In which Primo slays a dragon for me

Spring 2006 In February, Primo and I go to Morocco to visit my friends Henry and Norah. While we are there, I have a stress attack about Not Having a Job and Not Even Really Looking and Omigod What If Nobody Ever Hires Me Again. It doesn't matter that at Christmas, Primo told me he was in love with me and was Very, Very Serious.

I don't know if I am Serious plus I don't want my decision to be based on being unemployed and needing someone to support me. So I still need a job and then I can decide if I want to be with Primo. Make sense? It made sense to me at the time.

A month or two later, I decide that not only do I need a job but I need Primo to stay away for a while so I can see if I miss him. Primo thinks this is totally stupid and says so, but I tell him that I do not want to see him, talk to him, or email him. For a month. Now he's really mad.

But fine he'll abide by my stupid, stupid wishes.

A week or two into his exile, both my washer and dryer break. On the same day. I figure out what's wrong (broken belt for the dryer, some $16 doohicky that needs to be replaced on the washer), order the parts, and then blog about my drama.

Next thing I know, I have an email from Primo. He has found a cheap flight from an airport 90 miles from Fairvew to my city, which shall henceforth be known as Springfield. He will drive there the next morning for a 9:00 a.m. flight (a real sacrifice for Primo to be up that early on a Saturday), rent a car, and come to my house to repair the machines. If I do not want him to come, I need to call by 8:00 a.m.

Wow. I have had men make some grand gestures before, but this one takes the cake. A guy I was seeing in Albuquerque when I would go on business trips there once said goodbye to me at the hotel and then sped to the airport to get there before me so he could give me a rose. Very nice.

And another boyfriend, the one before Primo, noticed that I was almost out of milk and some other supplies so went to the store while I was at work and filled my fridge and bought me flowers. OK, it was after his first sleepover. I had to go to work, but he didn't, so I didn't get him up before I left. Yes. Easy. Wait. I mean, not easy. You don't know how long I was dating him before he slept over. My mother can never read this.

Never mind.

But to fly to my house just to repair my major appliances? When it's something I could do myself? In theory?

I am very impressed.

So I don't call. I don't even call to tell him yes, come. I do, however, go to Sears to get the part rather than waiting for the one to arrive through the mail.

The next morning, my doorbell rings. It's Primo. He looks nervous. Did he do the right thing? I told him to stay away for a month. I didn't call and tell him to come fix my machines. He's nervous, but he came anyhow and oh if there is anything women like better than a man taking a chance for her, I don't know what.

I smile, open the door, and kiss him.

Then I put him to work.

And it's a good thing he came because it turns out to be a two-person job. But we make the repairs and everything is working again and I realize that I have been very stupid to tell Primo to stay away. So I never do it again. But he breaks up with me a year later and that lasts a lot longer than a week. (Don't worry. We make up.)