It started Out So Innocent...

About 8 years ago I met a young lady that was in my life for a few months. She was visiting from Europe and we met while traveling. We decided to go and travel together for a bit and be the kind of couple that enjoyed all the things that meeting randomly while traveling in new places allowed us to be. It was a short, but memorable affair, and I always knew I would see her again someday. This past year she literally popped into my mind so I shot her an email - only to find out she would be here in Las Vegas for a few days. .. and those few days were approaching fast.

So i waited and the day arrived that she was in Sin City. I met up with her and her friends on The Strip and we soon caught up, had a few drinks..and plans were made to do it all over again in the coming nights. Fun and easy and drunken is what it all was. Before I knew it, we were back at my place sleeping in the same bed. I will have you know that nothing much happened, as we were both very intoxicated and sleep was pretty much all we could handle. So sleep we did. The few hours that passed turned into daylight and soon I was walking back to her hotel with her, as we were both still too drunk to drive. This is where it may have taken a different path - "pear shaped" in it's inception - if you will.

It was all about the goodbye we had. She was there , and I was there and we were both floating on memories on a night that had passed that was so much more than fun. We had intoxication in our minds and the moments between filled the lack of words with a goodbye kiss.

Let's backtrack - I was, at the time of this meeting with the "ex-girlfriend" at the start of a new relationship. It was new and not completely arranged, as it was slightly 'long-distance' - but feeling potentially very solid - and going very well.. This was in the back of my mind for the days prior and the weeks following this meeting with said Euro-girl. I even told my long-distanced 'other' about the meeting and the results of it all. It was swallowed and taken into consideration and nothing more came of it.

My best friend of 15 years decided to be part of the story when I told him of the incident and decided to look Euro-girl up on Facebook. They soon became chatty with one another. Stories about me, and my past were exchanged, much to my disapproval.. but what do I actually care.

Euro-girl decided she was coming back to the States for a wedding, and was coming to Las Vegas - so she asked if she could stay with me... and that is where I made one of the biggest mistakes ever, by replying with the word "sure".

SURE.. the effects of the word at that moment still ring in my head and I cannot shake the feeling that no-one is to blame for anything that could or would happen - aside from myself. (I mean, obviously, right?) From that point on, I was fully responsible for all and any actions or situations that may or would, or could occur between 'EG' (Euro-girl) and Jiggins (myself).

Many times over the few months before she came back to visit, I asked my closest buddy of 15 or so years, to stay out of the situation. Not for any other reason - aside from I was trying to keep this thing simple .. and having him telling her things about me and who I am or am not dating - did not, would not , and could not ever help. I was honest and told her we needed to talk about the terms of her visit. I told the long-distance 'other' that I was on a relationship with - every detail, which was greeted with much dismay, but we rolled with it.

More on this later..