Sonia was facing the Big 50 with mixed feelings. She was at a point in her life where she felt she had really come into her own. Successful in her business venture as a caterer and feeling fit from all of her boot camp and booty barre workouts, she was more content than she had been in a while. Getting divorced after 12 years of marriage really had upset her apple cart. But Sonia is a survivor. She really wants to do something special to celebrate her 50^th birthday, but she’s not sure what. She had contemplated doing a bucket list trip, but none of her girlfriends can afford to go.

Living in Los Angeles, she had always wanted to go to Hawaii, but she didn’t want to go alone. That night at dinner, she was discussing her dilemma with her girlfriend Emma. Emma casually suggested that Sonia should hire a male companion to go on a trip with her. Sonia blushed bet red at the suggestion.

“Are you crazy? I can’t hire a male companion!”

“Why not?” asked Emma. “You are going somewhere where no one knows you, and you can pick the perfect male companion to accompany you. Sounds like a perfect scenario to me.”

“You are certifiable girl! No way!”

“Fine. Be stubborn, and be miserable then,” Emma retorted.

At home that night, Sonia couldn’t help but replay the conversation with Emma in her mind. Do people really do that? Do they hire a male companion to go on a trip? Her curiosity got the better of her, so she logged onto her computer. Her Google search showed her that not only do people do that, a lot of people do that. The male companion business is thriving.

One male companion agency caught her eye in the search. It was an agency called Cowboys 4 Angels. It seemed like a lot of women use them for special events, getaway weekends and vacation trips. In looking at their website, she was impressed. The men are all gorgeous and totally buff. More than that though, they are all successful models, athletes, and businessmen, and many of them are well traveled.

Now Sonia’s inquisitive nature was in overdrive. Maybe this wasn’t such a crazy idea after all. She decided to call the number. She was shocked to find herself speaking with the owner of the agency, Garren James. He was so sweet and patiently answered all of Sonia’s questions. They talked about the men available in LA and went through their biographies as Sonia explained what she had in mind for her birthday trip. At the end of the call, Sonia was convinced this was the right course of action and booked her appointment. You only live once (YOLO)!

With her companion booked, Sonia found herself really excited about the possibilities for this bucket list trip. She decided to pull out all the stops and make it the trip of a lifetime. Who knows if she’ll ever get to do this again.

She was nervous driving to the airport. She had reviewed Jimmy’s bio and photos, but what would it be like actually meeting in person? As she walked up to the ticket counter, her heart skipped a beat. There he stood with a rose and a box of chocolates. As she walked up, it was if they knew each other. He hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Hey there birthday girl. Fancy meeting you here. How about an unforgettable trip to celebrate?”

“I’m definitely up for that,” Sonia replied.

They breezed through security to their flight. Sonia had wondered how they would pass the time on the plane, but she found them chatting as if they had known each other for ages. After a bit, Sonia felt tired. Jimmy took her hand and encouraged her to lay her head on his shoulder for a nap. Sonia felt completely safe and happy as she snuggled in.

Once they arrived, Jimmy took care of their bags. He came back to her and placed a lei of flowers around her neck.

“Now you can tell your friends you got lei’d in Hawaii,” he said with a grin.

Sonia flushed a bit and suddenly felt very warm. She let out a nervous laugh. She had been avoiding thinking about that part of the trip. The thought was both exciting and nerve wracking. Before she could think too deeply on the topic, Jimmy whisked her away to their suite at the Royal Garden.

As they walked into the room, Sonia gasped. It was gorgeous with an amazing view of Waikiki beach. The suite was very luxurious and had a balcony to take in the amazing views. As she surveyed the scenery, Jimmy came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and whispered in her ear, “Is it everything you thought it would be?”

“Oh yes,” she said breathlessly.

