Warning–this is long.
A few years ago, a friend and I went on a summer trip to Italy. We had not been romantic in any way prior to the trip. I had just gotten out of a toxic relationship, and the two of us simply meshed well. We were not close friends, and in fact did not know each other well at all. But Nicky’s youthful energy and enthusiasm for life and travel was just what I needed at a fairly dark time in my life, and without her presence in my life I likely would have spent a much longer time self-medicating with alcohol.
She had always wanted to visit Italy, and proposed just such a trip on a whim. It had been years since I’d taken any time off work so I agreed, and booked flights for us as well as lodging at the Capri Palace Hotel, an upscale resort on the island of Capri. Feeling caught up in Nicky’s enthusiasm for the trip, I reserved the Athena Suite, an exceptionally nice room with a private pool and garden. With that, Nicky took control of the trip planning, making reservations for meals and entertainment.