I felt a little bit apprehensive about making the trip down there. But my excitement about seeing him again outweighed any nerves. Plus, my girlfriend, Nora and her family live just outside of San Diego, so I decided to crash with them while I was there.
NORA: Are you excited to see him?
ME: I'm anxious. And a little nauseous.
NORA: Please don't throw up. I just had my carpets cleaned.
ME: What if we don't have anything to talk about?
NORA: You have over 30 years of stuff to talk about. You'll end up reminiscing over middle school and high school. Then you'll talk about all the things that have happened since you last saw each other.
And she was right. When I walked into the sports bar an hour later, Rodrigo was standing at a pool table and instinctively turned around. His face lit up. Seeing his reaction made me smile. Then Rodrigo walked over and scooped me up in a bear hug. I felt my face flush and those damn butterflies started flapping around in my stomach.
RODRIGO: Wow, Gia. I can't believe you're here. You look amazing.
ME: YOU look amazing. Happy Birthday!
RODRIGO: Should I be happy to be getting older?
ME: Absolutely! You're alive. You're healthy. And if you point me to the bar, you'll have a drink in your hand in 2 minutes.
RODRIGO: And more importantly, I'm spending my birthday with you.
ME: I didn't think it was possible, but you've gotten even more charming with age.
We walked to the bar and did two shots of Jamison together. Then Rodrigo introduced me to his friends. Don was his best friend from an old job in Seattle. He was a good-looking guy with bright blue eyes and dirty blonde hair that was receding slightly. Tall, fit and very masculine. Turns out he used to be in the military and works for the government, but he wouldn't tell me exactly what he did. My guess is FBI. Don had flown in a few days earlier for Rodrigo's celebration. Julie and Brian were a couple seated on bar stools next to the pool table.
Julie was your average looking Southern California girl with brown hair. She was pleasant enough but definitely sized me up as Rodrigo introduced us. Her quietness and presence made me feel like she wasn't entirely comfortable in her own skin. Brian was the exact opposite. With his chubby, bright red cheeks and a huge smile, Brian was nothing but laughs and a good time. The kind of guy you'd want to take to a baseball game and chug beers with. And then there was Marco- a hysterical little Mexican dude who stood at the level of my breasts. And complimented them.
We all talked, laughed, and played pool for the next few hours. Don asked me questions about what Rodrigo was like as a kid and how we met. Rodrigo sat next to me all night, our knees touching. Glances were exchanged. I flirtaciously touched his arm and he put his hand on my back as we talked. The night eventually started to wind down. Julie and Brian drove off together in their car. I offered to give Rodrigo, Don and Marco a lift to Rodrigo's apartment since they had taken a cab. When we arrived at Rodrigo's place, I climbed out of the driver's side of my SUV. Rodrigo met me behind the car with an enveloping hug and a slow, soft kiss.
RODRIGO: Thanks so much for making the trip down here. It was really good to see you.
ME: It was good seeing you too. (eyelashes batting)
RODRIGO: I'd love to come visit you in L.A. one of these weekends. Take you out and show you a good time.
ME: That'd be nice. (another well timed eyelash batting)
RODRIGO: Are you sure you don't want to crash here tonight.
I looked behind him at Don and Marco waiting and pretending not to watch us.
ME: No thanks. I think the guys want some one-on-one time with you.
RODRIGO: OK. Be safe driving back to your friends place. Text me when you get there.
ME: I will. Happy Birthday.
I hopped into my car and made the 15 minute trip back to Nora's. The house was quiet. I dodged squeaky kids toys as I tiptoed through the garage into the living room and upstairs into their guest bedroom. As soon as I laid down, my cell phone buzzed. It was Rodrigo.
RODRIGO: Just wanted to make sure you got in safely.
Thanks again for sharing my birthday with
me. With everything that's going on in my
life, it felt really good to be surrounded by
people I care about.
ME: Yes. I made it in ok. Thanks for inviting me.
It was so great seeing you again after all
this time.
RODRIGO: Did I mention you looked incredible
tonight? I can't wait to see you again.
ME: I'm blushing! It would be really nice to
see you again =)
RODRIGO: I'll make it happen. Sweet dreams beautiful.
ME: Good night. Talk soon.
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