DOLCE
Make your
Mark
You know in those romantic comedies when the couple that took up 2 hours of your time finally kiss at the end of a movie? The camera pans around them and the violins begin to play? We all watch it and think, "that's a load of crap." Well in life the violins won't begin to play. However, sometimes during a kiss, if you're lucky, the whole world can come to a stop. Here's my story.
Gabanna and I went to Fleet Week back in the end of spring. To remind you all it ended with me waking up on a mattress, on a roof, in Manhattan. That same British sailor that fell asleep looking at the stars with me wanted to get together the following week. The next Tuesday Gabanna and I ventured back into the city to meet the Brit and some others at a bar in Midtown.
We showed up a little early and decided to scope out the rest of the seamen that filled the bar. Drinks and shots were being handed to us when all of a sudden this handsome sailor in whites walked past us.
"I want him." I said.
"Your Brit is going to be here in 5 minutes! Make it quick." Gabanna replied.
The sailor stood there by himself looking like a long lost puppy. I was a little nervous to approach but finally decided to make my attack.
"Hey, I'm Dolce. You look kind of lonely. That's my friend Gabanna over there. If you want to hang with us, you're more than welcome to."
Meet Mark. He was 27, a Marine, blonde, and based out of North Carolina.
We surprisingly had quite a lot in common. Before I knew it ten minutes had flown by and Gabanna interrupted us claiming the Brit has been staring me down on the opposite side of the bar for the past five minutes. I excused myself and made a run for the Brit.
Flip Flop
"Hey, I'm so sorry my cousin is here and I had to say hi." I told the Brit.
His frown quickly turned into a sigh of relief and he escorted me to the bar to grab a drink. Mark however wasn't at all my cousin. He kept approaching us starting up new conversation in attempt to compete with the Brit. All I kept thinking was "how the hell am I going to pull this one off." I stood there flip flopping back and forth until Gabanna thankfully came to help with my threes company.
When grabbing Mark to do a shot with her, Gabanna got herself into her own love triangle. The Marine that had been talking to her all night was getting jealous of Mark. Two minutes later a fight broke out in the front of the bar...Why does this always happen to us?
Thankfully the Brit made a bathroom run when the fight broke out. I was able to pull Mark out of the brawl and convince him to meet up with me later because I was going to grab dinner with some "old friends." He agreed. He took down my number, kissed my cheek goodbye, and walked out the door.
Dine and Ditch
When the Brit returned, Gabanna and I grabbed our boys and set out to the Mexican restaurant a couple blocks away. We had just got our quesadilla's when my phone went off.
"Hey, it's Mark. I have to head back to the ship now, but I would like to see you one last time before I go. We are leaving for North Carolina in the morning."
Knowing it was my one and only chance to say goodbye, I excused myself from the table claiming I had to say bye to my cousin across the street. I ran out into the torrential downpour and off to find my boy in whites. I spotted my sailor as he ran across the street and swooped me up. We were both drawn together and before I knew it his sailor hat was on my head, he was holding my face, and he kissed me. For just a whole two minutes the world came to a stop. I felt as if the cameras were panning around us capturing the romantic moment in the pouring rain. I didn't even know the kid's last name but all I kept thinking was "damn."
A bystander caught our moment, and at the end of the kiss I heard, "enjoy that moment, he's going to be leaving you."
I pulled away in complete awe and found it hard to say goodbye. He said he would be back in NY soon to visit. A part of me wanted to believe him, but I knew not to hold on to his words. As I walked away I looked back only to see him doing the same.
When I made it back to the restaurant the bill had already been settled. The rest of the night was a blur because I couldn't get that kiss out of my head. I knew it was bad territory to fall for another man in uniform.
Meet Mark.
I heard from Mark a couple days later. We texted back and forth getting to know each other better. He was sweet, heartbroken from his ex, and was a very talented artist. Then I found out he had 2 kids, was divorced, and was re-enlisting so he could head back overseas. Not the usual story of a 27-year old you met at a bar.
I was going to North Carolina the next month to visit family 2 1/2 hours away from where he was stationed. The question was if I wanted to keep the movie-like kiss in the credits, or see if there was a sequel.
Moral of the Story:
- Romance can happen anywhere, as long as you open yourself up to it.
- Always expect the unexpected.
- Don't be afraid to make the first move. What's wrong with being social if you're being polite?
- There are such things as the known "Notebook Kiss." (very rare)
- Have a good wingman/woman when pulling off a stunt like I did.
- Live in the moment. Not every moment will last.
