by Jessica Wood
As I got up to head toward Gloria, I caught a glimpse of someone from the corner of my eye. Instinctually, I turned and looked for the person who had caught my attention. The glare from the sun momentarily blinded me. After the halos of light subsided, I gasped. There, about two hundred yards away, running in my direction, was none other than the mystery man from my dreams.
I blinked, trying to figure out if I was in a dream. This can’t be a dream, I thought to myself. In my dreams, it is always just him and me, and no one else existed—or mattered.
The sun glistened on his body as he ran. I couldn’t believe that he was real. Real and here in Cancun. Here in Cancun and on this beach with me. Just like my dreams. So it might not have been as romantic as my dreams, with all these people everywhere. But, good God, he looked gorgeous. A surge of sheer happiness washed over me, and I knew it was not due to the daiquiri.
But why is he here? The thought popped into my head. And why is he running on this beach?
I was about to walk in his direction when I heard Gloria’s stressed voice in the distance. “Sorry, I’m not interested.” I heard her say.
Reluctantly, I forced my attention away from the mystery man and toward my friend. The guy I had seen talking to Gloria had his arms tightly around her and was trying to grab her ass. It was clear even from where I stood that the guy was clearly drunk. I ran to Gloria as fast as I could.
“Hey! Get off her!” I screamed as I punched and kicked at the guy, trying to get him to release Gloria.
“Jeez, blonde, I’m just trying to have some fun,” the guy said as he released Gloria and put up his hands, suggesting that he was innocent. “Don’t be jealous. I can make time for you too,” he said as he licked his bottom lip and looked me up and down.
“Fuck off, creep,” I said as I pulled Gloria away from him and led her quickly toward our spot on the beach.
The guy muttered something back, but we were too far away from him to hear what he had said.
It wasn’t until we got back to the safety of our spot on the beach that I remembered who I had seen just moments ago. I looked around, searching desperately for another glimpse of him.
But he was gone.
Chapter Four
Still reeling over the shock of seeing the man of my dreams earlier today, I spent the rest of the afternoon in a daze. After our encounter with the drunk guy, Gloria and I headed over to the beach party to meet up with Steph and Jill. It didn’t take long to find them—not with Steph’s height, blond hair, and hot pink bikini. Plus, her loud personality also helped.
“Emma! Glo!” Jill screamed when she spotted us. She ran up and hugged us, her body swaying as she hung on to us.
Glo and I laughed because we knew Jill was clearly drunk.
“Ohmygod, we’re having so much fun,” she giggled. “Oh, and guess what? Steph just got us VIP tickets to Saturday night’s booze cruise!” Jill said with excitement.
“What? How did she manage that?” I laughed, not at all surprised by Steph’s ability to get what she wanted.
“We bumped into the promoter for the booze cruise, and I convinced him that he’d be pretty stupid to not give four hot, single college girls VIP tickets to his event,” Steph said as she joined the group.
“That’s awesome,” Gloria laughed. “So what do the VIP tickets include?”
“The guy said that the VIP tickets would get us into the VIP pre-party before the booze cruise at Omni hotel, VIP access on the booze cruise, and open bar all night,” Steph said proudly.
“Great job, Steph. Only you can pull that off,” I laughed.
“I know. I’m pretty amazing, huh?” Steph said with confidence before we all erupted in laughter.
“Well, let’s have another round of drinks to celebrate,” I said. “Then we’ll need to head back to our hotel and get ready for dinner and—Jill, which club are we going to tonight?” I asked as I turned to Jill.
“Dady’O,” Jill said and let out a hiccup. Then she started to giggle uncontrollably.
We all broke out in another fit of laughter as we headed toward the bar.
***
I was still distracted at dinner by the memory of my earth-shattering encounter with the man from my dreams hours before. Could I have dreamt seeing him? I was dozing off.
“Emma? Is everything okay?” Jill asked, looking at me with concern.
“Yes, of course. Why do you ask?” I realized my response had been a little too high-pitched and cheerful.
