Episode 3

Episode 3

It’s about time we got to the picnic, am I right?

The car ride there was nothing out of the ordinary. Hearty banter punctuated by her ever so cheerful laugh. On occasion, we’d both steal a glance or two – the glance that upon closer inspection basically means stop this car and take me now.

So, anyway we get to the picnic site. I had gotten us reservations at this perfect spot bang in the middle of nature and a carriage ride after. I know you’re thinking that’s a tad overkill for a first date but I don’t care. For all you know I could have had doves, a mariachi band and the whole nauseating ensemble.

I laid out the Maasai leso I had brought and laid out the snacks. I almost do not recall what we were talking about because I kept zoning out, a lot. In my defense, it was all I could do not to kiss her there and then. So, like any reasonable, adult, I came up with a solution to that particular pickle.

“Hey, I am terrible at timing so I’ll probably miss the perfect moment to kiss you. Not to worry though, I do have a solid plan. What do you say to three hands of poker? I win, I get to kiss you now” I asked with no idea whatsoever as to how she’d respond. I have to admit the bottle of wine we’d just downed had me filled with bravado, false bravado. I could see a smirk slowly forming on her perfect lips so I had an inkling she was down for it.

“Okay, two things. One, you’re crazy and two, you have yourself a very weird deal” she responded rather heartily. In retrospect, that only went to show that she probably is just as crazy as I am.

Ladies, gentlemen, animals who can read and any other being reading this, I won that bet – it wasn’t even close. It was in that moment in time that I took a second to thank myself for all those hours I wasted playing cards in high school.

If you are waiting to hear how the kiss went, I’m terribly sorry, I am a gentleman, I do not kiss and tell. Well, that was a blatant lie because I am about to tell you everything.

I have never experienced a longer twenty seconds in my entire life. The tension was palpable and if you had been really quiet, you’d hear my heart trying to beat its way out of my already rapidly closing up chest. I was more nervous than a suicide bomber with Tourettes. Having previously kissed a grand total of two girls, I had unwavering confidence in myself which is as ironic as it gets.

So anyway, I took her face into my now sweaty palms hoping and praying my kiss would be satisfactory enough to make her ignore the fact. With her face just an inch away from mine, I could smell her lavender perfume. Time seemed to stand still when our lips finally touched. My brain shut off for a second and was only brought back to this realm when she parted her lips ever so slightly to introduce her tongue to mine. Not even the little voice in my head yelling she kissed me back! She kissed me back! could distract me from the matter at hand or better yet, the Tracy at hand. My body went limp as my lips locked with hers. Judging by her slow heavy, very heavy breathing, she too was overwhelmed by the tide of passion. As far as first kisses go, this was nothing short of electric. To the victor, the spoils and the spoils do not come this good neither do they come in packaging this aesthetically pleasing.

The date was just getting started but that’s a story for another day. Till then,

Love

_storyteller.