My (almost) Big Fat Greek Wedding

So the day had arrived for us to head off to Evia Island for our work conference.  We (singletons) were all a bit curious how our rooming assignments would look.  Would our adulthood be cast to the wind as we're forced to sleep in bunk beds?  Would they force us to be extraverts and share a room with a complete stranger?  Who knew?  I sure didn't.

Upon arrival at the resort, we checked in and found luggage tags in our welcome bags.  The tags had our last name on them and our room number.  Obviously, married people's tags had one name listed.  Singletons had two names listed.  Glory--only two people to a room!  At least that meant no bunk beds.

The camelridingcowgirl was rooming with Classy Spice.  Makes sense.
The Artist was rooming with Flower.  Also makes sense.
I expected to see Creedence's last name paired with mine.  Nope.

It said, "bettercountry/Strap."

"Strap?"  Who's that?

Everyone looked at the last name and admitted that they didn't know who it was.  Hmmm...mystery girl.  Looks like I was going to be forced to be an extravert for the week.

After lunch I went to my room and she still had not shown up.  I took a vacation nap and when I woke up she still had not shown up.  I went to dinner wondering if she was on the last flight to arrive.  I went to the beach to watch the sunset and hang out with the Superheroes and still upon return to the bungalow, she was not there.  (Yes, I stayed in a bungalow.)

I read for a good hour, got ready for bed, and wondered what to do.  It would be lousy to be almost asleep and woken up by her entry.  At the same time, I was tired, and what if Strap wasn't arriving until the next day?  Dilemma.

As it was after 11pm, I decided to go to bed.

Under the sheet, glasses off, and as I was reaching for the light, I hear voices in the hallway.  English voices.  As I heard male voices, I thought there must have been several people coming in from that final flight.  I strained to hear a female voice.

Then my door opened, and I still only heard male voices.

As I was dressed for bed...in a very hot country on the Mediterranean in August...I was not exactly dressed appropriately for male visitors.  Please don't picture it.  Just understand and laugh at the awkwardness.

I questioned, "Hello?"  Praying that pleaseLordohplease let this man's wife answer and she can handle this awkward situation...

"Hello...?" The man's voice answered back.

In my panic that he not walk any further where he would be able to see me, I remember yelling out, "NO MAN PLEASE!"

(Feel free to laugh that awkward-release-the-tension-laugh now.)

Now, in my defense, I was trying to communicate the most important information (no men) in the politest way possible (please), but all of it in the fastest way possible (lest he enter and see me in my pjs.).  Strap, later, was most gracious to tell the story in such a way that had me forming a complete sentence.  He says that I yelled, "If you are a man, please don't come in!"  Again, I think he is being gracious.

Back to what happened next.  He slammed the door in his own panic, wondering what in the world a woman was doing in his bungalow?!

I'm frozen in bed wondering what to do.  Do I get up and get dressed super fast?  Do I call reception?  Do I wait it out?  What just happened?  Before I could make a decision, he reopened the door.

HE REOPENED THE DOOR.

"Excuse me, but are you staying here?" He asked.

"YES!"

The door slammed again.

Then I jumped up and got dressed as fast as I can, wondering what was going to happen next?  Will he come back in and confront me that its his bungalow?  Will reception tell me to pack up and move?  Whatever was going to happen, I did not want to be in my pajamas for it.

My phone rang a moment later with reception asking me for my full name.  Once I told them, they confirmed that I was in the right bungalow.  "Yes, but there is a man who just came in, thinking it was his room."

"We know, we are working to fix that."

"I can't have a man staying in my room."

"We know, we are working to fix that."

Apparently, he had said the same thing to them--"there's a woman in my room and I can't stay with a woman!"  He turned to the organizer of the whole conference and jokingly said, "I've only been here 15 minutes and I'm already in trouble!  There's a woman in my room!"

"Well...there are plenty of ordained ministers here who could solve that problem right quick."

Oh my.

The jokes abounded all week long as word spread about how a single guy and a single girl accidentally got assigned as roommates.  And mind you--not by the resort staff but by our own conference organizers!  I mean, I know they're all about matchmaking and all, but this way might be a bit extreme! Could you imagine if I'd already gone to sleep, and he tried to be as quiet as possible getting ready for bed, not knowing he was rooming with a girl?  I can't imagine how I would have reacted to waking up to his very bearded face.

Good golly Miss Molly!

Later that week, when recounting the story to the Superhero, he laughed and laughed about he never expected the words, "no man please," to come out of my mouth.  I laughed back and said it was the rare occasion when the words of the mouth were NOT an overflow of the heart!  Haha.  I certainly do want a man to come waltzing into my life unexpectedly...just not into my bedroom at 11pm for our first meeting!

And that's how I almost had to have my own Big Fat Greek (shotgun) Wedding in Greece.