Tag: First Date

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The Most Romantic Date I’ve Been On- My Date’s Perspective (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on by Lizzie Gomez

And we are back! I finally wrote part two of my side of this night, so here’s Chance’s side. Enjoy! 🙂 (If you have not read Part 1 of our first date click here for my perspective on it or click here for Chance’s perspective on the first half of our first date. I highly recommend starting with part one to get a gist of the story. Whoever’s perspective suits your fancy. :D) Alright, here’s Chance:

 

Waiting Out the Rain in a Parking Garage

We got to cover and there was woman waiting out the rain with us. We continued talking. Nothing specific from what I remember. Just that we both liked anime, movies, that sort of thing but we never got too specific other than the movie genres we like. We noticed some stairs and Laura decided that it would be a nice little adventure to see where they went. I thought “sure why not, seems like a romantic enough idea”. The stairs were part of a parking lot. It was big and had multiple floors. As we began exploring, Laura told me about one of her previous adventures in what seemed to be a haunted building.

Not really knowing where we were going we just kept walking and talking until we heard people having what seemed like a good time; they were screaming and yelling. There was a flight of stairs that lead to the floor above us; it was orange with green metal handles. We got to the top of the stairs. There was a gate there, closed. They closed at 7:00pm according to a sign that was hanging on the gate. The gate led directly to a restaurant pub thing. 

 

The Kiss

We had no choice but to go back and return from where we came. We started walking down the stairs. Right when we got half-way down, I stopped and asked her to stop for a moment too. Remember, this was our first date ever. We had officially met a few hours ago, but I felt like the chemistry was good and we were both having a good time. I had never done something like this. Not on a first date, but I decided that I wanted to take a chance and ask her a question. I was ready for her to say no or to simply change the subject again. I wasn’t really thinking about the result; I just went for it. There we were, standing face to face, both wet from the rain and sweaty from walking through that parking lot, in the middle of a flight of stairs. From what I could see, she was comfortable and relaxed. So, I asked her:

 

“Can I kiss you?”

 

“I thought you’d never ask.”

 

 

And like that, we had our first kiss. It went on for while. We had time and she really seemed like she enjoyed kissing me. I know I enjoyed kissing her. After a while, we got up and started walking again.

 

Final Moments

It was getting late and I had to take her home soon, but before that we got in my car and rode for a few minutes, then parked near the ocean. We got out and just talked about our sense of humor, the view, and old memories we had. We hugged and kissed and admired the beautiful view. After a while a security guard started looking at us kind of funny so we decided to leave. We went to Mcdonalds and then I took her to her apartment. Before I left we ate. It was like a little park square thing. I don’t really know what to call it, but it’s really small and has some benches, some trees, light post and what not. It’s a really comfy, relaxing little spot. When we finished eating we said goodbye and I went home.

 

It was honestly the best first date I’ve ever had. It felt like I was in a movie.

 

I hope you enjoyed Chance’s perspective of the last half of our first date. If you are interested in reading my side of things, click here. Other than that, come back on Mondays for my weekly blog where I write about my day to day life which (spoiler) includes Chance every now and again. 😀

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The Most Romantic Date I’ve Been On- Meeting Chance for the First Time (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on by Lizzie Gomez

Welcome back! At long last, I found the inspiration to do the final half of this night justice. If you haven’t read part one, I recommend you click here to read my perspective or click here to read my date’s perspective. Either way, it’d be good to read the first half (in whichever perspective you prefer) to have context into this post. Thanks for making it to part two and enjoy! 🙂

 

Waiting Out the Rain in a Parking Garage

Where were we? Oh, yes. The rain. The drops of rain slick on both our faces. Chance removing his glasses to reveal soft, kind, caring eyes. Us walking calmly and unrushed to shelter from the rain. Once we reached the end of the path leading away from the castle, it was a short walk to the nearest roof. The first space we found was tucked beside a plaza and in it was an elevator and a young woman, also waiting out the rain. We walked past her who didn’t seem to notice us as she was too busy leaning against the wall and gazing out the entrance at the drizzling rain.

There wasn’t much else in this little space. The woman at the entrance, and elevator inside to the right, and a few steps beyond that, also slightly to the right, was a set of stairs. Naturally, Chance and I settled to our left against the only wall not occupied by any objects or other person. There we came upon the topic of movies. I asked what his favorite genre was expecting to hear action or horror as most guys and friends of mine had responded before him.

