It was not your typical date.
He was tall and looked at me as if I was the only thing that mattered. He had deep blue eyes and dark brown hair. He could not walk five feet without being noticed, but that wasn't why he had that presence about him. He was not a popular guy, but that is how he liked it. He had a lot to be proud of. It was one of those kinds of nights where you feel like you were born at the wrong time and that your time was wasted. It was not like that. It was one of those nights where you were waiting for someone to come and walk away with you and make everything right.
That someone came.
He looked like an angel. He had soft eyes and a smile that made my soul shine. He looked like the kind of man you could run home to. You could always be sure that he would love you unconditionally, but you were not sure if he was looking for someone like me. It was the first time I really thought about him as a potential boyfriend.
"So are you looking for the bad boy to take home?"
This was the moment I thought I was going to die.
"No, I don't think so. I would take someone I can spend the rest of my life with, I guess, but I don't think the bad boy is what I'm looking for."
There was that silence. His deep blue eyes were so intense, but you just knew that he was going to kiss me. He did kiss me, but it was not the one on my lips.
I felt myself spinning out of control. I had never been kissed like that. It was not just an easy peasy kiss. It was an all-consuming kiss that left me breathless. It was sexy and erotic, but not as intimate as I thought it would be. When he stopped kissing me, I looked up at him.
"You know, in a lot of places I could come home with a man like you. You are sexy, with a nice body, and you know how to kiss."
He must have heard the disappointment in my voice. He didn't try to smooth things over. He was honest with me. I was not looking for a quick fling. I was looking for a man I could get to know, see how it would work. I didn't know if he was interested in having a relationship with me. I wasn't going to push him. I didn't want to scare him off. It was not the time to make an enemy out of him.
"I am looking for a woman like you."
"Well, if you're serious, that could be me."
"I think we are at an advantage. Your friends know you well enough to know that you would never be interested in a man who is a bad influence on you. There is no way you would let a man like that get too close to you."
The thought that he would not allow someone to get too close to me left a tight feeling in my chest. He would be the one to choose if I would be lucky enough to choose him.
"What if they don't know me that well? What if they have bad intentions toward me?"
"That is why I am taking you with me to the party. I will handle everything. We will tell them you are not really my date, just a friend. Everyone will love you, especially me."
"Will I know you? The real you? You know I have some feelings for you, at least since that day in the park."
He hesitated to answer. He was not looking at me, but I could feel the heat radiating off of him.
"I will tell them the real me in time. You will be shocked."
The tightness in my chest subsided. I did not want to feel upset by my feelings. But I could not help it.
"I hope you will tell me more about yourself, but I don't want to pressure you. I know you're in no rush to do that. We will take it a step at a time."
"That's fine. I'd like to talk to you about your past in more detail. I want to know if you have a family of your own."
I was quiet for a minute. I could see my future as clear as day now. I was ready to talk about it.
Unexpected
"I do have a family, but we are estranged at the moment. They moved to Colorado three years ago to live with my aunt."
"How long ago was that?"
"It has been three years. I try to talk to them as much as I can, but they do not know who I am. I am too scared to tell them the truth. I do not want to be disowned by them."
"Is there any possibility that they might want to reconcile with you?"
"I don't think so. It seems like they are a part of my life now. It's too late to change that."
"I am sorry you were affected by the recent events that have been happening here. I didn't want to come to the island, but I had no other choice. I was hired by the government to be on the case, and if they wanted me to get back on that boat to take you off this island, they would have had to arrest me. I did not want to put your life in danger."
"Are you married?" I asked.
"Yes, I am married. We have two children."
"You have two children?"
"Yes, and two wives."
My mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. I just stared. This man was full of surprises.
"How can you be married to two people?"
"We keep the second wives quiet so they do not have any children. I am sure my real wife would have been upset if she knew I had two families."
"Do you get to keep both of them?" I asked.
"Yes, but not at the same time. One can't expect to have two wives and two children. My wives must keep their relationship quiet so I am free to date them."
"I know there are a lot of rules in my church, but do you think they are really necessary?" I asked.
"Those rules are not really rules. They are suggestions. If you really want to be a true Christian, then you must obey God. Our church doesn't tell us what we can and can't do, we are just a few days away from the Sabbath. And the Sabbath is a day of rest. There is no need to tell Christians to work on the Sabbath. That is not the purpose of the Sabbath. You go back to work on the following Monday."
"Would it be all right if I called my wife?"
To Be Continued