“Well…you’ve been holding that steak fajita in your hands for a while now and you haven’t taken a bite from it,” Jill said as she eyed the steak fajita in my hands and then back at me, “and you’ve been a little quiet.”
“Sorry, guys,.I was just distracted because…” I paused and wasn’t sure how to respond. I still hadn’t told the girls about these dreams because he felt like a secret—a secret I’d kept from them for months. I was also embarrassed to admit that I had been having vivid sex dreams about someone other than Mike, who, up until a few days ago, had been my long-term boyfriend. And I wasn’t sure how to tell them that I had just seen this same man from my dreams in the flesh today, in Cancun, on the beach right in front of our beach resort. Even I thought that sounded incredibly crazy, and I had seen him myself.
I realized the girls were looking at me expectantly. Finally, I made a decision. I took in a deep breath and began telling them in detail about my dreams, about this gorgeous man with dimples, and about how much I’d thought about him in my waking hours since he had first appeared in my dreams.
“Damn, he sounds hot,” Steph said. “While I’m having nightmares about failing out of law school, you’re having wet dreams about a Greek god. You bitch,” she teased, and we all laughed.
“He does sound amazing,” Jill said dreamily and sighed. “Don’t you wish dreams could be real sometimes?”
“Actually…” I started.
The girls immediately all turned to me.
“I—well—I kind of saw him today—”
“What?” the girls shrieked.
“How is that possible?” Gloria asked.
I recounted to them what had happened on the beach as they all stared at me in disbelief.
“Well, that shit’s crazy,” Steph said as she fell back into her chair. “Your dream man literally comes to life. I will say it again—you bitch.”
After another round of laughter died down, Steph continued. “You know what you need to do, right?”
“What?” I asked in confusion.
“You have to find him and sleep with him, silly,” Steph said.
“That’s definitely a sign from the universe,” Gloria agreed.
“Oh, that’s so exciting, Emma. To meet him in Cancun of all places!” Jill shrieked with excitement.
I laughed. “Come on, guys. I’m not even sure if what I saw was real. What if I had been drifting off and it was all just a dream? I had been drinking too. Besides, even if he is real, how am I supposed to find him here in Cancun? This place is crawling with people,” I said as I gestured around.
I knew I was right. We were having dinner at an outdoor patio facing the strip, and from where we sat, we could see an ocean of people walking in all directions—a majority of them looking like they were on their college spring break.
“Well, if it’s meant to be, you’ll see him again,” Jill reassured me. She was the eternal optimist in our group.
“And if you do, don’t forget to sleep with him,” Steph chimed in and winked, which caused us all to laugh again.
***
By the time we arrived at Dady’O, the girls and I had already had two rounds of tequila shots as “dessert” after dinner. If we drank like this back at home, we’d probably be forced to go to one of those rehab facilities for alcoholics, I thought to myself in amusement.
Dady’O was a cavernous nightclub with a two-story open floor plan. From the center of the ceiling, beams of laser lights of blue, green, pink, and y
ellow rapidly flashed and swept through the dance floor. As we walked around the nightclub, the rotating dance floors were blasting with a mix of ‘80s, ‘90s, and current dance and hip-hop music, and we had to push through a sea of hot, sweaty, and drunk bodies to get to one of the bars.
Jill ordered us a round of Blowjobs at the bar, one of her favorite shots. We then ordered some drinks and we headed to the dance floor that was playing ‘80s pop music. On our way there, a guy our age with a medium build was walking toward our direction. He was average looking and appeared to have a beer belly developing in his midsection. He was fair-skinned and looked completely sunburned at the moment. He must have been one of those people who, instead of getting tan, immediately turned from pale to red with any exposure to the sun. What made him stand out was his oversized white t-shirt with a picture of a tan, muscular six-pack chest on it. As he passed us, he raised his hands up and said, “Hey, beautiful ladies! High-five if you’re having a fun time! Woooo! Cancun!” He was obviously drunk, and in our own giddy, drunken states, we all giggled and slapped his hand as he passed us.