 

An Anecdote on Movies of the Drama Genre

Instead he surprised me with “drama”. “Drama?! Did you say drama??” I asked trying to catch my breath. Had I heard correctly? Had he just said my favorite movie genre, the genre all my college friends had groaned about whenever I tried, unsuccessfully, to suggest a movie for us to watch and that indubitably did not get any votes when it came down to making a decision or if it did by some miraculous circumstance get chosen, it ended up being a drag in everyone’s eyes except mine which were glued to the screen through every 20 minute monologue.

“Yeah, drama is my favorite movie genre.”, he confirmed. I was beside myself! Who sent this man to me? I don’t know why this means so much to me. Maybe it’s because my friends were so against it. And my family, especially my dad. My dad would say there was too much talking and it was boring. My friends echoed these thoughts. They craved explosions and high energy scenes. I saw those things as artificial and over the top. I wanted raw and real. I wanted to learn something of the human condition through a movie, not just see pretty explosions on the screen. Maybe I thought this inquisitive thoughtfulness about humanity translated to him due to his answer. I don’t know, but I was taken by him more by the second.

After explaining that I’d never met someone who responded that dramas were their favorite movie genre and that it was my favorite movie genre as well, we wandered over to the elevator and wondered where it might lead. As we stood there, we glanced to the right there the woman remained leaning against the entrance to our little sanctuary watching thousands of droplets fall from the sky. I wondered out loud where the stairs to our left could lead to which Chance replied this was the entrance to a parking garage. I said we should explore until the rain let up and pranced over to the stairs leaving Chance a couple steps behind me trying to decide if to stop me or join me. Half a second later he was coming down the stairs with me.

 

Into the Parking Garage

As he had said, the stairs did lead to a parking garage. A huge, cavernous, underground one that turned my mind to spooky thoughts. I asked Chance, “have you ever snuck in somewhere creepy you weren’t supposed to?” He thought about this a second as we walked through aisles of cars up a slope heading to the parking garage floors above. “No, I don’t think I have.” he concluded at last. I smiled, a bit disappointed, then shared my story. Here’s the super short version: in my last year of university I snuck into an abandoned dorm on campus. A student was stabbed there several years before my exploration of it and the place was then quarantined due to asbestos. It was creepy with half the endlessly long quiet halls with most doors closed and others cracked open to reveal desolate, empty rooms. Maybe, I’ll write about that some other time.

By the end of my story we reached a green stairwell to our left. At its entrance was a sign that read, ” No access after 7pm”. Chance and I checked our watches at the same time. It was almost 9pm. Chance started to turn away from the stairs as I shrugged, smiled and asked him with raised eyebrows “Are you going to let a little sign stop you?”. I felt rebellious and alive after my recount of the abandoned dorm. He looked at me a little shocked, but not off put by my reaction to the sign and followed me up those forbidden steps.

 

The Forbidden Stairwell and the Kiss

Five or so steps up the staircase cut to the left at a right angle and continued up until reaching another 90 degree angle to the left where there stood the entrance to a sort of bar/outdoor seating area. It was beautiful, with string lights and plants weaving around the place. There were a couple of people in dark, classy uniforms and black aprons tied at their waists who seemed to be closing up for the night. The metal door at the top of the stairs was locked with heavy chains and a padlock and carried a sign that said “Closed after 7pm”. I crept down slightly to avoid being spotted by the employees and turned to smile at Chance about our mischief before motioning him, who was a couple steps below me to head back down.

We walked down slowly until Chance reached a wide, flat platform dividing the top portion of the stairs with the bottom part. Here he turned to me, still a step above him, and asked, “Can we stop for a second?” We stood on this staircase that jutted out of the parking garage looking at each other with genuine smiles as cool night air blew on us balancing out the incubating warmth we’d felt in the parking garage. A second. No more, before he asked, looking up at me on the next step,

“Can I kiss you?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Pause. I am not making that up for romantic effect. I actually said that. (*FACEPALM!*) I think I rolled my eyes at myself a split second before our lips met. After that, there was nothing to cringe about. It was natural. Our kiss had dept, in the best possible way (none of that tongue down an unfortunate soul’s throat stuff). Then, another tentative touch of his lips against mine to which I responded gently, but fully accepting. Our lips danced and slid slowly as he huskily said, “step down”.

