We had known each other for some years and I’d always been convinced she had feelings for me.
Then she married Jeff, had a son and we fell out of touch.
We had begun seeing each other again as friends, usually dinner at her place with Jeff, her son and their two dogs.
I began to think that she merely enjoyed my company and thought of me more as a father figure as her own father had died when she was a child.
One day she called to tell me that Jeff had taken her son away for the day and asked if I’d like to get together, suggesting we meet in town for lunch.
After lunch we spent the afternoon window shopping and visiting a few of her favorite art galleries.
As we were leaving our final gallery of the afternoon, she rubbed her hand against mine as were walking down the stairs, and soon intertwining her fingers with mine.
I knew then what her intentions were.
She mentioned that this was the first time she had been alone since her son was born and she’d been looking forward to this day for months, especially because she knew she wanted to spend it with me.
As we began walking down the street, I released my hand from hers and tenderly moved her bangs aside and looked at her face, telling her how beautiful she was.
Just then, I noticed Jeff walking towards us pushing their son’s stroller with one hand and holding the dogs on their leashes with the other.
Looking at my watch I noticed it was 6:57 and thought to myself that she must have arranged to meet Jeff at 7.
We greeted Jeff and said hello to the little boy and I petted the dogs while she was greeting her husband.
Jeff asked me if I’d like to join them at their hotel for dinner as they taken a room for the night to enjoy a change of scenery in the city.
We arrived at the hotel and I went into a lounge and opened my laptop to check my email and messages while the couple went to their room to change for dinner.
The minute I opened my laptop, I got a video call from my friend Boro in Valencia.
Boro was sitting an outdoor café in the town square and I was taken aback by the fact he smoking a cigarette. When I asked him why on earth he would be smoking, he ignored my question and tossed the cigarette away saying he was getting ready to go to Friday night services at the synagogue.
Just then, I told him to wait as I wanted to play a video for him.
I put the chat on hold returning a few seconds later playing Boro a video of the sabbath song Lecha Dodi, chanted in the Eastern European Ashkenazi melody.
Boro said he really liked that version and would sing it that evening in shul.
We bid each other Shabbat Shalom and ended the call.
Just then, I realized that I happened to be in the same hotel where my company was hosting a conference in just a couple of days and that a few of my colleagues had already checked in and had begun arranging things for the conference.
One of my colleagues, seeing me and thinking I was part of the organizing committee, gave me some boxes with coffee creamer, sugar packets and wooden stirring sticks and asked me to separate them into individual bags.
After I had made up all the coffee bags, I went to find my friends but it appeared as they had checked out and a young Asian couple had checked into their room.
I imagined the couple had quarreled, perhaps Jeff had seen the two of us holding hands and flew into a jealous rage.
I began collecting my things but had to use the toilet but couldn’t find one.
I began nervously looking around and finally found an unlocked door and saw a toilet inside.
Quickly realizing I had walked into someone’s room and not wanting to run the risk of accidentally leaving urine droplets on the floor, I pulled down my trousers and knelt down beside the toilet and relieved myself.
As I flushed the toilet and washed my hands, I couldn’t help but notice how meticulously arranged the occupant of the room had folded and stacked her sweaters and blouses.
As I turned around to leave the room, I was startled by a young Asian woman who had been sitting on a tall stool in the corner next to the door wearing only a t-shirt and underpants.
I told her that she scared the hell out of me and she apologized saying she didn’t know why she didn’t say anything when I walked into her room.
I asked if she had been there the whole time and she said she had been but looked away as I was urinating.
I apologized, saying at first I had thought it was a public restroom until I realized too late it had actually been a guest room.
She said she understood and as I was walking out I turned to her saying I thought she was very beautiful.
She shyly thanked me and I told her I had been stood up by some friends and would she like to join me for dinner.
She smiled and said yes, asking me to turn my head while she got dressed.
Then I woke up.
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