A Lifelong Romance

It was back in July when the days were warmer and longer and people were more involved with each other. Socialising was the most important part of July and it lead to some new acquaintances and friends.

Romance was not at the forefront of my mind, as I was a very career driven person. I was making it in the world of fashion and design and I was starting to become recognised. My future was looking colourful and there was no way I wanted to taint it or be distracted.

Part of becoming noticed, was socialising with people within the industry and the industry was full of fake wannabe women who would do anything to get themselves seen and men who thought they could literally do say and have what they want.

I saw myself as different because I was not as easy to impress or to get things from. That was until a certain guy named Marty joined the scene.

Marty was a big name. He had a huge reputation and everyone knew who he was. Looking at him I felt this instant attraction, but a sheer determination to not let myself get close. It was almost like I felt something, but got straight on the defence.

There were so many women around him. From the moment he turned up, it was like no one else existed. The other guys fell into the background and all the women wanted to impress Marty. Marty put together a poolside party and it was the place to be for anyone who wanted to socialise within the fashion industry. Everyone who was anyone was going to be there.

My invite was given to me in person by Marty and I give him credit for his charm. He went straight in with a compliment and his sound, the smooth tone to his voice was almost hypnotising, but it wasn't long before all these ladies came to grab his attention and a part of me welcomed that chance to get away.

Several times he made eye contact with me, which I know means that I was giving him more attention than I should have been. It was just such a weird feeling of desire and yet this battle within myself as though I had to fight the desire.

His eyes were dark and deep. His skin was tanned and I could imagine it feeling quite soft to the touch. His face was picture perfect; no wrinkles, lines, spots, creases, odd proportions. His nose was just the right size for the centre of his face, his eyes were evenly spread and sunken in a little and his mouth was not too thin or thick, but had a little plumpness.

The day of the party arrived sooner than expected and i had struggled to find something to wear. Not that I wanted to impress him too much, but of course I wanted him to notice me and to ask me about my work. So I tried to go for sexy yet conservative and hoped that I would stand out. If you could see the amount of skin on show, I was definitely over dressed.

His entrance was what you would expect; Expensive watch, open shirt, sunglasses and a girl on each arm. Every woman there wanted to be one of those girls and it was quite shameful really when you think about it. I was determined to remind myself that a guy who allows women to be like that over him, was just a player.

I decided to pay no more attention to him and went to hang out with some of the guys who had already shown some interest in my designs. Hours went by and we went from discussing work, to drinking a little too much and laughing about everything.

Marty eventually made his way over to me and offered to buy me a drink. At first I declined his offer and pointed out that I was busy with some colleagues. I am not sure that he was happy with this as he was use to getting his way. He walked off but sent a bottle of champagne our way and then smiled at me from across the pool.

As the party died down and people started to disperse, I found myself dipping my feet in the pool and loosing track of time. It was getting darker and cooler and I suddenly felt so relaxed and able to unwind. I had failed to notice that everyone had gone.

I was disturbed from my rest by Marty jumping into the pool in front of me. He smiled at me and asked if I was ok. It took me a moment to answer as I took in the fact that he was alone and not surrounded by women. I confirmed I was ok though and apologised for still being there.

As I went to get up he grabbed hold of my foot and smiled. This rush of adrenaline came over me and I almost felt powerless to move. A moments silenced fell between us and then he started to tell me what it was that he liked about my recent fashion designs. There were just no words! No words coming out of my mouth! This guy knew about my work and had obviously spent some time looking into it. Why me though? The next thing I know he had pulled me into the pool and I was startled.

He found his actions funny and I was a little annoyed at him. I found it quite easy to voice what I thought and he seemed to smile more. He was acting like a big kid and splashing me and winding me up and then he just grabbed me and kissed me. For a moment I forgot everything else. His mouth was warm and inviting and I couldn't resist kissing him back.

That moment changed my life forever. Though there were moments where I wanted to fight all that was happening and I doubted that I could mean more to this man then all these other women, the years went on and he never strayed from me. My determination to not be like everyone else, made him value me and desire me. When I explain our story to my eldest daughter she shrugs it off, as just like me, she is determined to succeed without being distracted by romance. I know that we have a lifelong romance. A love and understanding that time can not change.