My Ella. She is an engaging kid but she doesn’t make friends super easy when we travel for vacation. I guess that is “weird” to me, because Adam, Vanessa and I are like “heyyyy yaaaa!” and we make friends anywhere we go. Ella just isn’t that comfortable creating new connections on her own and so she moves at her own laid-back pace. This is totally fine, but it is often that Vanessa finds a friend to play with and Adam and I either pal around together or we make friends with other couples as well. This usually leaves Ella as odd-man out. While we were recently on vacay in Florida, we are all hanging by the pool as a family. Adam and I left the girls to head over to the bar of course – but we very consciously took seats so that I could see the kids and enjoy my spiked seltzer ((see how we did that parenting, self-serving thing!?!)). I told Adam that I could see Vanessa diving for toys with a little girl and that Ella went into the hot tub. Even though she isn’t facing me, I notice that she must be talking to the woman in front of her because only the two of them are submerged in the bubbles and the woman is clearly partaking in a conversation, making big hand gestures. Adam and I get our drinks and head to the far side of the pool. We are halfway into the water when he leans over to me and asks with surprise “Did she make a friend in the hot tub?” I turn and follow his gaze - “Well, I think she is definitely talking to that young woman.” For a moment I am struck by how attractive she is and how amazingly buoyant her large breasts are as they bob on top of the jacuzzi water. Ella is clearly younger than her, but they are both laughing and things seem innocent enough. Adam and I clink our glasses hoping this new connection will serve as an opportunity for us to find some alone time for ourselves while the kids are occupied with their new respective friends. Sadly, our hope is short-lived as both of our kids emerge from swimming and soaking to complain about being cold and needing towels. As I get out of the pool to help them get settled on the lounge chairs, I ask her if she made a friend in the hot tub. “Kind of” she said. “I mean, she said she was only here for the day.”
“How come?” I asked, kind of surprised considering this hotel resort was a little off the popular path.
“She said she doesn’t live far and works at “Gentleman’s” a few miles away and sometimes she comes to the hotel to relax in the hot tub before work.”
“Oh, um, well – I guess that is a nice option for her to have”, I stammer.
Ella just shrugs. I have no idea if she knows that “Gentleman’s” is a strip joint, but I am guessing she does not. Or, she just doesn’t care and keeps her cool demeanor in check.
After drying off our girls leave to get ice cream. Ella asks if I had any singles for the machine and I wanted to tell her to ask her new friend, but I didn’t. When they were both out of earshot I turned to Adam. “are you kidding me? That kid doesn’t ever make friends on trips and when she finally does – it is with an exotic dancer?!?!”
The girls are walking back over with their cones and upon approaching Adam, Ella says, “Oh yea Dad, the girl told me you should look into going to that place to be like one of the local guys. She didn’t really seem to mention Mom going with you. Said we should have a mom/daughter night.”
What a bitch! I thought! I was in the right mind to give her a piece of my mind but as I scanned the pool area, the dancer was no longer in sight. There was just one abandoned lounge chair beside a small table with an empty daiquiri glass, a billfold and a stack of singles. Of course.
“How come?” I asked, kind of surprised considering this hotel resort was a little off the popular path.
“She said she doesn’t live far and works at “Gentleman’s” a few miles away and sometimes she comes to the hotel to relax in the hot tub before work.”
“Oh, um, well – I guess that is a nice option for her to have”, I stammer.
Ella just shrugs. I have no idea if she knows that “Gentleman’s” is a strip joint, but I am guessing she does not. Or, she just doesn’t care and keeps her cool demeanor in check.
After drying off our girls leave to get ice cream. Ella asks if I had any singles for the machine and I wanted to tell her to ask her new friend, but I didn’t. When they were both out of earshot I turned to Adam. “are you kidding me? That kid doesn’t ever make friends on trips and when she finally does – it is with an exotic dancer?!?!”
The girls are walking back over with their cones and upon approaching Adam, Ella says, “Oh yea Dad, the girl told me you should look into going to that place to be like one of the local guys. She didn’t really seem to mention Mom going with you. Said we should have a mom/daughter night.”
What a bitch! I thought! I was in the right mind to give her a piece of my mind but as I scanned the pool area, the dancer was no longer in sight. There was just one abandoned lounge chair beside a small table with an empty daiquiri glass, a billfold and a stack of singles. Of course.