First Weekend Down

Scott and I spent the rest of his visit together. It was so nice to get home from work and have the next 48 hours with the man I love, especially after my intimidating boss told me I was doing well. That was a call for celebration!

Scott and I sat at the bar at this cool taco place that he picked out. He tried to be a perfect gentleman and let me pick the place, but I insisted he pick since he was visiting. I tried to limit myself to two tacos, since I want West Coast Caroline to be super fit and healthy, but as the drinks kept coming, so did the food.

"Would you like to try some spicy strawberries?" The bartender asked me.

Scott was in the bathroom, so I shrugged and said sure. My curiosity was caught. I watched as he scooped them out of a pitcher and placed them into a bowl. They were heavy from being soaked in a mystery liquid and their color was very dark.

Before I tried one, I waited for Scott to come back. He seemed confused by why I would even want to try them.

"It's something new," I casually replied as I lifted one out of the bowl. At the exact moment that I placed a strawberry in my mouth, I regretted my decision. As my face twisted in what I assume was a very unattractive expression, Scott and the bartender both burst out laughing.

I forced myself to swallow it, even though it was one of the grossest things I'd ever tasted. Not only was it drenched in a mixture of alcohol, but it tasted like a jalapeño. I do not recommend ever trying this.

"Why would you give us those?" I lightheartedly asked the bartender.

He shrugged. "Some people like 'em. You going to try one, buddy?"

I looked over at Scott, who pushed the bowl toward the bartender. "No, thanks," he said before putting his arm around my waist and simultaneously pulling my stool closer to his. I love when he pulls me closer to him in front of other guys!

The rest of our weekend was filled with a lot of walking around and exploring Santa Monica. I had checked a lot out on my own, but it was a million times more enjoyable doing it with Scott. Plus, we scheduled plenty of stops back to my apartment for play time, so that kept us both happy, if not a little more exhausted.

It was a perfect visit. I wouldn't have changed anything, except for the fact that he had to get back on a plane Sunday night.

I sat with him in my apartment while he got his stuff together. I felt silly for wanting to cry. This is what I signed up for, isn't it? And we just had an amazing weekend. There was no reason for tears! Emotions obviously don't work that way, though.

As we took an Uber to the airport together, I could tell he was just as down as I was. I made him talk to me about work, hoping to distract us both.

It worked for a little while, before he let out a heavy sigh and said, "well, this part sucks."

I rested my head on his shoulder. "You read my mind," I replied. "Maybe it'll start to suck less?"

"Maybe," Scott replied, but he didn't sound as optimistic as I was. "I guess we'll just take it a day at a time."

"Yeah," I replied with my head still on his shoulder. I paused for a second before adding, "I love you so much, Scott."

He took his hand, placed it on my chin, and guided my face to his before planting a sweet, light kiss on my lips. "I love you, too, Caroline."

I smiled as I felt my eyes well with tears. I prevented myself from actually crying by shifting the tone of the conversation. "I'll see you in a couple weeks at my brother's engagement party, though. Right?"

He smiled and nodded. "I wouldn't miss it."

We were at the airport a few minutes later and Scott insisted that I let him continue on his own. "We can't have a huge emotional send off every time we visit each other."

I laughed. "You're right. Just call me when you land, okay?"

Scott agreed before giving me a kiss goodbye. Then, he was off. I softly cried on the ride back to my apartment. I'm sure the driver was judging me.

The next day at work was definitely hard. I miss Scott, of course, but it was more that I felt deflated. Our long distance relationship was a marathon, not a sprint, with no end in sight. How long would I be able to sustain only seeing him a couple of days every couple of weeks if it was already getting hard?

Then I remembered what Scott said; 

"we'll just take it a day at a time." Everything would be fine.

We had a meeting at 11 so I didn't feel compelled to do too much work before that.

I walked into the conference room a few minutes before 11 and settled in a seat next to Shelby.

"Hey," she whispered to me. "How are you doing today?" 

"Eh," I honestly answered. She knew that Scott had visited me over the weekend and that he went back the night before.

Our conversation was cut short by Pete walking into the room and starting. For most of the meeting, I was half listening to Pete and taking notes, but toward the end of the meeting, Pete suddenly said my name.

"Caroline," he began as he looked toward me. "I'd like to highlight her hard work. She has the highest customer reviews and performance reports so far. Great job." Then, he winked.

People clapped and then Pete concluded the meeting. As everyone shuffled out, Pete approached me.

"Caroline, can I take you to lunch?"