I did take the final step to meet him at the platform in the middle of this hidden staircase as he grabbed hold of my waist with both of his hands and pulled me closer to him. The heat emanating from his body, not an inch away from mine, was almost as hot as the kisses we shared, coming a bit faster now. Eventually, we parted and gazed at each other with oxytocin induced bliss.

 

Final Date Components: Walking the Streets of Old San Juan, Cuddling in Front of a Guard, and a Late Dinner Picnic (kind of)

Alright. Time to be real. This post is getting long and I do not want to make a part 3 (though I very well could). So, it’s super speed recap time! We sat on a step where we kissed, cuddled, and stuff for a bit before heading back to the parking garage and then outside since by now it had stopped raining. I thought this would be the end of the night but I’d told Chance I had to leave at 11pm. Remember, this was a Tuesday night and I had work the next morning. It wasn’t 11pm yet though, so we walked around the beautiful narrow sidewalks and crossed the brick lain streets of Old San Juan holding hands or with one of Chance’s arms wrapped around my waist before he suggested getting something to eat.

I could eat and wasn’t ready to let go of his hand, so we drove to another section of Old San Juan where he planned to introduce me to something tasty (a tripleta which is basically a sub with three kinds of meat). The stand was closed though. It was after 10pm at this point, so instead he lead us over to some benches in the area. However, I did not make it to the benches before I was called by the sea that could be seen from a concrete barrier that came up to my waist. I leaned against it trying to get closer to the water when Chance came up behind me and enveloped me in warmth. We spoke about humor and held each other. I found out he has the same dark humor as I do. At some point, a guard started looking at us funny which Chance said was pure jealousy as he pulled me to him for a final kiss for our only fan.

Since most places were closed, Chance and I passed by a fast food place and then had a sort of picnic outside my apartment in a little conglomeration of benches. It was sweet. A little late night picnic, just the two of us. Maybe not the most romantic end, but it felt peaceful and right. With a final kiss at the end of our meal I bid him a good night and waited for him to drive off into the night before entering my apartment. A girl has to keep a little mystery about her. 🙂

I fell asleep with a smile thinking that the last few hours of my life felt more like a dream than anything I would experience that night.

 

I hope you enjoyed my recount of that night. If you are interested in Chance’s perspective of the last half of our first date, click here. Otherwise, thanks for stopping by! Look forward to more adventures with Chance in my weekly blogs posted every Monday. 😀

 

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Week of February 11th 2019- Non-Profit Food Service (Going to Chance’s House for the First Time and More Adventures in Dating)

Posted on by Lizzie Gomez

It is Wednesday, February 20th as I write this. I’m sorry. This time it wasn’t that the week was so awful I didn’t want to think about it. I mean, yes and no. Well, just read on…

 

Monday, February 11th- First Day at the Non-Profit

First day at Community Center. Our rotation this week is at a little non-profit that provides a service to people in need. This includes ready-made food and health checks by nurses and dietitians. Only problem is that this week, Axyl is away for his rotation. I know I depend on people more than I should, but it didn’t become apparent how much I rely on Axyl until this week. Well, Axyl didn’t leave until Tuesday, which meant I made it to my rotation on time today. (Spoiler: I didn’t on Tuesday.)

It was pretty boring. The dietitian in charge of us just briefly explain the goals of the non-profit and made us input some numbers into her computer then sent us home early. That was good because I’d stayed up all night working on the food service binder that was due today. Gia and I stopped at a café after our rotation to finish putting together our binder before turning it in. That’s when I got a call from Axyl.

He didn’t have a ride to his out of town rotation and for some reason he wasn’t able to rent a car. So, I went with him to rent a car then we took a fun detour to Costco with me leading him every which way but to Costco. …I’m not the best co-pilot.

 

Tuesday, February 12th- First Movie Date with Chance

Another boring day. This time, the dietitian assigned me and Gia a ton of work then banished us upstairs to get it done and be out of her hair. From her super early dismissal yesterday, Gia and I already expected as much attention, so we brought snacks and started the work calmly.

After the rotation, Chance said he was going to cook for me before taking me out to a movie. He picked me up and drove me to his house where he began the laborious task of feeding a fellow human being. He made pasta. X) I love pasta though, so that was great. He served the alfredo pasta (sauce from a jar) with these cheese balls he heated up in an air fryer. It was nowhere near a five-star meal, but I saw the effort he put into it. It was really cute how he was flustered at trying to scoop the pasta out.