“Emma, you sure Mr. Muscle Shirt Man there wasn’t the man of your dreams? I mean, look at those pecks!” Steph joked when the guy was out of earshot. We all broke out in laughter.
“Well, Mr. Muscle Shirt Man sure did look a lot like him, but my dream guy has dimples,” I joked back and pretended to pout in disappointment.
“Poor guy,” Jill said between giggles. “He’s actually not bad looking, but he needs to use sunscreen because he looks like a lobster—”
“No, what he really needs is a real shirt,” Gloria said.
“Well, what happens in Cancun, stays in Cancun!” I laughed.
“And let’s hope that shirt is one of those things,” Steph added.
When we got on the dance floor, it was jam-packed with hot half-naked bodies. I felt the vibrations from the bass in the music pulse through my body, smelled the hints of salt and sweat in the air, and saw the flashes of bright laser lights dancing hypnotically across the dance floor. We quickly got lost in the trance of the music, and for the rest of the night, we laughed and danced with reckless abandon.
Chapter Five
“Today was so much fun,” Gloria exclaimed as she was putting on her makeup.
We all agreed in unison as we got ready for our last night out in Cancun.
“I know you guys don’t always love the extreme sports like I do, but I’m glad Jill had it on the itinerary for me,” Gloria said with a smile. She was right. In our group, Gloria was the outdoors, extreme sports, and adrenaline junkie.
“I still can’t believe you guys convinced me to do that,” I said, thinking back to how crazy the day was.
“You only live once,” Jill said in a giggle.
“I’m glad you didn’t say that right before we zip-lined through the treetops of the jungle,” Steph teased sarcastically, and we laughed.
I agreed. I was glad I hadn’t been reminded of my mortality earlier today. We had gone on an extreme zip-line canopy tour of the Cancun jungle. It was the largest zip-line course in North America, and it involved twelve zip-lines that were about two miles long. It was an exhilarating but terrifying experience zipping from tree to tree.
“I can’t believe you zip-lined upside down for parts of it,” I said, looking at Gloria.
She laughed. “They said it was safe! And it was so worth it! You guys really should have tried it.”
“No way,” Jill said. “The bungee swinging and jumping into the cenote was amazing though.”
“Yeah, the cenote was gorgeous,” I agreed. The cenote was an underground open-water pool partially enclosed in a cavern. The water there was a clear hue of deep blue and turquoise. It was a breathtaking place.
I looked in the mirror as I finished my makeup. I was wearing a short Kelly green form-fitting dress, gold strappy sandals, and a coral gemstone necklace. My long blond hair was in a large, messy fishtail braid down the left side of my shoulders. A number of loose, wavy strands fell around the braid.
“Wow, Emma, you look great. That dress really brings out your emerald eyes,” Jill said as she zipped up her turquoise strapless dress.
“Aww, thanks. And thanks for doing my hair. It looks amazing. You really have a knack for it,” I said as I looked at myself in the mirror one final time.
We were going on the booze cruise tonight, and thanks to Steph, we were going to the VIP pre-party at the Omni hotel before the cruise.
“We should get going,” Steph said as she put on her heels. “It’s going to be our last wild night in Cancun, and we need to get the party started.” We all giggled and headed out the door.
***
The Omni hotel was one of luxury five-star resorts in Cancun located a few hotels away from us on the beach. We walked through the grand expanse of the lobby and through the doors that lead to the pools and beach. The VIP party was in a sectioned-off area of the pool area near the pool bar. Steph gave her name to the bouncer at the entrance of the VIP area, and within a minute, we were on the other side of the velvet ropes. I looked around and wasn’t sure I had ever felt so exclusive in my life.
There were about twenty other people laughing and talking at the party. They all looked young, glamorous, and chic. If I had to guess, I’d say that some of them were a few years older than college students. There were about half a dozen hot, shirtless waiters walking around with platters of fancy hors d’oeuvres and champagne.