You know in those romantic comedies when the couple that took up 2 hours of your time finally kiss at the end of a movie? The camera pans around them and the violins begin to play? We all watch it and think, "that's a load of crap." Well in life the violins won't begin to play. However, sometimes during a kiss, if you're lucky, the whole world can come to a stop. Here's my story.
Gabanna and I went to Fleet Week back in the end of spring. To remind you all it ended with me waking up on a mattress, on a roof, in Manhattan. That same British sailor that fell asleep looking at the stars with me wanted to get together the following week. The next Tuesday Gabanna and I ventured back into the city to meet the Brit and some others at a bar in Midtown.
We showed up a little early and decided to scope out the rest of the seamen that filled the bar. Drinks and shots were being handed to us when all of a sudden this handsome sailor in whites walked past us.
"I want him." I said.
"Your Brit is going to be here in 5 minutes! Make it quick." Gabanna replied.
The sailor stood there by himself looking like a long lost puppy. I was a little nervous to approach but finally decided to make my attack.
"Hey, I'm Dolce. You look kind of lonely. That's my friend Gabanna over there. If you want to hang with us, you're more than welcome to."
Meet Mark. He was 27, a Marine, blonde, and based out of North Carolina.
We surprisingly had quite a lot in common. Before I knew it ten minutes had flown by and Gabanna interrupted us claiming the Brit has been staring me down on the opposite side of the bar for the past five minutes. I excused myself and made a run for the Brit.
Flip Flop
"Hey, I'm so sorry my cousin is here and I had to say hi." I told the Brit.
His frown quickly turned into a sigh of relief and he escorted me to the bar to grab a drink. Mark however wasn't at all my cousin. He kept approaching us starting up new conversation in attempt to compete with the Brit. All I kept thinking was "how the hell am I going to pull this one off." I stood there flip flopping back and forth until Gabanna thankfully came to help with my threes company.
When grabbing Mark to do a shot with her, Gabanna got herself into her own love triangle. The Marine that had been talking to her all night was getting jealous of Mark. Two minutes later a fight broke out in the front of the bar...Why does this always happen to us?
Thankfully the Brit made a bathroom run when the fight broke out. I was able to pull Mark out of the brawl and convince him to meet up with me later because I was going to grab dinner with some "old friends." He agreed. He took down my number, kissed my cheek goodbye, and walked out the door.
Dine and Ditch
When the Brit returned, Gabanna and I grabbed our boys and set out to the Mexican restaurant a couple blocks away. We had just got our quesadilla's when my phone went off.
"Hey, it's Mark. I have to head back to the ship now, but I would like to see you one last time before I go. We are leaving for North Carolina in the morning."
Knowing it was my one and only chance to say goodbye, I excused myself from the table claiming I had to say bye to my cousin across the street. I ran out into the torrential downpour and off to find my boy in whites. I spotted my sailor as he ran across the street and swooped me up. We were both drawn together and before I knew it his sailor hat was on my head, he was holding my face, and he kissed me. For just a whole two minutes the world came to a stop. I felt as if the cameras were panning around us capturing the romantic moment in the pouring rain. I didn't even know the kid's last name but all I kept thinking was "damn."
A bystander caught our moment, and at the end of the kiss I heard, "enjoy that moment, he's going to be leaving you."
I pulled away in complete awe and found it hard to say goodbye. He said he would be back in NY soon to visit. A part of me wanted to believe him, but I knew not to hold on to his words. As I walked away I looked back only to see him doing the same.
When I made it back to the restaurant the bill had already been settled. The rest of the night was a blur because I couldn't get that kiss out of my head. I knew it was bad territory to fall for another man in uniform.
Meet Mark.
I heard from Mark a couple days later. We texted back and forth getting to know each other better. He was sweet, heartbroken from his ex, and was a very talented artist. Then I found out he had 2 kids, was divorced, and was re-enlisting so he could head back overseas. Not the usual story of a 27-year old you met at a bar.
I was going to North Carolina the next month to visit family 2 1/2 hours away from where he was stationed. The question was if I wanted to keep the movie-like kiss in the credits, or see if there was a sequel.
Moral of the Story:
- Romance can happen anywhere, as long as you open yourself up to it.
- Always expect the unexpected.
- Don't be afraid to make the first move. What's wrong with being social if you're being polite?
- There are such things as the known "Notebook Kiss." (very rare)
- Have a good wingman/woman when pulling off a stunt like I did.
- Live in the moment. Not every moment will last.
