Welcome back!

Mr. Vanilla is an incredibly normal guy. He has a massive collection of relatively mainstream music. He has an average career. He isn’t a pervert. He isn’t emotionally overwrought (or even emotionally available, for that matter).

Mr. Vanilla and I have gone on half a dozen pretty normal and average dates. Drinks, coffee, dinner, movies at home, a stroll on the beach.

Mr. Vanilla is gentle when he touches me. He is not passive or unconfident, just deliberately gentle. He has reminded me that a soft, subtle touch can be just as controlling as a rough or painful one.

Yesterday Mr. Vanilla whisked me off to the beach in a convertible. We soaked in the water for an hour and told jokes and spotted dolphins. We even re-enacted a cliche and strolled along the water holding hands as the sun set. We talked about our failed past relationships and our current agendas.

Mr. Vanilla is more complex than he seems at face value. He isn’t intentionally enigmatic but I still find myself wondering about him at odd moments. He knows how to say the right thing at just the right moment and never any sooner.

After dinner at a shrimp shack, we drove back in the dark with the top down. I tried to control my sundress and beach hair and failed at both. When Mr. Vanilla put his hand on my thigh, I got a shiver and I couldn’t help but smile.