After that we wandered into his bedroom to eat and chat. Chatting turned to kissing and kissing, well, I’ll stop there. I’ll probably write a full out post about my opinions on intimacy. (No, it didn’t get that far, but it’s an important topic to discuss.) Eventually, Chance’s mom got home and I gave her a quick “hi” before she wandered away. I’m not sure what she has heard about me, but she didn’t seem too eager to speak to me. Chance’s brother, however, was much more enthusiastic. He smiled real big as he shook my hand. His eyes seemed to say, “so this is the girl who Chance was talking on and on about”.

I also got to say hello to Chance’s uncle before going to the movie theatre. There we watched the second Lego movie. It was nice and I got to cuddle Chance’s arm for most of it, so no complaints here. Aw, Chance lent me one of his sweatshirts to keep me warm. I accidentally took it home with me at the end of the night, and forgot the book he lent me, but no matter! It was a very memorable night.

 

Wednesday, February 13th- Random Stress and Chance to the Rescue with a Hug

Today I woke up at 8am. I go in at 8 am. -____- So, I was late to the non-profit. Gosh. We spent the whole time upstairs out of our preceptor’s sight and mind, so it wasn’t too bad. I told Chance I wanted to go home. He said, yeah, play hooky, but I said, “no, home to Texas.” I may have worried him a bit, because he was going to swing by to give me the book I forgot yesterday and to pick up his sweater I accidentally kept, but now he said he was also coming to give me a hug and talk if I needed to. Why is he so sweet??? It makes me want to cry happy tears…

So, we sat outside my apartment in this little area with benches and a couple trees. He hugged me and I tried to put on a brave face which he could see right through. He just hugged me tighter and told me to hang in there. I am so thankful for him.

 

Thursday, February 14th- Making Cookies with Chance

Wasn’t sure if I was going to see Chance today, since I’d already seen him the past two days, but he came over and finally got to come into my apartment. Before today, I’d made sure to wait for him outside in a public area and wait for him to drive off before walking into my apartment. However, since Axyl is away this week, I figured it a good day to invite him in. We made cookies together. Well… a monster cookie bread thing. Sooo, I used to live in a better apartment. It had a much nicer kitchen and a bigger oven. Now, in my crappier apartment, the cookie sheet doesn’t fit in my much smaller oven. Soo, we used a bread pan. Ha! The result was interesting since it had a crust on the outside, but the inside was still soft and gooey. I may do this again, on purpose. 😊

 

Friday, February 15th- Date with Joseph

Today, I went on a date with Joseph. Okay, let me explain! My two closest friends in this internship are Axyl and Amanda. Amanda recently has been invested in my dating adventures. I don’t want to blame it completely on her age, but she is older and more experienced than me, so she gives me a lot of good (though sometimes antiquated) advice. Either way, I like to listen to it, because I don’t know what I’m doing when it comes to dating. I’ve had one boyfriend and had gone on a date with only two different people before trying this dating app. Amanda and Axyl told me to keep dating. Sure, I like Chance, but they said I shouldn’t put other good guys on pause because of that.

I used to think that way too. Before I met Chance. Now, I don’t feel like meeting other guys. Not for romantic reasons at least. It’s a strange thing, but I don’t want affection from people that aren’t him. His hugs and kisses are all I crave. Having said that, I decided to still meet up with Joseph. I met him on that dating app before Chance and I figured it was fine as long as I didn’t lead him on or anything.

I suggested something causal like getting drinks, but we ended up having dinner. The conversation was good. It flowed and he didn’t seem nervous or anything. It was natural. After dinner we walked around Old San Juan. My heart kind of tugged when we passed places I’d seen first with Chance. A little guilt. :/ (I did tell Chance I was still dating other people, in case you are wondering.) At the end of the night, I was just certain of two things. One, that I must visit the Pigeon Park in Old San Juan. Apparently, there’s a guy who sells corn or something to feed the pigeons and it’s a whole thing there. Two, that I clicked with Joseph, but not romantically. He came off as too grown up. He has a starter company and goes to bed at 10pm. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with mature, responsible people, but gosh, he made me sound like a wild child. And trust me, I’m not!

 

Saturday, February 16th- Ehh, Don’t Remember

I really don’t know what I did today. I didn’t see Chance. I didn’t do homework. Must have just been a lazy day?

