As I pulled up to the airport, my heart was in my throat. Slowly cruising past the arriving passengers it dawned on me: I was about to see Thomas again. Beautiful, sexy, stylish Thomas from San Francisco. He'd called me the day after I got back to Las Vegas and asked me if he could fly out to take me to dinner. I was flattered beyond belief. I mean, I'd only met him a few days before and he wanted to fly into town just to take me to dinner wherever my little heart desired.
My palms were sweating as I squeezed the steering wheel. Be calm, be cool, be confident, just be yourself, was the mantra I kept repeating over and over as I looked into the crowd of faces that lined the curbside.
I was a nervous wreck! So much so that I could feel the perspiration dripping down my sides. Gross! Now I'm going to have pits! God, please tell me I remembered to wear deodorant. I stopped the car to allow people to cross and I took the opportunity to lift my right arm and give myself a good sniff just to be on the safe side. Eyes closed, I deeply inhaled the powder fresh scent of my Lady Speed Stick, as relief swept over me.
Knock, knock, knock.
Nose still buried deep in my pit, I opened my eyes only to see Thomas standing at the passenger door of my car smiling broadly. Nice. How do you play that off?
He opened the door and immediately said, "Hello gorgeous! Don't worry, I just did a quick check of my own. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who's nervous." I didn't even have the chance to feel embarrassed before he made me feel better. I adored him already. And can I just tell you that he was only about a thousand times better looking than I remembered? And he was dressed to kill! I couldn't get passed the shoes. I love a man who knows how to buy shoes. Stacey Adams—with a squared toe and lace. SEXY!
We started the evening out at Aureole in the Mandalay Bay Hotel where Jamie Smith, the sommelier along with Wine Angel Elaine, graced us with a small wine tasting of some of the finest wines that had ever crossed my lips. I was giddy and my head was light, but I was sure that more than the delicious wine samples it was because my date was such a charming and intellectually stimulating gentleman.
Between sips he would give me a sweet kiss to cleanse my palate. We giggled like school kids and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world as a table of four single women looked on. I glanced over and saw the looks on their faces. Looks that I recognized all too well. They were happy to see that the possibility of finding someone wonderful, handsome and adoring does exist, but just a tad bit envious too that it had happened to me and not to them. I wanted to say, "Keep the faith girls! You'll find him, just don't give up hope! I didn't and just look at me now!"
Next we went to Nine, the steak house at the Palms. The service was excellent and the crowd was as beautiful and electric as always, but Thomas' eyes never left mine. He wasn't interested in anyone or anything else in the room and he said as much. Our dinner was divine and I was sad that it was time to take him back to the airport. But, keeping true to my resolve not to share myself with anyone until I felt that we were both on the same page, not looking for a one-night stand, I curbed my desire to invite him to stay overnight. And, being the gentleman that he is, he didn't ask.
The date was perfect from start to finish as we stood on the curb once again in front of the airport, his arms wrapped around me, gently rocking side to side. I was so happy, yet so sad. I mean, let's face it, I am, admittedly, a little, teensy-weensy bit on the high maintenance side and I didn't like the idea of a long-distance relationship with someone, and of not knowing when I'd get the chance to see him again. As though he could read my mind he said, "This isn't going to be easy, but love never is, is it? I think we are onto something very special here and I'd like to pursue it. Can I come back and see you this weekend?" Um, did he just use the "L" word?
I was speechless. Me. Speechless. So, instead of ruining the moment with stupid humor, which is how I usually handle situations that leave me dumbfounded, I closed my eyes, stood on my tippy-toes and kissed him. Passionately. I think I literally melted into him. Just as our kiss was ending, two men, two very stylish and sexy men, walked by and whistled. Was it just my imagination or were they whistling at Thomas? I glanced over his shoulder and saw one of the men looking him up and down as he turned to his friend and said, "Ooooh, that man has got it going on!"
Thomas shifted uncomfortably. My new man had just been checked out by other men! I guess when you've got it, you've got it.
"Sonja," said Thomas, "I have something to give you," and with that he took my hand. In it he placed my diamond pendant, my most prized possession and the heart I had left with him in San Francisco just a few days earlier. He'd brought it back as promised. Tears were welling up in my eyes but I promised myself I was not going to cry. Then, he took my other hand, in it he placed a new diamond heart pendant. It was beautiful. I looked into his eyes and he said, "There, now you have my heart too."
I cried.