The Date!
There is so much to cover... for this entry though, I'll simply address Friday's activities.
I became INCREDABLY LOST in Gilroy... I don't know how I did it to be honest. Technically if you follow the signs its a pretty easy shot from 152, to 1st street, to the zig-zaggyness to Watsonville and then to the 1. But I didn't know that 152 and 1 didn't instantly connect up. Nooo I follow every other street in Gilroy for about a half hour before calling Sydney in a fit of panic. She was amazed at how I could figure out how to get lost THERE of all places, but I assure you dear readers, it wasn't that hard for me!
I make it out to the motel oooh about 3ish... open the car door and took a niiiice deep breath of sea air.... my GOD I needed that so badly!! I don't know why the sea is such a comfort... I never lived there for anything longer than a week or two at a time. But it just feels like home to me. I call Sydney to tell her yes, I made it, and she shows up, giving me the warmest hug. I realized that she was taller than me, something that somehow excaped my attention at the con. She tells me she forgot about a rehearsal for her recital the next day, but after that, "You'll have me for the rest of the day". eehehe, sweet.
She goes, I clean up and put on my little outfit that Mike made for me... I was so nervous! I couldn't roll the sleeves up properly together and my hands were shaking and I REALLY wanted to smoke but didn't. She called while I was pacing to tell me she was on her way, and I told her "Okay, but two things: one, You may have to help me with this damn sleeve of mine when you get here and two, if you laugh at what I'm wearing, I'll die right in front of you."
She assures me she will not laugh at me. I hang up and wring my hands untill I hear someone pacing outside the door, trying to remember which room I was in. "You look lost!" I said cheerfully and opened my door.
First of all, she looked... well the way she always looks, which is stunning. Black everything: sleeveless top and long skirt, scarf, those sexy boots that ehe... well they were sexy boots.
But Oh, the look she gave me! I blushed so hard I must have looked like a pomegranite. "I did alright then?"
"Darling, you look wonderful!"
"awwwww..." and I put my hand up behind my head so I could keep my face down, knowing I was blushing like mad.
She took me out to the wharf, where we took a small stroll to where there were some sea lions hanging out on the water. I gazed a bit out into the water and we talked about her music recital and music in general. For dinner we hit up a little place called Rivas, a seafood resturant. Now my knowledge about marine dining is, to say the least, limited (apparently I'm rather sheltered. Go figure!) so I let her know I would need some help. She ordered these mussels cooked in garlic and butter for an appetizer and my GOD they were fantastic. We do order and continue talking about eachother, and I learn alot about her in one sitting. She is HIGHLY receptive to detail and picks up on others insecurities almost immediately. Not that I was trying to hide anything, but when I ripped up my bread into a million pieces instead of eating it, she asked me if I was nervous. You know, things like that. Seriously, she kept making me talk, or at least TRY to talk. I know this may be hard for some of you to believe, but she really just leaves me speechless. I get so many words that want to come out at the same time, I was afraid of sounding stupid, or it would be the wrong thing to say...but I kept trying, damn it. We were in there for damn near 3 hours talking though. Loved the company, loved most of the food (I found out I don't like Snapper).
Where to next? The Boardwalk! She wanted to go on some coasters, but it was closed. Oh well, how about Miniature Golf? Ohhh man that was so much fun! I got to see her be SILLY. Neither of us are what you would call pros at the game, and so it was a complete and total excercise in fun and amusment. I could never do this with Justin: he would get mad at not doing well. But there she was, all dolled up and cursing and swinging the club over her head trying to be menacing to a ball that had juuuust missed the tin cup. She also found it a good time to exert her powers of hotness over me, Leaning right in front of me, swishing her hips walking up the stairs, dancing to the music and casting an amazing shadow on the wall so I couldn't even look away to concentrate! I felt like my hands had no bones in them at all. I loved every minute of it.
NATURALLY, she wins, though only by 4 strokes.
We get back into the car to head else where, and she lets it RIP. She lets the engine rev, speeds arounda corner, and I just fall in love all over again! When we get out of the car she explains "I just wanted to express my life without words: Driving fast, music blaring,my hair in the wind." My heart still beating fast, I can't help but ask "Marry Me?" She laughs and smiles. "Make it legal." I smack my forehead at the complete irony of that comment.
You know, you can turn someone into an activist with that kind of talk.
She decides the best way to wrap up the evening is to go to a little place in downtown Santa Cruz called Chocolat. Dear Jesus, the other name of this shop should be ChocOrgasim. First of all, it's quite cute and hip. Little small, horrendous service, French decor and Eiffle Towers as water jugs. We sit outside and she orders for us again, raving about the hot chocolate and the little sample platter we were about to eat. She also tells me that my pitiful attempt to convey "Gentle Beast" in German in an email came out as "Easy Animal" which, I said with a smirk, isn't too far from the truth anyway!
When the food shows up... woah. The hot chocolate is almost too much. It's so thick and hot and creamy you almost have to chew on it! And then the plate itself: Chocolate Geletto, which I actually DIDN'T try, A rose-flavored truffle, Tiramisu and a port wine.
She tells me the tradition in Italy is to take a bite of Tiramisu, then sip the Port and hold in in your mouth. I do this and it's astounding how flavors seem to burst out between the wine and chocolate. Then I try the rose truffle... It tastes like a rose smells. I felt like I wanted to faint it was so amazing. All the while Sydney is petting my knee and watching me enjoy all this with an amused smirk on her face. We talk lightly, though my thoughts were more on her hand on top of mine and those expressive green eyes. I find out her palms are very sensitive, and while she likes to be stroked, if you run your fingers too lightly it tickles her. I tickle her a little under her knee, then I smile when her content expression jumps to surprise. She squeaks a little and I sigh. The check comes and I pick it up, and she looks surprised.
"Are you sure?"
"Yah, it's the very least I could do for such a wonderful evening"
She beams and tells me to lean in... and we kiss. I wanted to pause and rewind that moment over and over again if I could, knowing that the evening was drawing quickly to a close. I wanted to tell her not to go, not to leave, stay stay stay! She sees it in my eyes and tells me not to look at her like that, and I squeeze her hand and mumble "damnit, I'm trying..."
She takes me back to the motel, my mind reeling and I am doing my best not to whimper. We kiss, I hold onto her, she whispers "Tomorrow, Tomorrow, You'll see me tomorrow," and I nod but still find it hard to let go of her. I didn't want to be alone in that bed that night! I just wanted to kiss and hold onto her until the sun came up. I let her go, but then she lingers, holding my hand, my waist, adjusting my hat. She gets in her car, I trudge up the stairs, hot chocolate on my lips, the rest of the rose truffle in my pocket and the whispered promise of Tomorrow.