The Holiday

I like to think of myself as rational, responsible, and, most of all, sane. I'm the type of girl their friends call when their in trouble and the type of girl that boys know they can happily take home to mother. I'm not prone to outlandish behaviour and besides a few drunken make-out sessions in university, my love life isn't likely to raise eyebrows. Then I went on holiday this year...

It was a Thursday night in Waikiki beach. The breeze was warm, the stars were out, and the sidewalks full of scantily clad tourists weaving their way between hotels and bars. Me and my friends were in line in front of a club that was recommended to us by our waiter. So, we were just waiting there in a cute outfits, all glossed up and ready to dance when out of the corner of my eye I saw a cute boy. I didn't really look at him but I did notice him head into the club...a bit too young maybe but cute. Hurry line-up, I want to dance!

Finally we are in the club and it is portioned up because the under and over 21 years olds must be separated. We get drinks and slide into the 21+ section onto velvet couches. Not a minute later, he was there asking us to join him and his friend at their table. We accepted and moved over to sit with him. His friend was all over my sister though it would be all for not since she was very happily taken. So that left my friend and I to talk with him, the cute boy from the lineup. Let's call him: Matt.

I don't remember what we were talking about...what we did for work and other such stuff. I thought he was interested in my friend because she is cute and petite and Matt wasn't all that tall. We were all getting along and when he got up to get a drink, I told her that he was interested in her. She laughed: "Umm, Summer, he clearly is into you. He is staring right into your eyes." I laughed and thought she was silly. As fabulous as I am, I know that I'm not the type of girl you hit on at the bar (see aforementioned responsibility and rationality).

But then Matt was back and he did seem to be looking at me; asking me if I wanted a drink; asking me if I wanted to dance. As soon as we got up to dance, I knew she was right: he was into me. I felt giddy - could I possibly have a holiday fling? Could I have an exciting story to go home with besides my usual fare? When we kissed, I knew it was going to happen. I wasn't going to be Summer the Sane - I was on vacation!

He had to work the next day but we exchanged numbers to text so we could go out together the next night. He sent me a cute, flirty text right away and I was feeling all sorts of good. I couldn't wait for the next night to come. The girls thought it was funny - they didn't really believe that I would do anything, I think, but they humoured me by saying they'd be out of the hotel room tomorrow night to give me 'privacy.'

The evening came and we had plans to meet for dinner. He would pick me up in front of the hotel. I was so nervous/excited getting ready. Would he still think I was as hot? Would I really go back to the room with him? Would I really let myself do what I wanted to do?

Dinner was at a great sushi restaurant that he picked and made reservations at when I told him I wanted Japanese food. We had a drink at the bar and then moved to booth for the food. The conversation was easy and fun. We had lots to talk about and he had a great sense of humour that matched my wit. I only had one drink because I felt so comfortable that I didn't need liquid courage.

After dinner, we held hands as we walked. He asked where we were going and I said, "Just trust me." When we got back to my hotel, back to the room, he knew he'd placed his trust well. We were hot and heavy from the minute we got in the door. As good as the kissing was, everything else was better. It felt natural; I felt alive.

In the brief post-coital cuddling, limbs entwined, we got to know each a bit more and exchanged tender words. He wanted to come visit me. I wanted to come back to see him. We reluctantly dressed to meet up with girls for a drink. On our way back, we got stuck in a hot, tropical downpour. It was wet and sexy. He wanted me to come home with him so we could spend the night together and he could make me breakfast. As much as I wanted to, I knew that as familiar as he felt now, he was still a stranger and I couldn't go that far outside of my realm of responsibilty.

The girls couldn't believe I'd actually done it - flung my cares a side and had a holiday fling! I felt so liberated. The next day we texted back and forth and I couldn't wait to see him again. Unfortunately, we wouldn't see each other till the night after, my last night in town. It was even more fun - dinner and drinks again, watching a parade together, getting a sundae, and then back to the room. I didn't want it to end. I wanted to stay there forever - the more we got to know each other, the more in common we had. It was so hard to know that we wouldn't see each other for months, if we did make the effort and see each other again.

When I left the next day, I felt like I'd both won and lost a big prize. I met someone great who I had a fantastic connection with and I was able to open myself up to. But I also faced the bitterness of knowing that I likely couldn't be with this person...though distance makes the heart grow fonder, enough it makes the heart weary. My phone died but when I reached home and read his final texts to me, I felt like laughing and crying all at once. Thanks for the holiday, Matt: physically, mentally, and emotionally.