Cafe Hitch-hike

2018-01-21

What we brought to the weekend.

I wasn't sure what to wear on the night out. It was a little chilly but not too chilly, in the low to mid-60s that night. I was going to wear leather pants and a top, but the moment I put them on, the outfit didn't feel right. I spotted the black sundress I bought for last summer's cruise and decided to go with that instead. I donned it and then wore a half-sweater to cover my bare arms, back and shoulders, and it all fit just right. I had a black shaw to wear to keep me warm outside, and yes, everything fell into place.

He was surprised when he had seen me. I noticed beads of sweat above his brow and he quickly ordered a vodka. It was me who usually felt nervous around him, but not that night. I sensed his nervousness, so I calmly asked him how his day went because I knew he had a busy day. The conversation shifted to libraries because I knew he liked libraries.

I wouldn't say I overwhelmed with nervousness, it was there but it was trumped by feeling curious and also... feeling so glad to be out on the town! I went to a place where I don't visit often but liked in the past. I enjoyed his company (and he was verrrry easy on the eyes besides), and it just felt so good to be on an actual date again.

He asked if I felt nervous, and I said a little bit. I said to me, it was like a wick was lit. He didn't understand, so I said I felt like a lit wick to a stick of dynamite. I felt a little excited, I said and smiled, but it was a good kind. We softly laughed, but it was true and it was my way of saying, you make me a little weak in the knees and I feel like I'm 16 year old on a date again, but guess what? I'm totally digging it!

I never knew the dress would attract so much attention or that I would feel so playful that night. People looked our way and smiled. Four northeastern guys looked at me until my date darted them a glance, and then they turned back towards themselves. We waited for a table, and our hostess, a young, Afro-Latina, was really warm towards us. While we waited, I chatted it up with a couple behind us because the guy wore a Michigan sweater and as it turned out, they were from Traverse City. We had an animated conversation about that area; it is called 'God's Country' because it is so beautiful. My date thought I knew them, but I didn't. Michigan people tend to be sweet, after all, and it's nice to remember the more beautiful things about home.

Finally, the hostess seated us, but table between my date and I added a distance of a million miles between us, and we decided to eat dinner at the bar instead. My date told her of our decision to move, and he later told me she was extremely apologetic that I didn't like the table; he added that she complimented my appearance and thought she had a girl-crush on me. I laughed, but wow, something was in the air on that night, or maybe I was just so happy to be rockin' it on that night.

After we ate a dinner of oysters and cerviche, we waited in a hallway to use the restroom. He held me close and we kissed while we waited, and I could see a bit of our reflection in the gray, smoky wall mirror behind him. I then stepped away a few inches when another tourist came to wait behind us. The three of us gave each other a knowing, smiling glance, so I decided to at least lay off the kissing. The women's room door opened. Although I was tempted to pull my date in, I decided against it. I'm sure it would gave given the bystander something to grin about seeing, but in the bathroom? How cliche!

The air was cooler when we left the restaurant, and he put his jacket around me. I felt his body heat on the fabric and it felt like a warm blanket. As we walked to our cars, we saw an outdoor reggae concert and stopped to listen at the grassy edge of the amphitheater. We had an arm around each other and soon our hips caught the rhythm and gently swayed to it until we both were in sync. With our arms still around each other, my body relaxed and I leaned into him and away from him, and he did the same. We then faced each other, my arms were around his neck and his arms were around my waist. The rhythm was fluid, and I could feel this beautiful energy flow between us! He joked, "we're not dreaming!" and I pinched his side and replied, "I guess not!" We didn't say much more, we just moved, and it all felt so right.

I knew he didn't dance, but the way we were going, it didn't seem like it to me at all. My eyes were closed for a bit, and when I opened them, his were too. He initially looked surprised but that softened, and he quietly took it all in just as I was. Me, I didn't think much. I just felt everything and sipped it all in. I didn't ask any questions or wonder about anything, I didn't need to know anything at that moment. The turns we took in our dance and were very much in step. There was silence between us, but the energy itself spoke volumes.

I guess I can go over some details of the weekend. When I went grocery shopping earlier this week, I had gotten a bottle of tequila and some steak, but I didn't expect to use them both over the weekend. The steak was just ok, but the Jose Cuervo tradicional silver tequila was surprisingly smooth. The bottle was not very big and was half-finished.
He suggested the tequila and enjoyed it a little more than I did, and it seemed to work in calming his nerves a little bit once again.

Neither of us slept much on Night 1. We both slept a shallow sleep thanks to the excitement. For Night 2, I was able to thanks to 2 Tylenol PMs and he said he slept better as well. I think we both were very sensitive to each other's energy, and when I was able to put mine on mute, he could, too. We fell asleep at 9:00 p.m. on the second night and woke up at 7:00 a.m. although I chose to ignore him pawing me for a good two hours before that. He said he was rested, and I felt a little dulled by the Tylenols, but it was nice to wake up next to him. He navigated my kitchen well enough to kindly make us strong coffee.

The guy was normally cool, calm, and collected, so it made me devilishly grin to see him have an air of a somewhat nervous but excited teen bringing a corsage to a girl for a high school dance. In a way, we both felt that way. Yes, he brought a blend of nervousness but eagerness that I found rather enjoyable along with all the other things he brought to the weekend.

Ah, so there I was, feeling like I was hobbling to get back into my own rhythm and sense of self. It was so nice to be able to enjoy something without trying hard at all, but just simply bringing myself to the table, just as my date had. I definitely thank the universe for this delicious weekend that I think we both needed, and definitely wouldn't mind repeats!

downwind | upstream