“As much as I’d enjoy trying to get clean with you, I have to go back to my room. All my stuff is in there,” I reminded him.
“Fine, but after we get back today, move your stuff in here. Stay with me while we’re in Israel.”
I didn’t even want to think about the ramifications of spending seven solid days and nights with Adam. If I felt this strongly for him now, how much deeper would I fall before returning to our real lives? I couldn’t help myself. He loved me and wanted to be with me. I could only answer yes.
We met downstairs for breakfast. Oddly, the hotel served the same foods it served for our dinner including hummus, deli meats, cheeses, and rolls. No oatmeal for me this morning. I chose a roll, some cheese, and a lot of coffee. Everyone might assume I got plenty of sleep since I skipped last night’s cocktail party, but I don’t think Adam and I got more than four hours.
At least we didn’t have a hangover like everyone else in our group. David came down already wearing sunglasses, a sure sign he had partied hard the night before. Hannah and Alison talked quieter than I believed possible for them. They joined Adam and me at the table, followed by David.
“So you guys were nowhere to be found last night. I hope you two got the rest you wanted.”
My friends may be hung over, but they weren’t stupid. They assumed that Adam and I had “hooked up” and of course, they were right. It shouldn’t matter if they thought badly of my behavior, but it did and I decided to explain.
“You guys should know something. We didn’t mean to lie to you, but Adam and I have known each other for a long time. He’s my brother’s best friend,” I divulged to them, watching the shock on their faces.
“Why did you make us think you didn’t know each other?” David asked, sounding slightly angry.
“It’s complicated.”
“Because I’ve been an asshole to her for years and I wanted a fresh start. Especially since I’m in love with her,” Adam declared.
My jaw must have hit the ground from my surprise that he announced he loved me to a group of almost strangers.
“And I’m in love with him. I have been for a very long time,” I admitted to Adam, my new friends, and myself.
Adam’s eyes widened in surprise and his whole face lit up from his smile. He took my hand in his and squeezed.
“Okay, that’s weird, but good for you,” Hannah said.
“Ah man, that’s one less available girl for me,” David whined jokingly.
“You looked pretty comfy with Amy last night,” Hannah teased.
I didn’t follow the rest of their conversation because all I could think about was Adam and the way he made me feel.
I expected Israel would pale in comparison to pleasures of the bedroom, but instead I discovered my love for Adam only intensified my Israeli experience. I discovered the veracity concerning the clichés about love. Fruit tasted sweeter, the sun shone brighter, the ocean seemed bluer.
We visited Independence Hall where on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion announced the establishment of the State of Israel. Then we toured Machon Ayalon, an underground ammunition factory that had been built by the Jews under the noses of the British during the struggle for independence in the 1940’s.
In the afternoon, a few of us had lunch at McDonalds, where I learned an Israeli Big Mac tasted radically different from the ones in the States. So did Diet Coke to my chagrin, but I drank it anyway, needing the caffeine desperately by the late afternoon. The rest of the afternoon, Adam and I strolled hand and hand through Nachalat Binyamin, a pedestrian mall with outdoor shops, art, and outdoor cafes. It reminded me of a cross between a flea market and an arts and crafts fair.
When we returned to our hotel, Adam and I sat on a rocky cliff overlooking the Mediterranean talking and laughing with our newfound friends. I had never felt more content in my life, all my problems waiting for me in Michigan forgotten for the moment.
Before dinner, I packed my belongings and brought them to Adam’s room to get ready for the first official party of the tour, a dinner and dance at a place called Ganei Yaar, an outdoor forest-garden. With fifteen minutes to spare, we quickly made love, giving me just enough time to reapply my makeup and throw on some decent clothes.
We met Jews from all over the United States at the party, but we only had eyes for each other. Adam held me in his arms as we slow danced, both of us relishing in the ability to kiss on the dance floor without the prying eyes of my brother.
We returned to our room at night exhausted, falling into bed without even a goodnight kiss, but waking at some point during the night hours to make love.
One night in Jaffa, we enjoyed a meal that wasn’t comprised of deli meats and hummus. We sat outside absorbing the essence of the city. Suddenly, a dozen cats circled our ankles, begging with incessant meowing for our food.