BUTTERFLIES & SOFT KISSES.......RECONNECTING WITH MY HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART

I just got back into town from visiting Rodrigo.  If you've forgotten, he was my middle school and high school love.  He's in the midst of a divorce and contacted me through Facebook a few months ago. We've been talking on the phone, emailing and texting each other since we reconnected.  Rodrigo's birthday was last Saturday, so he invited me to come down to San Diego to celebrate with he and his friends.

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.

Second Chances.....(continued)

I just got off of the phone with Rodrigo. After ten minutes of breathing into a paper bag, I have regained my composure enough to sit down and decide if I'm going to see him.

It turns out he's going through a divorce with Jana. They've been separated now for a few months. He's pretty emotional about the whole thing. Not like, crying on the phone emotional. But definitely still in the processing stage. He said he's been spending alot of time alone thinking about what went wrong. They grew apart and want completely different things out of life. The marriage finally ended after 2 years of arguing. They don't have any children together. The two kids in the photo with him are his nephews.

Before we hung up, he invited me to come down to San Diego for his birthday this weekend. A few of his closest friends are flying in to cheer him up. They'll be hanging out at a bar in PB, shooting some pool and having drinks.....

I'm not sure if I should go. Of course, I'd love to see him, but the whole divorce thing kind of makes me feel weird. We'll see.......

Second Chances

I once had a star-crossed teenage romance with a boy named Rodrigo. We were in middle school when we met. I was 13 years old. He was 12. And we were both a bundle of raging hormones and unexplored sexuality. Obviously, my mom could sense the teenage lust and forbade me from seeing him. I did see him though-every chance I got. When my mom was pre-occupied on a long distance phone call with my grandmother, I would sprint the 1 1/2 miles to his house, just to sit outside and talk to him for 10 minutes. Then I'd run back home, my heart racing more from the threat of getting caught than the exercise. And after school, he'd walk me home and we'd kiss on my front porch until our lips were raw and red. This went on for 3 or 4 years. We didn't really know what to do after the kissing got old. Well, at least I didn't know what to do. But he did.

One evening when my mom was out with my brother at a boy scouts meeting, Rodrigo came over and we made our first attempt at making love. Funny how you can know what all the working parts are, but you're not exactly sure what to do with them. We fumbled. He fingered. I pulled. We both pushed and wiggled. I felt a pinch and put an end to the sex session. If it was going to hurt, then I wasn't interested.

We tried unsuccessfully a few more times. But Rodrigo eventually got bored and decided there were other girls who were much more willing and eager to close the deal. We remained friends, even after he went on to date a few of the girls in my social circle. My mind was more focused on finishing up high school then finishing off Rodrigo. When my senior prom rolled around, I didn't have a date. My best girlfriend, Laura was dating Rodrigo's best friend, Mike. So it only made sense we'd all go together. We had a great time. We drank beer in the limo, and did the traditional red carpet processional into the prom. Inside, I danced my heart out with my friends. And right before we left, Rodrigo and I had our photo taken in front of a gaudy "Under the Sea" backdrop.

Although my mom had given me a strict 1am curphew, I had my mind set on staying out the entire night. Besides, I was leaving for college in a few months. I figured I couldn't get into TOO much trouble for breaking my curphew. So Rodrigo, Laura, Mike and I all headed to a nearby motel to have a few more beers. Rodrigo rented us our own room and had a few more beers while making out. Then, the mood suddenly changed. I told Rodrigo I had no plans to sleep with him that night. He got pissed and left for about an hour. When he came back, he cuddled up behind me and we slept like babies.

I graduated and went off to college. I met "The Italian" and dated him for four years. It was during one of our infamous "breaks" that I decided to head home to Miami for Thanksgiving. Laura knew I needed cheering up and convinced me to go out to a local bar. And there was Rodrigo. Looking just as smooth and sexy as he had 4 years earlier. As soon as he saw me, he scooped me up in a big bear hug. He told me how great I looked and I echoed his sentiments. At least, I think that's what I said. I couldn't really hear myself because my heart was pounding in my ears.

We made small talk for a few minutes, staring in each other's eyes as if there wasn't anyone else in the room. Then, he dropped the bomb. He was engaged and getting married in 3 months. My heart sank. I awkwardly congratulated him. I actually knew his fiance, Jana. She was a beautiful and sweet girl I'd ran track with in high school. I wished him the best and when he asked me for my number I changed the subject and snuck away at my first opportunity.

A week ago, Rodrigo friend requested me on Facebook. And all of the sudden, it was like I was 16 again. My heart started to pound, I was sweating and my mouth was dry. I hadn't seen him in almost 8 years! I accepted his friend request and instantly started snooping through his photos. No pictures of Jana. Only a photo of him with 2 adorable little boys. And his current city was....SAN DIEGO!!! He lived 2 hours south of me??? Not in Miami? I didn't leave any comments on his page or message him. I just waited. And sure enough, today he sent me a message congratulating me on my success as a writer and telling me I looked fantastic in my photos. I waited a few hours and responded cooly.


ME: Hey Rodrigo-Great to hear from you. I had no idea you were living in San Diego. How's life? How's Jana. Do you have any little ones? Hope all is well.

RODRIGO: I'm doing ok. Actually, I'm in the middle of a divorce. Things didn't work out between me and Jana. No house and no kids together-which is making the separation a little easier. Those are my nephews in some of my photos. I love living in San Diego. I've been here for 3 years now. I'd love to talk to you and catch up sometime. (619) 323-954*

ME: I'm really sorry to hear about your divorce. I wish the best for both you and her and will keep you in my prayers. Your nephews are adorable! I had no idea your sister had kids. It would be nice to catch up with you as well. (310) 987-122*


And now, my phone is ringing. It's a 619 number.....that's San Diego.