There are two different versions of this story: only one is true! Some say this particular February holiday Catskills ski trip and its setting was magical! There were lots of great-looking people, a huge ski-adjacent facility, and cocktails (that activity started on the bus rides from DC, Baltimore, and other cities. As part of the early weekend activities, a disco night party had all of us ready to fire up the dance floor.
Curtis, a Baltimore native and school psychologist, caught Dallas raised Tony's observant journalist eye and a single dance between them turned into two, three, or maybe four. Then someone decided they needed to go to his room to change his shirt. Tony offered to go with him to make sure he arrived there safely and to assist, if needed. Curtis left alone.
Here's where the facts are not so clear: Curtis says he returned -- after some time -- in a dry and different shirt to dance some more. Tony, says that did not happen. Curtis missed his shot. Curtis insists that Tony left the dance party and went -- elsewhere. LOL!
The next morning Tony approached Curtis' friends at breakfast; asking his whereabouts and welfare. No real information was shared but a full war-room vetting session was initiated from the 10-guest round table. Tony answered some, but not all. As he thanked them all and prepared to find his friends, the table talent shared a melodic, but sincere response: "We will let him know you stopped by" rang out in unison. Tony left to enjoy his waffles, chicken, mimosas, and sausage. He took their hot sauce with him!
Curtis and Tony connected about midday and agreed to do something outside of the event's planned excursions. One quick stop by the front desk and a call to the local taxi company (pre-Uber days) and there they were: in a Mexican restaurant sharing top-shelf margaritas at the bar. Tony's with salt rim; for Curtis, not so much. A playlist of music in the little Latino hole-in-the-wall was non-traditional: Lisa Fischer, Ledisi, Chante Moore, Shanice, Jill Scott, India Arie, and En Vogue.
Upon returning to Baltimore/DC, with the exception of a bad seafood meal they shared on DC's 8th Street SE, the couple has been together ever since (despite how Curtis despised the now-defunct restaurant's crab cake and its version of cream of crab soup). On a subsequent date, Curtis introduced Tony to a real crab cake and cream of crab soup. And those are the "facts."
That was 2014; Curtis still offers side-eye to any bad crab cake or cream of crab soup he comes in contact with; Tony seeks Mexican food and margaritas outings as often as possible. Together, they manage to "ease the pain," "live life like it's golden," and share their journey's adventure together just "like this."
