I had just gotten out of a long-term relationship, in fact the only relationship that I had every had. Nearly a year had passed. I had kept to myself during that time I was not interested in being involved with anyone let alone having sex.
I had decided to do something that I had never done before, go on an overseas holiday. I had never set foot on a plane before let alone gone on vacation to another country. I made all the necessary travel arrangements and before I knew it, I was on my way.
I was a bundle of nerves, not knowing what to expect, let alone what I was going to do once I reached my destination. So I took a few deep breaths and decided that I would just relax and soak up the sun and learn what it was to socialize once again.
Each time I went downstairs into the bar at my hotel, I felt like I had a thousand eyes upon me. This was not the case – it was just that I was not used to being single, let alone on a vacation by myself. I did my best to cover up my feelings of wanting to run and hide by smiling at people and saying a polite hello. I thought to myself that I must be crazy for thinking I could actually go away on vacation and relax, let alone make a few new friends along the way. I felt so out of touch with what it was like to just be me, and what the meaning of enjoyment was.
A week had gone by, I had done the tourist thing, seen the sights, take a million photos and talked to some of the locals and amazingly I had started to feel more at ease in my new environment. Saturday night was approaching and I decided to take a chance and go see a band that was playing in one of the many bars close to my hotel.
I was never one to go overboard with dressing up, besides it was so dam hot and humid, there was no point. I showered, put on minimal makeup, changed, took a few deep breaths and headed towards the bar that had been recommended to my by some of the locals.
After a 15 minute walk, I was there, the place was absolutely packed. I stood at the doorway wondering if I should go in, or turn around and run for my life. I thought to myself, what the hell, and walked up to the bar and ordered a drink. I table of women close by heard my accent and asked me to go over and sit with them. I felt like I had been saved, they were fantastic – I felt like I had known them for years. I was not one to drink a lot of alcohol, but I did not want to be rude and say no when one of the women offered to buy me a drink. It was a shot of Watermelon Schnapps. I held the glass to my lips and down it wet, and it tasted great.
The band was playing, the place was pumping. I had never experienced anything like it before in my life. Everyone was there just having a good time. It was not like some of the places where I am from. Maybe it was my perception at the time, but it felt so much friendlier. As I sat there listening to the band and indulging in conversation, I felt as if I was being watched. I looked across the bar and there was a table of men talking and drinking, but one of them was looking straight at me. He smiled and I smiled back then turned away with a feeling of "oh my god" washing over me.
I thought I was just imagining things, but inside it made me feel good to be acknowledged b someone of the opposite sex. Let alone someone that I viewed as totally handsome. I got up with the women at the table and we hit the dance floor for a few songs. The band was incredible and I was soaking up the moment. I casually glanced over to where the man that smiled at me was sitting but he was no longer there. I sighed a little and then, oh well!!!
When the song ended I went and sat back down at the table and ordered a drink. While sitting there just people watching, I heard this male's voice behind me say hello. I turned around and it was him, the man that had smiled at me earlier. I nearly fell out of my chair in shock, to the point I even looked behind me to see if he was talking to someone other than me.
He had the most amazing smile, the kind that could light up a room anywhere. I stood up to say hello, he was about 6ft 2, very athletic looking, with incredible blue eyes. He seemed a little shy, but I liked that because it made me feel less nervous. He asked me to dance and I said yes without even thinking about it. He held me close and sang along with the song the band was playing. I can still remember the words.
I felt like I was dreaming and I thought any moment I was going to wake up. He got me another drink and we sat down at a table and talked. He told me about where he was from, and asked me a million questions. I did something very out of character and left the bar with him and we walked down towards the beach. We kept talking as we walked and he gently reached down and held my hand as we walked along. There were some sprinklers that were running and spraying over the path we needed to use, so he lifted me up and put me on top of the retaining wall that ran alongside the path so I did not get wet. He took my hand again and walked through the sprinklers as I walked along the length of the wall. It may seem corny to some, but it was one of the most romantic gestures that I have ever experienced.