Page 2 of Never With You
The profile picture shows a shirtless man with his back to the camera. Judging by the corded arm muscles and shoulder blades, he seems young and highly fit. A backward baseball hat covers his dark hair, and sunglasses make it nearly impossible to see what he looks like, especially when all we’re given is the side angle of his face. But it’s enough to deduce he’s attractive.
Scrolling through his page shows all travel pictures like mine, but he’s been to more exotic places than me and has done some daring stuff I’d love to conquer. Sometimes he’s in the photos; sometimes he’s not. But it’s never enough to glean anything more than what his profile picture shows. And nothing more can be learned from his bio. All it says is,Mr. International.
Interesting.
I clickfollowthen go back to my account to reply.
@girl_sees_the_world:@worth_traveling_to I’ve done Canyon de Chelly but didn’t have a clip handy from that trip for my reel. I’ve never done Havasu, but I’m dying to go. It’s definitely at the top of my Arizona bucket list.
After replying, I mindlessly scroll through my For You Page, thinking our conversation is over, but a DM from @worth_traveling_to has me clicking over to my direct messages.
@worth_traveling_to:
Havasu Falls is incredible. Before planning your trip, let me know if you have any questions. I have some good tips. Tell me about the rope swing in Moab, Utah. I saw a picture of you doing it on your account, and I’ve been dying to try it.
His message means nothing.
I got dumped today. I don’t even like men right now.
For all I know, this guy could be married or in a relationship, and I’m no DM home-wrecker. This communication is strictly about comparing travel experiences, and I remember that as I type out my reply.
@girl_sees_the_world:
The Moab rope swing is the coolest experience of my entire life. Nothing gives you an adrenaline rush like that. It’s a thrill I’ll remember on my deathbed. The anticipation is real, but then you jump, free-falling off a four-hundred-foot cliff, and swing between the canyon walls. That’s when everything becomes a million times more exhilarating. The ropes catch you smoothly with no whiplash at all. I highly recommend it!
There.
A perfectly honest, platonic answer to his message.
@worth_traveling_to:
Dang, that makes me want to do it even more. My travel schedule is already pretty booked for the year, but I might have to find a weekend to drive up to Utah and try it out.
@girl_sees_the_world:
What travels do you have coming up?
@worth_traveling_to:
A few in the South Pacific, some places in Europe. I’ll throw in a few more destinations, but those are the ones on my schedule right now.
@girl_sees_the_world:
Wow, you really are Mr. International.
The moment I send my reply, I feel stupid. First, it sounded flirty, and second, now he knows I checked out his account. But then again, he looked at mine since he asked about the rope swing in Moab.
@worth_traveling_to:
Mr. International is a self-given nickname.
@girl_sees_the_world:
So what’s your country count? If you give yourself a nickname like that, you better have the numbers to back it up.
@worth_traveling_to:
A real man never travels and tells.
