A couple of years back, I was on a cruise vacation with my family and my friend’s family. One evening my friend and I went to one of the restaurants in the ship; we both loved trying out new cuisines. The waiter at the restaurant thought we were a couple and took us to this table set up for a romantic dinner with candles and all. It was very embarrassing, but my friend and I didn’t care much because we were there for the food.
So, we ordered our food and were talking to each other when a guy approached us and asked if he could take our picture. He was the official photographer at the cruise. We said that we weren’t a couple and refused; he took our individual photos and left.
The next evening, my friend was not feeling well, so I was wandering around the ship all by myself. Then I saw the photographer at the deck; he recognized me and came to talk to me. We talked about the horrible weather that night; the high tides were making many people sea sick. I noticed that he had an accent – he was from Latvia. He told me that the Bollywood movie Agent Vinod was shot in Latvia. We had a nice conversation and it was after midnight that I went back to my room.
We met the next few days as well and then he asked me if the guy at the restaurant with me was my boyfriend. When I said he was just a friend, he looked rather relieved. He let out a sigh and said “Thank god!” I blushed a little and asked if he had a girlfriend; I was happy when he said he was single. Once our statuses were clear, he promptly asked me out. I was a little surprised, but I said yes.
We planned to meet at the cruise library after his shift ended at 11 pm. I told my parents that I’d be reading in the library for a while, so they shouldn’t worry about me. Since I didn’t bring my phone with me there was no way they could get in touch with me. At 10:45 I took my iPad and went to the library. He came around 11:05 and we went on our first date.
It was a very interesting date; he took me to those areas where only staff members are allowed. Then we went to a balcony on one of the decks; it was a chilly night and we were sailing on international waters. We talked for a while and then he leaned towards me and kissed me. It was my first kiss, and I was caught off guard, but it felt amazing. We kissed for a few seconds and then went back to talking. When it started getting chilly we decided to go back. He walked me to my room; he again kissed me. I was sharing my room with my parents, so I couldn’t invite him in. We were leaving the next day and I was pretty sure we’d never see each other again. I just saw him walk away.
It was amazing that a person like me who always found romance cliché got to experience such a romantic time (though a rather short one) with a stranger. It’s the best summer fling that I have ever had!
Image: Shutterstock
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