“This place is amazing,” Jill whispered to us.
“I know! Everyone looks gorgeous,” Steph said with excitement in her eyes.
I laughed. “Steph’s out on the prowl tonight.”
“You mean, we are on the prowl tonight,” she corrected. “Girls, it’s our last night in Cancun, and I’m going to make sure we have an amazing time tonight.” She motioned for a waiter, who immediately came over with a bottle of champagne and empty flutes.
“Ladies, would you care for some Dom Pérignon?” he asked.
We each happily took a glass before walking around. The champagne was delicious, and before I knew it, I was on my second glass. The bubbles from the champagne made me giddy, which made me want to drink more.
I noticed that the other girls were also equally giddy. Steph was chatting to the promoter who had given us the tickets. Gloria was talking to the bartender, a handsome man who looked to be in his early thirties. Jill was giggling and talking to a hot blonde who resembled the actor Alex Pettyfer.
Before long, my head was slightly spinning and I decided to sit down for a minute. I was not sure how many glasses of champagne I had consumed, but at that moment, I didn’t seem to care. I was relaxed, and I sighed deeply. The cool ocean breeze felt nice against my warm face as my thoughts gravitated towards him again. The man of my dreams. I felt a pang of disappointment shoot through the hazy fog of my drunken stupor. Did I really see him that day on the beach? If so, how come I haven’t seen him since then?
I felt a warm tear roll down my cheeks and realized that I was crying. Emma, get it together! He’s probably not even real, and it was probably all just another silly dream. More tears were falling now. God, it must be the champagne because why else am I acting like some obsessed psycho and crying so much?
“Emma?”
I looked up, and for a second, I was confused by my surroundings. It was Jill, and a flash of concern crossed her face. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“No,” I said as I quickly wiped the tears from my face. “I think I’ve had just a little too much champagne.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Really I am. Don’t worry,” I said.
“Okay. Well, the boat is here and it’s leaving in thirty minutes, so we need to get on board soon. Are you ready?”
“Well, I should go to the restroom and fix my makeup,” I said.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Jill asked.
“No, you guys go ahead. I can meet you on the boat. See
? I have my ticket right here,” I said as I pulled out my booze cruise ticket from my purse.
Jill looked at me, unconvinced.
“Really, don’t worry. I’ll just be a few minutes behind you guys,” I said. I got up and gave her a hug before I headed back inside the hotel to look for the restroom. “I’ll see you soon.”
***
“Shit!” I said in disbelief as I watched the cruise ship moving farther away from the beach several hundred yards away.
It had taken me a while to follow the directions to the restroom, and once I had found it, I seemed to have lost track of time, because by the time I got out to the shore, the cruise ship had already left.
“I’m sorry, señorita,” the man at the dock said. “The booze cruise was scheduled to leave at six p.m. and it’s already six twenty p.m.” He pointed at his watch.
My shoulders hunched in disappointment, and I was at a loss for words. How did this happen? This is not how imagined my last night in Cancun to be. Okay, so maybe I secretly imagined spending my last night in Cancun with him, but I was expecting to at least have a great time with my best friends. And neither was going to happen. What a mess.
“Señorita?” the man from the dock spoke up again.
I looked up at him, the feeling of disappointment palpable in the air that surrounded me.
“I spoke with the cruise ship captain. He said that your friends wanted to see that you’re okay. Would you like to talk to them?” he asked.
“Yes, please,” I said weakly.
He handed me his portable communication device, which was already crackling with sound.
“Ohmygod, Emma?” said a voice through the device.
“Steph?”
“Emma, are you okay? We thought you got on the ship first because we ended up taking a detour with some guys, but we couldn’t find you when we got on the ship. What happened?” Steph asked with concern.
“I don’t know. I think I got lost finding the restroom and then lost track of time, and by the time I got to the dock, the ship had already left,” I said, disappointment flooding through my body a second time.