 

Sunday, February 17th- Date with Santiago

Do I have a problem? I woke up around 10 or 11am then just lazed around. I’m stressed and it feels like my head is full of static, which is not conducive to being productive. Eventually a guy matched with me on the dating app. I didn’t expect that. I haven’t been swiping since I met Chance, but he was one of the guys I had swiped yes on before. He asked me out after messaging not even ten minutes! I wasn’t doing anything, so I agreed. He gave me a place, I gave the time, and two hours after that we met up at a hippie type lot with different food trucks. It was cool.

Ah, maybe this doesn’t need to be said, but I feel like it’s an important detail. He’s American. From Seattle. He’s here for work and it was kind of nice to have a fellow American to talk to about the experience of moving out to Puerto Rico. I was going to say his charm ended there, but he did pay for my dinner. I felt kind of bad about that, since I am not looking for romance. I don’t know why I feel that I have to be into a guy to accept him paying for me. Honestly, I don’t think guys should be pushed by society to pay on the first date. But! That’s a topic for a full out post.

Anyway, after we ate, he suggested we walk for a bit. Since he doesn’t know the area and I did, I subtly led him to the train station, so I could leave once we got there. Instead we sat on a bench and chatted a bit more. During this time a guy came to ask for money. I told him I didn’t have any change (I only had a few coins and I don’t know, but ughhh, I’m not opposed to giving money to those who ask on the street, but I didn’t this time). Santiago does not speak Spanish, so he didn’t understand what was going on when the guy kept asking me. When I explained the situation, he just turned mean! He got this hard look on his face and practically snarled! He said, “No. Go Away.” in the sternest tone. That was extremely off putting.

Sometime after that he told me I was very pretty and asked to kiss me. I gave a small “I’m sorry” smile and shook my head no. He recovered from that well and continued talking. About five minutes later I said goodbye and got on the train home.

 

***

Sorry it took so long to write this. I’m stressed even though I shouldn’t be. The hard part comes soon but isn’t here yet. Oh well, I’m doing what I can. Next Monday’s blog (I do plan to post on time!!) will be about my time at the food bank. Manual labor 8 hours a day. It’s been interesting. The most manual labor I’d done before this was stocking candy and chips at a little store during my university days. Strangely though, I enjoy it. It’s nice to move and work instead of sitting and working. Things to look forward to in the next weekly blog:

  • Manual labor at the food bank
  • I am not making this up. One of the workers at the food bank hitting on me.
  • Another date with Chance. To the mall, a couple bars, and the beach. 😊
  • One more date with Chance. Brownies are planned!
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The Most Romantic Date I’ve Been On- Meeting Chance for the First Time (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on by Lizzie Gomez

I met a guy. On the internet. Well, technically on a dating app. And technically I met three guys before him. But this post isn’t about those other guys. This post is about Chance. I gave him that pseudo name a couple days after we matched. It just felt right. He’s a year younger than me and while I haven’t done a ton of dating myself, I clearly remember wise women in my life telling me not to ever date younger men. “Guys mature slower than girls”, they said. “Only date younger guys if you want a boy not a man”, they said.

 

First Impressions

So, even though Chance is only a year younger than me, I was wary. He didn’t have much on his profile either. Just a few pictures of him in a cozy sweatshirt with his curly hair or him on a beach. His scant profile was generic with the typical interests cited: anime, movies, and one somewhat standout thing- that he is learning to play guitar. What can I say? He’s cute. I swiped. A few days later so did he. And like that we matched. I understand that’s not the most romantic story, but what would follow comes close.

He said “hey” (plus a happy emoji). Not something cheesy or a pick-up line. Just hey. That was red flag number one. Haha, just kidding, I remember thinking that was odd as it had not been my experience with the other guys. Either way, I forged on and we struck up a conversation. We talked about several different things. Not at all forced or overly formal like it had been with the other guys. I remember thinking he’s super chill. We eventually got to the topic of him learning to dance. To which, I replied I’d like him to teach me a few moves. He said he was just beginning and that I’d have to be the judge of his dance skills. I saw my chance and I took it!

