of you that I would like to hear about, it's fine to talk about it with me."

Tracy smiled to herself when I said this. "Thanks Ted," she said," This really means a lot to me."

We then pulled up to the restaurant a few minutes later, and it was amazing, the Architecture was amazing, and the setting of the place was great.

"Tracy there is something I want to tell you." I told her.

"Ok, what is it." Tracy asked, looking up at me."

"four years ago, I was going to get engaged to this girl called Stella. But she left me at the altar for this guy, the father of her daughter. To be honest, I like Tony, he's a great guy, and I've got over Stella leaving me." I finished looking over at her.

"That sounds a lot like the movie the wedding bride." Tracy noticed

That night was amazing. The food was great, Tracy and me had a great time, I was really starting to care about her, and I wanted to make her happy at every opportunity.

After the dinner, when we were walking out together, laughing about when I knocked over the glass of wine, when the waitress brought it over, "Her face when the wine spilt on her was hilarious," Tracy said laughing, " your reaction was funnier though, your face said, Oh my god what have I done?" She said imitating me which made both of us laugh."

"Before we go I want to show you something." I told Tracy.

I led her to the GNB building. I pointed at it. " You see that building over there." I said.

"Yeah I see it, it's quite a nice building isn't it." She analysed.

" Well guess who designed it." I asked. After several guesses, she realised.

"You designed it didn't' you." I nodded in reply.

" My friend Barney got me the job as the GNB official designer of the new building, and I had a design and a plan which everyone loved, especially Architecture weekly, where they called it modern classism. But it is just a building. Well Time magazine may have dubbed it more than just a building. But it's just a building."

We talked and laughed all of the way back to her apartment, until she asked, " Do you want to come inside." She asked.

I responded instantly, " I would love to."

My heart was pounding as I was following Tracy up the steps leading to her apartment.

"Well. " Tracy said casually." This is it." Her apartment was small, but comfortable. I looked around her apartment and was amazed at what I saw.

"Some of the stuff is kinda nerdy, but I like it." Tracy said.

"This place is great. Wait. You have a calligraphy set? " I asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I know, I know it's nerdy."

"I love calligraphy I've got a set of my own!"

"Really? Wow. I've never met someone who is interested in calligraphy. "

We sat down, and talked for ages about different things, like our childhoods and this was the moment when I realised that this girl was the one. When I was sitting in her apartment, with a coin collection, calligraphy set, a shackle from the renaissance fair and our favourite books, which we both had similar tastes, listening to her laugh.