The beginning

I don't really know how it happened. He came out of nowhere and yet it was like we'd known each other forever.

The call came at 8:30pm on February 7, 2013. We'd been talking for a few weeks. Truth be told I was his dance instructor, helping him improve as a surprise for her. That day a simple text meant as a joke changed both of our lives forever.
Now I sit here writing this and trying to remember everything that happened to bring us to that choice. I can't say I hadn't thought of him before. He was so handsome, but it was his personality that made me picture how my life would be if that kind of attention could be aimed at me. Still I didn't know how to react when he invited me to New Orleans to meet him. I wanted to go so bad but I was scared. I knew her. I liked her. But the temptation was so much stronger.

I drove 8 1/2 hours that night to be with him. I couldn't sleep and was in the car around 4am. Lol. I smoked 3 packs of cigarettes and it's a wonder I didn't get lung cancer from that road trip alone. I couldn't wait to get there but as it got closer my foot was pumping the brakes. I pulled over 2 blocks from the hotel and reapplied my makeup. I popped a mint in my mouth and tried to get the scared look off my face. Rounding the corner I was so nervous that I pulled down a one-way street! He was waiting outside and jumped in to rescue me. I laughed watching him maneuver my car back around to the valet but my stomach was doing somersaults. What was I doing here?

The bellhop took my bags and led us through a beautiful lobby towards a bay of elevators. He cracked a smiled and told me that Q had been pacing the lobby for almost an hour and that his face had lit up like a kid on Christmas morning when I pulled up. **butterflies**
The bellhop showed us to a room and when we walked in I realized that his bags were there as well. The white-hot anger I felt was so fast and I couldn't really explain why I felt it. I was here so I obviously wanted to see what would happen. I was excited the whole drive over. Why was I so angry? I immediately put him into this category of men who have affairs, but wouldn't that put me in the category of a woman who would be "that woman"? Well if that's what this is then that's what it will be. I set out to be the perfect little playmate and I was good at it.

Immediately we set out to find some lunch and some clothes to go out in that evening. He'd come straight from a business trip and wasn't prepared for a night out with someone like me.
Lunch was yummy but awkward. We sat across from each other trying to fill in the silence. She called him and I got to listen to their interactions. It didn't seem very intimate but maybe he was nervous because I was there. Maybe he hated her. Maybe they were fighting. Maybe this was normal.

Next on our list was a shopping trip around NOLA to find some cool duds. The first street we crossed I felt a bolt of electricity when he brushed his hand on the small of my back. It was such a simple touch, protective really, but it was so intimate. Funny, isn't it? After all we'd been dancing together for a few months at this point.
The shopping trip was so much fun. We popped into several typical stores and then headed to a few more off the beaten path. Searching through stacks and racks for a simple t-shirt proved to be harder that it looked for the man whose entire wardrobe was made up of black, grey and the occasional red. Oh this was going to be fun. Lol.
We finally settled on a couple shirts and headed back to the hotel for a nap before catching a parade. Oh, did I forget to tell you? It's Mardi Gras!

The Scene of the Crime

Street Vendors Everywhere!