Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Mystery Woman

This painting was on the ship - I was drawn to it.

Vitalio and I met in the lobby
 where this painting hung. He asked
me to be his Facebook friend and
drew a map of where his home
was in France. He also said to be
sure to look him up if I come to
France and he would drive me
to Poland.

The night before we planned to meet
again and dance. Our Salt Lake City
ballroom dancing group alway danced
on the lobby dance floor because they
had live music there every evening.

He didn't show but Mick kept me
dancing every so often and I
even danced with Shirl who
was scheduled to be my first
roommate. He taught me my first
salsa. (The room organizer
 thought that Shirley was a girl.)

Finally Vitalio showed up and
told me that he'd gone to the
other dance club where we had
first met. I tried to sit at the bar
with him but it was a dressy
night and I kept slipping off
the bar stool so he helped
 me balance on the 
bar stool with his leg.

I can tell you right now
that the whole group from Utah
was just buzzing when Vitalio
and I began dancing and
spending the whole
evening together.



Not only was my hair askew but
my necklace was upside down
from all the dancing.

The next day we were going to
meet at another dance club
area (there were 5 or 6 on
the ship) for dance lessons
only the dance instructor
go that dreadful motion sickness
 so the lessons were cancelled.  
I left a message for 
Vitalio but we didn't
connect.

Our group met up next to the
main pool in the middle of
the ship where there was a
dance floor just in front of the
stage. We played a few rounds
of Scum (anyone ever heard
of this strange card game?)

A woman came up to me
and said "hello Ruth". I 
looked at her and said, "I've 
never met you, how do you
know my name?" What is
your name? She told me her
name was Diane but she would not
 talk about
how she knew my name.

Well, younger and thinner 
little hussies in our group
were talking about me and
the drop dead gorgeous man
that I found!

At one point Sandy started calling
Dennis, Brian and since Hank
switched over to being with
Sandy most of the time, I seemed
to have forgotten his name and
started calling him Frank. 
Maybe we were just getting rummy,
 after all we were up until
1 or 2 am every night (who
would do crazy hours
like that at my age!)

I never did find Vitalio on the last
night onboard. He was a very
interesting man who lives in sunny
Australia, has a home in France, 
speaks four languages and has
lived in Massachusetts, Sweden, and 
Mexico.

As we were leaving the ship the next day, 
Vitalio was standing there waiting. He shook
my hand and said how he enjoyed
getting to know me and reached 
over and kissed me on the cheek.

Well, I was ecstatic!




11 comments:

Debbie said...

I liked this post so much that I had to keep on reading the previous two to get to the beginning of the shipboard romance story. I loved it, especially the part where your dress kept making you slip off the stool. That was a priceless detail.

What a wonderful time you must have had!!

Cranberry Morning said...

I had to go back and read the other installments too! I say, Ruth, this is a side of you that you've kept hidden all this time! :-) Sounds like a blast, and I do love that introductory picture too. It's gorgeous.

NatureFootstep said...

love that painting. :)

NanaDiana said...

Aw...I am glad you saw him again at the end. I think he felt comfortable with you and didn't feel like he was being "hustled". There is a lot more to a person than being younger and thinner and he valued something in you...and liked you just as you are. That is the best kind of person.
Blessings to you- I hope to hear more stories! xo Diana

Chatty Crone said...

Sounds like you had the best time and had so much fun. Being able to just be yourself. Did you get his number in MA?

Ginny Hartzler said...

Wonderful memories!

Jo said...

I'm so pleased that you got to see him again as you were leaving the ship. Are you now his Facebook friend?

Jane and Chris said...

Who says romance is dead!
Jane x

Anne said...

Ruth I am so pleased that you had this wonderful holiday and found new friends.Sounds as if it did you the world of good.

Ruth Kelly said...

How very true that quote is. We need to live and try to beat the trials that take us down.

My Little Home and Garden said...

You had quite the time on that ship!

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