Anne: Shopping Day - June 1 1982 - Anne Hits The Jackpot !!

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This is a true love story of how Anne & Dick first met, in Anne's own words.

Love Story - by Anne Bemedetto

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I stopped at a big furniture store on Route 28 called Bigelow's. I went in and looked around for quite awhile. I kept going back to this one piece of furniture. It was a Queen Anne style chest. I really liked it but I didn't really like the price tag. It was grossly expensive. There were only two salespeople on the floor and the store was really busy. Since no one had yet tried to talk me into buying it, I walked out of the store. My next stop was a small furniture store in the Methuen Mall.

At the mall, I found a really adorable tilt-top stenciled table. It was nowhere near as expensive as the chest. It appeared to be exactly the size I needed. So without further adieu, I bought it. It wasn't very heavy so I carried it to the car myself. While walking to the car I was thinking how lucky I was to have a four-door. It would be easy to get it into the back seat. Just as I got to my car, one of the legs fell off the table. I couldn't believe it! I was both angry and disappointed. I immediately went back to the store and demanded my money back. They tried to give me a different one but I wasn't interested. Once I had my money, I decided that I had had enough for one day so I returned to my aunt's house.

Late on Sunday afternoon, one of my cousins came to stay with my aunt so I could return to Boston. From Methuen, Salem NH is in the opposite direction from Boston. Just before I got on the highway to go home, I changed my mind and headed for Salem. I had continued to think about that really nice chest. Even though I thought it was a little pricey, I was going to buy it! As I walked into Bigelow's, I saw a man doing some paperwork at one of the dining room tables. He had on a name tag that identified him as the store manager. When I walked up to him, he stood up and extended his hand in greeting. I was taken aback at how tall and good looking he was. His name was Dick Benedetto.

I explained that I was there to buy the chest. I told him that I had been in the day before but that no one was available to wait on me. He apologized and told me that, at that particular time, he had been at another store. He then told me that he could do a little better on the price. That was enough for me. I bought it.

I was concerned that it would not fit in my back seat but he assured me that it would. After the transaction was complete, he offered to carry it to the car for me. It fit in the back seat perfectly. I thanked him very much. I opened the driver's door to get in the car when he said, "May I ask you a question?" The question was, "Would you consider going out on a date with me, if you're available?" IF I'm available! I'll say I'm available! Instead of immediately climbing over the hood of the car to get to him, I nonchalantly said, "Yes, I think I would like that." What an actress. However, as quickly as I had become excited, I became unexcited. I suddenly realized that I knew something he did not. Location, location, location!!

I thought to myself, "You might as well get it over with." I looked at him and said, "You may change your mind when I tell you that I don't live around here. Not anymore. I live in Boston." I could not believe it when he said, "That's okay. I live in Watertown."

It was an entire week before he called. I was struggling to get my apartment door unlocked while the phone was ringing. I just made it to the phone before he hung up. We had our first date the next night. He told me that, had I not answered the phone, he probably would have lost his nerve and would not have called back. Whew!

I couldn't believe my good fortune at being the 1 in 920,000. No one will ever convince me that the leg falling off that table wasn't fate. Or that my making it to the phone on time wasn't fate. I'm hoping that someday the joy of our meeting will overshadow the sorrow of our parting. Thirty-one fabulous years, and they were fabulous, is what I want to remember above all else.