September 2021 – Lisbon, Portugal

I matched with the Beefy Brazilian on Bumble the beginning of the second week I was in Lisbon (yes ma’am, your girl wasted NO time).

I thought he was absolutely adorable in all his super smiley photos and was instantly drawn to him.

We started chatting and he told me he was in Porto for a few days before heading to Lisbon but would hit me up when he got to Lisbon.

I had minimal faith I’d hear from him again, especially because he didn’t offer any specifics as to when he would be in Lisbon, or when he wanted to get together and didn’t ask for my number.

But!

Hark! The herold angels sing and my Bumble alert doth ding!!

A few days later, the beefy Brazilian hit me up and told me he had arrived in Lisbon.

We decided not to waste time because he was only in Lisbon for a few days and decided to meet up that night.

I asked where he wanted to go and he sent me his hotel info.

Womp womp.
Shut the angels up. Cue the disappointment. That sweet smile was a liiiieeeeee.

I told him I was NOT meeting him at his hotel and reminded him we had discussed having a drink.

He immediately started apologizing and saying he just wanted me to meet him there: in the lobby. He even said he would meet me out front.

Okay, the Angels are back on!

Feeling a renewed sexiness and confidence (thank yooou Bachelor #1) and fun and flirty, I put on a two piece crop top/maxi skirt and some lipstick and told him I would be on my way.

I was really feeling myself as I gathered by phone/keys/wallet when he texted and said: first, I need to tell you something.

These poor angels…

Jaded mind immediately: Wife? Girlfriend? Boyfriend?
All of the above?

Reality: I have been using google translate a lot, because my English is not very good.

Cue the angles!! In Portuguese!!

I assured him that was fine and we’d make it work and headed to his hotel (lobby).

I arrived a little bit later, walked in to the hotel lobby, saw the beefy Brazilian sitting in a chair.

He turned, looked at me, and as he stood flashed that smiiiiiiiiiiile.

Woah heaven and stars above, angels singing Boyz to Men ballads, this man was fine.

From the bald head, beard, orthodontist-after-shots smile, height, and solid as a stock horse build he was my version of perfection.

And then, he spoke.

That deep, accented, shy, tri-lingualed voice.
Instant regret for not meeting him in his room, forget a drink and any and all standards.

But, I had already (stupidly) set ground rules and this perfect gentleman was very much respecting them, so we called an Uber.

We got in the Uber and he started speaking to the driver in Portuguese.

While I suppressed the urge to tell the driver to turn around, he explained he had asked the driver to take us on a little tour and then to an area with good bars.

Could he be more perfect?! Like, seriously!?

Yes. The answer is yes.

We ended up at this amazing little bar where he told me he is an attorney, recently moved to Dublin, is pursuing another degree, and loves beer. We talked world politics, about family pressure to “settle down”, and travel.

We sat and talked for so long we closed the bar.

We walked out in to a light mist but decided to walk anyway… hand in hand (teenage girl swoon).

When the rain picked up, we just kept walking, until mid conversation, in the rain, on the cobblestone streets of my new favorite city, under a street lamp, the beefy Brazilian pulled me in for the most epic, life time movie make out.

While I was trying to unbuckle my knees and hush the angels and remember my own name, that deep, beautiful, accented voice said “wow, nice kiss”.

YES SIR it was.

It was so nice that when he opened my cab door for me, and I got in, I looked at him and said: get in?

He did.

He diiiiiiid.

Later that night, as he was leaving, we talked about getting together again before he left. We agreed we definitely wanted to see each other again.

But, the next day he texted and said he had just gotten out of a relationship and was traveling as a way of healing and getting back to himself (as if he wasn’t already sexy enough: self awareness too!?)

He said he was overwhelmed by the unexpected connection we had and wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to get together again, but would love to continue talking and see where things went.

Of course I was equally devastated and understanding, I was after all, on a healing post-ending journey myself. If we are being entirely honest here, I was also a bit overwhelmed by the immediate connection we had, and not just in the bedroom… and the spare bedroom…

I agree we should stay in touch and see where things went.

… and where things went, was me to Dublin a month later.