Gay.com ID: bufferboy and chrislvlnd31 (Todd and Chris)

Ages: 36 and 31

How long have you been together?
 since September 2001

How and when did you meet?
Todd was separated from his partner and decided it was time to be himself. He messaged a few individuals on Gay.com to establish a circle of friends like himself in hopes of finding that special someone. On September 1, 2001, Chris wrote an e-mail to Todd, letting him know that he liked his profile. The rest all fell into place. We started chatting frequently on Gay.com, learning about each other and building an interest in meeting. We needed to know what was clicking between us online was going to be the same in person.

What drew you together?
We were drawn together by the number of interests we shared. We both love the theater arts. Chris is big on Cirque du Soleil, Todd on Broadway shows. We both share a love of music. Each of us loves to dine out and take in a simple movie. Each of us travels. I guess the important part was that while online we each showed the other that we valued his opinion, whether we agreed or disagreed. We showed respect.

Share the story of your first date or meeting:
Our first date was on September 9, 2001. Todd drove three hours from Wyoming to Fort Collins, Colorado. We had arranged to meet in a Safeway supermarket parking lot close to where Chris worked. So we found each other, and Todd drove Chris back to his apartment and presented him with a "Let's get acquainted gift" -- a candle and candleholder. The first moment Chris saw Todd in person he knew he was the one for him forever. We hugged each other a while, then Chris took Todd to the Olive Garden, where we shared a wonderful meal, both of us intrigued that the other was actually there in front of us.

We had a lot to talk about, and Todd did not need to be back in Wyoming until the night of September 11, 2001. So he spent two nights getting know Chris more, with Chris being a very respectable host. That morning, we awoke to the World Trade Center attack. We both felt such loss, and an increased sense of respect for life. Both of us knew we needed to be true to ourselves and live life to the fullest.