Only you, just you

Adonis

'You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens'. .. Rumi

   Ben stood still and watched the three of them walk into the hotel.  He felt like a intruder, a needless, cancerous appendage that needed to be removed.

       Rey could feel his emotions darken as he followed them into the hotel, like it was bleeding into her.  She shook it off. She didn't care  how he felt or what his mood was. She had more important things to concern herself with.  Like finding Poe.

    Giovanni  was talking to the hotel clerk in Italian while the others waited in anticipation for the news.   Rey looked around and was impressed by the lavish furnishings of the lobby. Poe had good taste in accommodations . Where ever he went , the place was luxurious and expensive. He must be very rich.  Rey smiled, she just fine with that.

      "He's at the pool." Giovanni relayed to the group.  " He is wearing a gold chain. That's how we will recognize him."

    Giovanni smiled indulgently at Rey, then turned to Poppy and took her elbow to lead her outside.

      Poppy grimaced at Rey. "I think men who wear jewelry look stupid."   Giovanni overheard her and slipped his own gold  medallion into his shirt. He wanted to impress her not repulse her.

    They followed the sound of people laughing and splashing in a pool, down a set of stairs and then outside.

    The pool area was full of frolicking happy people, Ben envied their happiness as he saw couples with arms around each other , sipping wine and smiling like they didn't have a care in the world.
  They had everything they wanted. They were where wanted to be. They were with people whom they loved.
Was he worthy of such love? Rey's undying love? Would he ever get the chance to find out?

      Rey looked around for a man wearing a golden chain. He was here somewhere. Wouldn't she be able to tell just by breathing the same air as he was that he was waiting for her?   Where was that magical magnetic pull that would lead her to him? Why couldn't she feel it?  Could he feel it?

    She took a step further then spotted a man dozing in a lounge chair.  He was wearing a large gold chain and the most ridiculous speedo she'd ever seen.

   Poppy  growled humorously as Ben yanked his sunglasses off his face to get a better look. He couldn't believe his eyes.

      "Oh, sexy," her friend exclaimed out loud.  Giovanni grinned but kept his opinion to himself.  

'Poe' was at least forty five years old, with a large beer belly and a thick covering of hair resembling a bears fur on his shoulders and down his arms.
    Rey saw his happy trail going down into his American red , white and blue speedo first then inwardly cringed. Quickly she redirected her eyes up to his balding head.   What little hair he did have was slicked in a wide comb over.

       On a small table next to him was an open beer and thee crushed cans.  " Oh dear,he's a drunk."  

       "Well, go on."  Ben encouraged her, giving her a little push in the back to get her to move.

      Just as she approached, she heard 'Poe' belch. His whole body quivered with the loud burp. 

   'Ew, gross..'   Suddenly she couldn't move a step closer. This couldn't be right. But she hadn't come this far to give up now.

          She turned back around , looking at her friends , risking  turning into a pillar of salt from the look on Ben Solos  face.

  She squared her shoulders , took a sustaining breath, called all her guardian angles for courage and stepped forward.

     "Um, Hello?"  Her voice sounded too shy, too timid. This was her destiny before her. She  should feel  confident and bold.

       "Your in my sun."  He glared up at her. Obviously perturbed that someone was casting a shadow over him.

      Rey turned and glanced up into the sky and laughed apologetically. "Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry ....I..."

Then, from across the pool some one yelled, " Caio, Poe! See you later!"

   "Arrivederci ,Amanda!"    Rey  could not believe her ears.  There was two Poe's?  She looked to where the voice had come from.

  Then up from the water, like the Roman god Neptune and the Greek Poseidon  rolled into one, came  a man.

   He appeared out of the pool, water drops glistening and sparkling like a million diamonds across his perfectly sculpted chest.

  This Poe shook his head and more diamonds burst forth from his shoulder length hair.  There was a golden chain hanging from his throat. It glinted in the sun and attracted every woman's eyes towards its owner.

Rey wasn't even ashamed about staring at him . He was absolutely breathtaking.  Everything she'd dreamed of and more.

The small group behind her gaped as well. Ben's heart sank as he looked at this Adonis. This was what he feared.  This Poe was everything he wasn't.

Just the right height, perfect tan , perfect blonde hair , perfect blue eyes . His smile reveals perfect white teeth and a grin that could stop a rampaging  freight train in its path.

   Rey could not hide her own grin as she turned to see her friend's reactions. Poppy gave her two thumbs up and her definite approval.

    This time she didn't hesitate to walk up to him as he was drying off  with a fluffy white hotel towel. She would have gladly taken the towel and offered to dry his back for him but she figured there would be plenty of time to do that later. 

     Among other interesting activities.

      He turned to her before she could even say anything and looked at her with interest.

   "Oh hello,Poe."  She shuffled her feet and her face grew uncomfortably hot under his gaze. " This is such a beautiful place."

      He looked in the same direction as she was and nodded his head in agreement.  "Yeah, it is . I come here all the time."

   He began rubbing baby oil on his six pack and up his chest.  Rey licked her lips , then suddenly realized something.

     Is he preening?  Watching for her reaction?  He continued to rub oil all over himself, puffing out his chest as glancing around to see how many female eyes were on him.

      But she needed to get on with what she was there for and stop staring at his perfection.   " So, I was wondering if you'd like to go with me to dinner tonight?"

     "Um, yeah sure."  He snorted a laugh.  "There's this great restaurant down at the bottom of the steps . How about eight'ish?"

   "Sounds wonderful."  Rey nearly tripped over her own feet as she began to walk away. 

  "Hey , you didn't tell me your name."  Poe called out as Rey was leaving.

   "Oh, it's Rey."

   She'd never been more nervous in her life.