Working behind the bar, it wasn’t long before a customer had an order. Serving a celebration of life at my local golf course in October 2019, in Tampa, Florida, if anything, it felt like a fresh start for me.
Just out of an 18-month relationship with my ex-boyfriend Franc, 33, I was ready to move on and pleased to finally feel safe.
Suddenly becoming violent, Franc and I had an argument that quickly caused him to turn volatile in August 2019.
In that moment, after the police had to get involved, I knew that it was time to get out – he wasn’t a man that I wanted to be with.
Changing my locks for an extra peace of mind, I was simply focusing on myself, not looking for anything serious in particular.
Only, life had other plans.
‘I’ll have a Miller Lite, please,’ a handsome customer asked at the bar that night.
And as the evening went on, the pair of us were chatting away with one another all night – it felt like a breath of fresh air.
Especially as Ricky, then 38, was so lovely.
So much so, we planned our first official date in Chicago, making a day or two of it all.
