Dating : Something About Labor Day

A summer romance that lasted

It was July by the time we started talking about actually meeting each other. We had connected on OKCupid in May, but still hadn’t met.

Our first date was on a perfect Saturday in August. The 12th. We met at Starbucks for coffee. I was wearing flirty summer clothes and a tan.

He was wearing a long ponytail and a concert T-shirt. We were excited to meet each other. We sat on a bench on the sidewalk in the sun, drinking coffee and talking for two hours. It wasn’t an extravagant date, but it was real. Rex didn’t have a lot of extra money. We enjoyed the sun and conversation.

I finally told him I had to go home for no real reason other than I thought it was time. I think I said something about getting sunburn. My low cut top revealed quite a bit of my chest and we were sitting in direct afternoon sun.

We stood up and faced each other. We agreed we’d had a great time and should definitely meet again. We had each been single for a while and were hungry for connection.

The warm sun softened us. Our first kiss was sweet. Electric, even.

Rex planned a picnic at the park for the following Saturday. I was already wondering if he was a good swimmer. I was always looking for a capable life guard so I could swim in the lake, especially since Charlie died a year ago. I looked forward to Saturday.

Weekend weather started spectacularly. We met at the park under blue, sunny skies. Rex had a guitar and a small cooler.

We sat under the gazebo in the shade and ate our sandwiches and drank iced tea. Rex had dark blue eyes with a tinge of light blue that shone brighter in the shade.

We decided to sit in the sun when Rex took out his guitar. It sounded beautiful in the hot summer air. We talked in between songs. I told him about the lake house. He said he loved swimming!

I couldn’t be so forward as to invite him to the lake for our third date. Yet, somehow this came to pass. I think I implied it would be a date for swimming. His eyes lit up. I explained that the house was large, and if we went for the weekend, he could have his own room if he wanted. I didn’t want to assume anything.

It turned out to not be the weekend. We were only staying Sunday night into Labor Day Monday.

I picked Rex up at his house on Friday and we drove up to the lake. We relaxed and listened to music when we got there. We had cocktails. We got high. Hours passed in the hot summer night.

I was getting tired. I wasn’t sure how to get ready for bed with a virtual stranger in the house. I wasn’t sure where he was going to sleep.

I think I finally just asked him if he wanted to sleep upstairs or in my room. I later realized how stupid this question was.

Of course he wanted to sleep with me. When I came out of the master bathroom after brushing my teeth, I saw Rex sitting on the bed naked.

We made happy love on the king size bed. We had summer sleep.

Monday was a perfect swimming day. Rex agreed to be the lifeguard.

We enjoyed swimming in the lake together and sitting on the dock in the sun.

Later that week, my 90 year old aunt asked about my new summer romance. When I told her we spent the night at the lake for Labor Day, she proclaimed it our “wedding night”. It isn’t likely Rex and I will get married. I’m not divorced and we are 56 and 58 years old.

The summer of 2017 ended soon. The summer of 2018 was busy and fun for me and Rex. We fell in love, skinny dipped in the lake, and had some wild summer nights in that king size bed. We celebrated our one year anniversary on Labor Day.

We have had some of the nicest weekends of our affair this summer at the lake. We won’t be getting married anytime soon, but we’ve already had our wedding night.