Politicians are a little like fire, if you choose to play with them, you’ll most likely get burned.  Myself, being ever the wise to the ways of Latin American “politicos” worlds, have always decided to steer clear of these types, apart from friendships and of course professional relationships.

Who knows what was going through my mind on this trip to Cancun and the months leading up to it, but I decided to take a slight plunge, not jumping in over my head or anything, but more of a dangling of my toes into the waters of an up and coming politico here in town.

In so many ways, I thought this one was different.  We started out as friends a while back, but more of professional friends, with mutual respect of each other’s careers, etc…but never having really opened up to one another on a personal level.

Then, little by little, in the upcoming months of planning this trip, we shared thoughts and interests, learned more about one another and found some nice commonalities, that were for me at least, enough to determine that there was actual interest there and not only interest in a hook up.  Therefore making the decision to cross that forbidden line and allow myself to see if there was some real potential there beyond friendship, and make some plans to better get to know this friend over my two weeks in the state of Quintana Roo.

Of course I entered with precaution, having been less than a month off of a failed rendezvous with one Balkan superstar, I didn’t want to repeat history in such a short time.   So, as I arrived into Cancun and attended the Secrets The Vine grand opening cocktail party one evening, I brushed off the excessive compliments of industry colleagues at the event, knowing that I was a bit more dressed than my typical poolside cocktail party attire, but ready for my friend who would be picking me up later.

We had the loveliest dinner at Cennacolo, lingering over wine, sharing plates of pasta and offering those impactful yet entertaining stories of our formative years, in a way to better get to know one another.  Eventually, closing down the restaurant, so deciding that it wasn’t too late to continue on over some more wine and breathtaking views of Cancun and the lagoon from my balcony at Secrets.

So, where exactly did things go wrong?  Well, I’m not fully certain they have, but just have that instinctual feeling that had grown in the days following.  We shared a wonderful time together, playfully kissing, establishing a decent sense of compatibility long before real trust could set in and acting upon the undeniable chemistry.  However, with each additional meet up, our interactions began to feel more like being out with a group of friends.  Whether grabbing drinks beachside at the Hard Rock Café outdoor lounge or dancing until nearly dawn at Coco Bongo, a distance was noted.

Original plans made for a road trip to one of the area’s more rustic and exotic destinations, Tulum, have been shouldered due to “scheduling”, which in my mind meant make my own plans with other friends.

Making a little “Travel Lemonade” out of my situation, I decided to enjoy a few extra days of basking in luxury at Le Blanc Spa Resort.  Life could definitely be worse, and a little pampering, along with the beautiful sun and beach was the perfect dosage for any ailment of the heart.

Not being the type to wait around on anyone, especially at the cost of missing out on somewhere I’ve wanted to explore for a years, I set my plans for Tulum, with or without my politico friend, well…actually without, as it’s now become a much needed “Girls Trip”.  If he chooses to show up and crash the ladies party, or arrange some other plans in the remainder of my days in Cancun, he’d be more than welcome, and perhaps that would lead to a Chapter II for Cancun, but for now, I’m thinking I have my answer and it’s not necessarily the one I was hoping for.

Regardless, this burn isn’t deep, it’s more like a minor sunburn, that has already started turning to tan, but the tan will remain beyond my stay in Mexico as my little reminder for future reference not to play with fire.  So, now, as I’m watching the evening entertainment of fire dancers at Le Blanc, with a “Perfect Mexican Martini” created by their Chief Mixologist, Nestor, I can say clearly that the only playing with fire that I’ll be doing in my future will be via the entertainment of these native dancers.

Stay tuned…