Sorry, Wrong Room 2

That day turned out to be one of the best of my life,
Looking back now though I wish it had never happened

December 20th 2007

The sun is out today, that’s a good thing considering the fact that Mai would have probably gone and dragged the Sun out from behind the clouds had he decided to take a break from shining on this languid winter morning. That girl is an unstoppable force on her birthdays.
At 6am we went up to our daily source of breakfast (oh how we flock to the circular green sign and the woman with the long white flowing hair), having gotten permission from the owners to fill it with balloons, pictures and friends. The nearest Starbucks was now converted into a party hall, and we waited for Mai to drag herself out of bed at nine and meet us here for the usual drink and sandwich combo.
The girl waltzes into the rainbow-filled cafe, and dissolves into tears of what we hope is happiness and surprise. She threw her arms around her sister and I.
“Awww you guuuuys, this is amazing, I was hating getting another year closer to a time of wrinkles and bed pans but this surprise made it all worth it. I would never expect a breakfast party, I love it.”
Boy does that girl have a flair for the dramatics.
After the mini morning surprise we visited all our favourite places, the places that were saturated with memories of the past 10 or so years of holidays.
Of course that meant the London Eye - which we visit every year - reminiscing about the time when we first got on, anticipating a roller coaster that hangs above shark-infested waters and exploding Coca-Cola.
As the days events wore on more people started leaving our party across the town. By 9 pm it was just Mai, Meera and I at Kai, ready to have dinner. Seated around spring rolls, sesame prawns, crispy duck, lettuce wraps and corn soup we laugh, gossip and argue as usual.
“How in the world did you guys plan all this? I’ve been glued to you the past few days trying to see what my surprise was”
“How’d you know we were going to surprise you?”
“Easy, I know you guys know I’d murder you if you didn’t”
We laugh and I say
“Well I’m glad you appreciate it because it got me into a pretty embarrassing moment this morning...”
“Spill! Now!”
“Does it have hot guys in it?”
“How embarrassing and when?!”
“Stop asking questions girls and I’ll tell you!”...When I got to the part about the rape Meera laughed hard. Laughed so hard in fact that the Coke in her mouth spurted across the table and spattered down the front of my white shirt.
The thing is now it seems that not just Meera and Mai are laughing to the point of tears, gales of male laughter join in too. The three of us turn and to my utter shock and embarrassment (again) we see that a couple of tables away from us sit our audience, a group of good looking guys, including the guy from this morning.
Ma. 9a. Deg!!
The M’s turn to look at me. I say “I can’t believe they’re here!”
Meera, always the slow one goes “LOL yeah they just saw me spit all over you, 3adiii yalla Danoo they’ll never see us again”
“No babe, thats HIM”
“Which one?!”
“The one in the black polo”
“He’s so hot!”
“You think?” I love Mai’s sarcasm.
“He just saw me get covered in spit-filled Coke”.
We paid the bill and got up to leave, as I passed their table he spoke
“7lwa minha”
“I hope you don’t hold people to their second impressions either”
“How about I just wait until you give me an impression you like?”
Does that mean he’s planning on more chances for impressions? Does that mean he likes me? Wait Dana, you’re over-thinking as usual, just reply before you get out of the restaraunt. Say something witty, casual, funny. Say something!!
“Sounds good” I say with a smile (at least my mouth is working properly, unlike my treacherous brain).

***

That wasn't the last I saw of him, over the next few weeks we ran into each other everywhere, finally got to know each other and became friends. By the end of the holiday we exchanged emails. All because of the day I knocked on the door of the wrong room.

Again, I wish that day never happened....