Mind you, I’d been waiting for this guy to ask me out on a date for a couple days now. So, what did I do? He said I’d be the judge of his dance skills, so I slyly responded, “When’s judgement day?” That’s (sadly) one of the coolest moments of my life. X) And just like that, I had a date with Chance. That whole process was different too. I guess I did ask him out, but I assumed he’d take over from there. Nope! He gave me a range of days, I gave him a range of times then he asked if I had any place in mind. It’s kind of cool how we decided on the date together.

 

Date Part 1: The Café

Tuesday sometime after 5 pm at a random café I picked from Google maps. Those were the official date plans. I got out of my rotation early that day to procrastinate for our date. I ended up showering and getting dressed then dashing out the door, wet hair and all. I almost jogged to the café (which was about ten minutes away) where I waited in front of a big green bush until Chance arrived. He was about 15 minutes late. It was cute how we found each other. He sent me a text he was outside but couldn’t see me, but that he was wearing a blue shirt. I’d already told him I was wearing a black and white shirt. We both turned a corner in the tiny parking lot in front of the café and seemed to notice each other at the same time. That was cute.

Ah! Detail. We’d been messaging in English ever since we matched. So, I said hello in English when I met him. He responded in English with saucers for eyes. I smiled and laughed internally, deciding “Spanish. Definitely switch to Spanish”. X) With that, I began speaking to him in Spanish. I could see him breath again and knew that was the right choice.

I’d never been to this café before, so it was a tad awkward to go inside and try to order. He’d never been to this café either. Eventually though, we ordered a coffee and sat down to talk. It was the epitome of small talk. All polite and neat. Eventually we finished our drinks and I waited for him to make some excuse to leave.

Instead! He asked if any of the pastries/ baked goods had looked appetizing. He wanted to keep talking! ❤ Aw! I’m not a complete idiot, so I followed him to the counter to pick out something sweet. I got some corn bread and he got a slice of carrot cake. A few moments later as we sat nibbling our respective treats, he asked if I’d like a bite of carrot cake. Cute! I offered him some of my corn bread and we continued chatting. Eventually he asked if he was everything, I expected he’d be. I said, mostly. However, I expected him to be more extroverted. He seemed to be by via text, but here I was chatting incessantly to fill up space. Boring stuff about my internship mostly. :p

He said he’s usually shy around new people, but is a completely different person with his closest friends. I smiled. I’m the exact same way. I suppose many “shy” people are this way. There’s just has to be trust to be oneself. Cake was gone. What now? He answered that quickly. “Want to go for a walk or something?”, he asked. My heart sang. “Yes!”, I replied.

 

Date Part 2: The Drive

Once we got outside though, he paused and asked if I preferred to walk or drive around for a bit. I thought for a second then said that as long as I ended back in my neighborhood, I was good with either. He chose the drive, so I hopped in this red Mazda to parts unknown. I didn’t ask and he didn’t tell. Maybe dangerous, since I don’t really know this guy, but definitely exciting. Here, in his car, he started to ease into the moment and the conversation. From this point onward, my memory turns hazy. It feels like a dream.

He told me he’s clumsy. I bragged that I’m also super clumsy, but oddly I stumble at least three times a week, but never fall. “I’ve mastered the art of catching myself!”, I said proudly. He told me about someone robbing his car some time back. I shared I’ve only had my bike stolen before and that broke my heart, couldn’t imagine someone robbing my car (which is back in Texas). He verified that I’ll only be in Puerto Rico till the end of my internship in June. Five months. I’ll be here for another five months. I asked what his future plans are and he said after graduating this summer, he plans to stay in Puerto Rico for a few more months before probably moving to the United States (Miami, Florida).

 

Date Part 3: Old San Juan

When we stopped, we were in Old San Juan. Everyone I know says it’s a must visit. They quote the nightlife and the art and history. What they didn’t mention is how beautiful the architecture is. The streets are big and open. A giant plaza. Here we started walking (again, I have no idea where to) and talking about his photography. That’s a big thing that stood out to me: his appreciation of beauty. So genuine. We found a bench to sit and chat. It was peaceful. There were lights in the distance from ships and buildings. The bench we were sitting on was a few feet from the marina and on the other side was the path to what Chance referred to as “the castle”, a historical looking building.

After some time, we walk up that path and find another bench by the castle as we chat about tattoos (Chance has two; I fear permanence). There are other people here hanging out around the benches a little ways away from us. Two steps- no, not even! Chance goes around the left side of the bench and probably sat down the exact moment my ankle gave out and I fell shin first onto the gravely rocks surrounding the bench. Ouch! Haha, real life foreshadowing. I shouldn’t have bragged about my not falling skills.

