Unfiltered Story #416596

I, a very shy and quiet gal in my early thirties, had just moved nearly 2000 miles across the country with my verbally abusive boyfriend.

My boyfriend at the time was against me getting a job (he was all about control and holding his money over my head), but I was now in a brand new place – fresh start – and was secretly planning on dumping him just as soon as I could save enough to get out and make it on my own.

So I applied for a job at a chain pizza place that I had been a manager at for many years at other locations around the country, knowing I would be a shoo-in.

While filling out the paper application at the counter (this was some years ago, before online job marketing became dominant), I glanced around to get the vibe of the place.

The workers seemed laid back and happy, casually chatting and generally having a good time while also not slacking off.

One employee (a delivery driver) in particular made me laugh to myself, because he burst through the door with a gusto of energy and zipped around the kitchen doing this and that while cracking jokes and laughing boisterously. (He had a LOT of energy for a dude in his mid-thirties.)

I noticed his prominent neck tattoo, which was important for me to note, because some franchise locations in this chain had made me cover my tattoos, which was incredibly uncomfortable and messy in a hot kitchen while working with flour and pizza dough.

I decided based on everything I saw that I would enjoy working there.

They hired me a few days later at a good wage, and I took as many shifts as I could get to save up as quickly as possible to get away from Mr. Nightmare Boyfriend Guy.

I got to know and like many of my coworkers very well… except Neck Tattoo (I didn’t know his actual name for months). He and I never spoke, though he was quite social with everyone else. I later found out from another coworker that he thought I was “weird” and didn’t think I would be fun to talk to. Whatever… I am a little weird, so I wasn’t offended.

One night, after six months of working there, I had a closing shift (as a manager) with my closing delivery drivers being a lady coworker I had made friends with, and Neck Tattoo.

My lady coworker friend and I were sitting in the office together at the end of the night while I did some paperwork, and Neck Tattoo came blasting into the store (like usual), with a bag of Arby’s take-out. (It wasn’t unusual for the drivers to swing by somewhere and get themselves food on the way back to the store.)

He joined us in the office and dug into his spoils. We finally chatted a little for the first time, ever. He and the lady driver obviously already knew each other and were friends, so it wasn’t even a one-on-one chat.

I don’t remember what we all talked about (inane stuff), but he was about to clock out and go home for the night. He had one beef ‘n’ cheddar sandwich left that he apparently didn’t want, and he specifically offered it to me.

I was quite hungry, and Arby’s Beef ‘n’ Cheddar happens to be my favorite fast-food sandwich (which he didn’t know), so I happily accepted.

Neck Tattoo left for the night and my lady driver stayed in the office with me while I hungrily dug into the gift of my favorite sandwich.

I jokingly said to my friend, “I’m gonna marry that guy,” and she laughed.

Keeping the rest of the story brief, it took me a year of working there to save up, but I did get out of that awful relationship and got my own place.

Neck Tattoo and I ended up becoming really good friends once we started talking and found out we had a lot in common.

He’s now forty-two, and I’m forty-one – and we’re planning our themed destination wedding for 2027.

(And I am absolutely making the Arby’s sandwich story part of my bridal speech.)