My life wasn’t turning out the way I had always planned. My small house and my three cats were nice, but, I wanted more. I wanted a husband. I wanted kids. I didn’t want to turn into the “cat lady”.
I sacrificed college parties as an undergrad. I spent my early twenties pulling “all-nighters” with stacks of accounting books instead of with boys. I had a professional job with a small accounting firm within a week after graduating with two master’s degrees. I’m 26 years old and making almost six figures. Life is good.
My best friend Donna called me yesterday to announce that she’s getting married. Yay. Great for her. I haven’t had a regular boyfriend since high school. Donna calls George my boyfriend, though we’ve never actually met.
I met George on-line on a writer’s community site. We didn’t meet on some cheesy dating web-site that allows you to sift through hundreds of photos and personal profiles. I tried that a couple times. One guy looked nothing like his photo and lied about his age and name. One guy I met gave me his real name, but probably shouldn’t have. I Googled him and found that he was a registered sex-offender. How depressing.
When I was in college I published short stories and poems in an on-line community board. This is where I met George. He had so much passion. I loved his writing. His works were witty and funny. Sometimes I felt as though he were writing directly to me.
So I reached out to him. We began an email dialogue about love, life and philosophy. For two years we emailed regularly.
George lives in Oklahoma. I live in Boston. Getting together never seemed possible. He could never be my one true love. Not unless he moved here. That didn’t seem to be in his future. We never talked about the future.
Our emails eventually turned into phone calls. We talked every night. I often wondered what it would be like if he ever moved here. Could we be best friends? Would this on-line writing chemistry transfer into the real world? Or was it wonderful because it wasn’t real?
George called me today on my way home from work to tell me he was at Logan Airport in Boston. “Surprise!” I had no words. I wasn’t ready for this! I didn’t think I’d ever actually meet him.
I was sick to my stomach as I pulled up along the curb to pick George up at the airport. I should’ve parked and walked up. But then I’d have to do the face to face, and then what? Hug him? Kiss him? No. The curbside pickup was fine. How would I know it was him? He’d told me that he’d be wearing a black leather jacket and jeans. I knew that he had straight sandy blonde hair and brown eyes.
He knows I drive a beat up maroon Volvo wagon. I could drive away right now and never look back. I could just stop answering his phone calls. Just walk away from what might be a disaster.
Then I saw him. His smile was warm as his eyes found mine. I stepped out of the car and launched myself into his arms. He smelled like home. All the goodness and love of home, right here, clinging to this man with sandy blonde hair in his leather jacket and jeans. I didn’t want to let go, but it is the airport curbside pickup and they don’t let you linger.
We made our way out of the maze of roads that surround the airport. I drove to my small house just outside the city.
The conversation came easily. It was hard to believe we had this much to say. When the talk slowed, we touched. I touched his hands. He touched my face. He gently touched his lips to mine and we kissed passionately through the night. We dozed off in a tight embrace and woke to more touching and kissing.
I woke in the morning to see him gazing lovingly at me. He smiled and told me he loved me. I was in love with him, too.
I took the next few days off work. We spent the days walking hand in hand along the beaches. We poked around in all the old book stores we could find, quietly browsing titles. We spent our nights cuddled under the covers, wrapped in love. I didn’t want him to leave for Oklahoma. He was my best friend.
I bought a plane ticket. I would head back to Oklahoma with George so we could pack everything he owned and move him to Boston. I had found my one true love, my best friend. I finally had all that I’d ever wanted. My life was complete.
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