Luckily though, as part of that conversation, I’d also mentioned how I hate it when people try to help me up if I do fall and how my first instinct is to hop up and pretend like nothing happened. I don’t like making it a big deal. And that’s exactly what I did. I was laughing so hard! I jumped up cackling and limped to the opposite side of the evil bench to sit next to Chance. He was laughing too, asking if I was okay between chuckles. I assured him I was perfectly fine. And that if I wasn’t, I would never admit it. X)

It hurt, guys. A lot. Later when I assessed the damage, turns out I earned a conglomeration of about four to five big, ugly, green bruises on my right shin, one deep brown bruise on my left shin, and even a tiny brown bruise on my inner forearm. What the heck? Who knows, but at the moment I just laughed it off, trying not to let my wincing let on how much pain I was in. Who decorates the last step around a bench with rocks?!

Who knows how, but the next memorable part of this section of the night, apart from him asking me to ask him questions (he said he liked seeing how flustered I’d get trying to think of something) was when he subtly bragged about his kissing skills. It was something like “people say I’m a good kisser, but I don’t know, that’s just what they say…”. Oh, I got the hint, guys.

 

Interlude: A Word on Affection and Promiscuity

Let me be real for a sec. I told you guys I’m not promiscuous. Uhh, yes and no? See, I like affection. Physical or otherwise. But I don’t often get physical affection. At home, yeah, my mom and dad (even my brother sometimes) would give out free hugs. My best friend greets me with a hug. I have a cuddly dog. Here? For seven months I’ve been on a literal island. No family. A different version of friends (all interns which means they are also my peers). None of which are huggy types. Least of all the one I spend most time with (my roommate Axyl). It’s not like I need hugs to survive, but I admit they do help immensely.

Mini rant over. My point being, I’m deficient in hugs and cuddles. I figured this whole dating thing could give me a version of that. Hand holding and maybe a kiss at the end of dates, I didn’t think it’d be something I’d be morally conflicted about. I figured it’s logical. I want affection. Here are people who are looking for some sort of romantic relationship, which last time I checked, usually involves physical contact to some degree. It’s a dating app, not a church group. People know what they are signing up for. I figured, a kiss is a kiss. It doesn’t have to mean anything. I don’t have to be attracted or want a relationship out of someone to kiss them. That’s what I wanted to believe.

But when Chance brought up the topic, hinting at an opportunity to prove my new life philosophy right, I changed my mind. I thought, “I don’t really know this guy. I can’t kiss him!”. I did want that connection. Kisses do mean something to me. I still feel bad I held the hand of the first guy I went on a date with a week prior to writing this post and not going on a second date with him. Gosh. Do I feel bad. But yes, so I care. I’m a hopeless romantic who craves the touch of another human. Nothing strange about that.

 

Date Part 4: Romantic Rain

So, I glazed over his comment and changed the subject. I think Chance got the hint, because he didn’t insist. A guy who understands subtle hints. That, I like. It means he truly understands how I think. Or that’s how I interpret it. At this point, it’d started to sprinkle, so the people around us started walking back to the safety of their cars or restaurants nearby. On the other hand, Chance and I, though I don’t remember the topic, were engrossed in conversation, so I only mildly noticed the little droplets from the sky. Soon though, those droplets turned into drop-lots! (….I’m sorry. I had to.) We looked at each other and agreed to start walking back down the path away from the castle.

And walk we did! I mentioned to him how he’s the first person I know that doesn’t exaggerate about the rain. He walked. Didn’t run or try to even cover his head from the sky water. He just walked, calmly and contently. Right by my side. 😊 It was beautiful.

The crystalline water dripping off his strong jawline and the curls in his hair shone a light on his attractiveness and made him the epitome of male beauty. Maybe I read too many romance books… And the night isn’t over yet! Maybe about halfway there. But I hardly expect anyone to make it through what I’ve already written, so, this calls for a part two! Now, I’m a lady, but you turn on the heat and water turns to steam. If you didn’t understand that… don’t worry about it. XD If you catch my drift, come back for part two to read about the exact boiling point. 😉 Okay, I’m done with the lame chemistry puns. (Ha! Chemistry!) Okay, okay, I’m seriously done!

Thanks for reading. Expect part two by next Friday, February 22nd!