It was time for dinner already, and Sonia hadn’t even realized how hungry she actually was. Jimmy took her to the top floor bar at the Sheraton overlooking Waikiki Beach for drinks first. As calm as the water looked close to the beach, they could actually see the shadow of the more dangerous creatures that call the ocean home beyond the reef. At the Chart House, they dined on Mahi Mahi and Calamari for dinner. And afterward, they went for a stroll on the beach, toes digging in the sand and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach creating a natural harmony. The warm air surrounded them like a blanket Jimmy put his arm around Sonia’s shoulder and pulled her close. As she leaned into him, she couldn’t help but think everything was just perfect at that moment.

They were up early the next morning, after all, they had a lot to cram into their four days. First up was a catamaran trip. Sonia clung to Jimmy as the boat jumped through the water, sea spray splashing on them as the boat hit the waves. On a private sandbar, they got to snorkel and see the plentiful, colorful fish. Sonia was amazed. Just when she thought it couldn’t get any better, a bottle nose dolphin swam up and circled around her. She was actually able to reach out and touch his slick skin as he glided by her. She couldn’t believe she was interacting with a dolphin in its natural environment. The playful dolphin danced around, darting between them and splashing them with its tail. It was so exhilarating!

After the boat, they stopped at Nico’s at Pier 56 for lunch. You can’t get fish any fresher on the island. The fish and chips would give them fuel for their next adventure – a hike up Diamond Head. The hike wasn’t easy. Even with all of her workouts, Sonia felt every one of the steps. But reaching the top made it worth all the pain. The view was absolutely breathtaking! Sonia dreaded the trip back down, but Jimmy held her hand and helped to steady her on each step down. Their reward for their hard hike was a dip in the ocean on Waikiki. They spent the rest of the day alternating between laying on the sand soaking in the rays and frolicking in the waves.

For dinner that night, they went to a romantic little Italian restaurant called Assaggio’s. Known for their Caesar salad, Sonia and Jimmy watched intently as their server mixed the creation right there at the table. One taste and Sonia understood why people raved about the salad. She literally wanted to lick the bowl to get all of the last remaining drops of the dressing. She settled for wiping the bowl with her bread.

Relaxing on the balcony later, they sipped wine and watched the waves roll onto the beach. The sound of the waves was so soothing in a spiritual sort of way. The heat between Jimmy and Sonia surpassed the heat of the night air, as moisture clung to their skin.

Jimmy woke Sonia early the next morning. “Come on sleepyhead. I have a surprise for you.” Sonia was confused when they drove to the airport. They still had a couple days remaining. Jimmy walked her to a hangar where she found out they were slated to board a helicopter.

“You, my dear, are going to see the volcanoes,” he said.

Sonia squealed in delight and threw her arms around his neck. They boarded the helo. As they took off, Sonia gripped Jimmy’s hand tightly. The ride with no doors was exhilarating and scary. As they approached the Big Island, Sonia could see the lava snaking a slow path across the ground. Rounding the island, all of a sudden the lava tube came into view. There they could see the lava flow out of the tube and hit the cold surf with a hiss. The forces of nature colliding in a beautiful dance. They were able to get some amazing pictures.

Back on solid ground, Sonia was giddy with excitement. This was the best trip of her life! In their last two days, they packed their schedule with hikes in lush tropical locations, visits to Pearl Harbor and The Punchbowl, and a day of surf lessons on the North Shore. At night, they experienced the nightlife of Honolulu and then enjoyed private moments of pleasure in the solitude of their suite.

When they arrived back in LA, Sonia was exhausted but thrilled. It truly had been the trip of a lifetime, and she was so glad she had gone. As Jimmy helped her load her bags into the car, they reminisced about the trip and all they had seen. With his arms around her, he kissed her and said, “I hope the birthday girl enjoyed her vacation. Here’s to another half century of adventures.”

“Thank you for helping to make the trip every bit as amazing as I had hoped it would be,” Sonia said. “I’m so glad I had you with me to check this off my bucket list.”

Back at her house, Sonia barely set her bags down before she called Emma to tell her all about her trip and the male companion who helped make it fabulous.