It all begins when I stumble upon a dating app, searching for connections in a foreign land. Fate intervenes as I match with Anthony, a guy who is set to embark on his own exchange journey in just two weeks. Knowing that our time together is limited...
Amsterdam is so cool! This is my first time visiting this country, and everything feels so different from what I'm accustomed to. Traveling with my roommates, Naomi, Regina, and Jessica, who are my classmates from my hometown college, has been a blast all day. But what I'm most excited about is sharing everything I've seen with my boyfriend, Anthony. "Hi!" I say when I call him. I'm not a fan of calling or texting; I prefer meeting in person. Unfortunately, tonight a phone call is all we have. "So, how do you feel now?" Anthony asks cheerfully. I just told him that I'm going to try a weed brownie in this country where drugs are legalized. This morning, I saw many weed stores and coffee shops on the street, and I found one selling brownies. I bought a small one for 10 euros. It was quite expensive, but since I've never tried it before, I wanted to give it a go before leaving Europe and going back to my hometwon, where such things are not accessible.
"Honestly, I feel nothing, and it tastes awful," I complain. I chose a light level one because my Taiwanese friend studying in Amsterdam warned me that she tried a brownie once and felt really sick afterward. That's why I didn't dare to buy a stronger one. Anthony bursts into laughter on the other end of the line. "It's not yummy at all," I continue griping. "I guess it tastes like weed." "Exactly." Time passes as we share our separate experiences from the day and express how much we miss each other—the hugs, the kisses, the touches. "When you come back, I'll give you massages. Where do you want me to massage you?" Anthony asks. "Everywhere," I reply, my cheeks reddening as I'm aware my roommates are listening. "I miss you so much." "I miss you too." Finally, we have to hang up because the others in the room are going to sleep, and I need to shower and get some rest. I have to wake up early tomorrow. "Good night, Rita baby," Anthony says, bidding me farewell.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It feels so good after calling Anthony. Even though we've only been apart for two days, it already feels like forever. On the way back to Lille, I'm waiting for the bus, which is already half an hour late. Anthony just told me that he'll pick me up later when I arrive. We're going to meet and have "moules" together, which is a tradition for the event happening this weekend, the Braderie de Lille, which I unfortunately missed. Although the bus departs late, it arrives in Lille on time. With the "gift" I brought from Amsterdam, I spot the figure I've been looking for. Anthony is wearing a sexy white shirt, reminiscent of a character from Mamma Mia. His smile is like the sun, shining in the late night. "I miss you," we say simultaneously, and we kiss in front of the bus stop at Lille Europe. "I'm hungry," Anthony says. "I'm hungry too! I'm sorry for making you wait," I say, realizing it's already nine, and he hasn't eaten because of me. "No, I'm happy to wait for you," he replies, looking into my eyes, kissing me again, and embracing me. "Oh, I got you a gift!" I nearly forgot until I almost crush the flowers. It's the dried lavender I brought from Amsterdam, specifically for him. This is the first time I've ever brought someone a flower, and I'm nervous as I look at Anthony's face, hoping he'll like it.
He definitely likes it. Surprise lights up his face as Anthony smiles. "This is the first time I've received flowers," he says. We walk to a restaurant where he tells me he's already checked if they have "moules" or not. We order the "moules" and some beers. It's pure happiness. This moment is wonderful. I miss everything about Anthony, my boyfriend.
