Chapter 1
Alone, I sat, waiting for her arrival. Six o'clock she had said, but it was already ten past that. "Maybe she's just running late," I told myself. "Maybe she's having trouble finding the place. What is she doesn't come? Oh, Christ! What if she does!" I drained the vodka in my left hand, considering a third.
It had been three nights since the last telephone call, the second in total. Dianne had sounded better than I had dared hope, that first time a fortnight ago. I could sense the command in her voice, strength in every carefully chosen word. However, there was a tenderness too, a magical warmth and sincerity. It made me ache for her, as had every word she had typed across the ether for the past fourteen months. Well, today was the day! Tonight we would finally meet. Dianne had said that her flight would get in at 5:30. I wish she had let me pick her up. We would already have been together! Probably best this way, though. We both hated airports, that much we knew of each other.
Six-fifteen. I lit a cigarette. "Christ! My second packet today!" Getting dark outside, I turned on the porch light, immediately losing the advantage view of the driveway, lit now by the few remaining rays of autumnal sunlight. "No matter, I'll see her headlights. Wait! Is that her now?" There was a late model Falcon slowing on the road. I couldn't quite make out the driver. "No, it's gone."
I had never been so nervous in my entire life! It had been fun chatting over the net this past year, but this was so serious! Still, I knew I was hers now. I had been forever. I knew it as much as she did. Why should I have been nervous? We knew as much about each other as any two people possibly could. Anticipation though... I could've burst!
Headlights in the drive! "It's her, it must be." I saw the shiny metallic black Magna, lit in all its glory. "Yes, it suits her." I saw her now, as the headlights were switched off. She was finishing a mobile call as I approach the car. She looked at me mid-sentence and beamed a perfect smile, waving as one would to an old familiar friend. The call ended, the motor was silenced, the door opened...
"Dianne?"
"Jill!" she exclaimed while alighting the vehicle. "It's sooo good to finally meet you, hon!" She was just a little taller than I had imagined. Perfectly dressed, she wore a black blazer that showed just a hint of the mauve camisole top hidden within. Just above the knee black skirt, black stockings and short heeled, open toed black dress shoes. She was beautiful. We embraced. Long, hard, desperate not to let go. "Oh, Dianne," I said, tears prominent in my voice; "I can't believe you're finally here!"
"I know, hon," Dianne caressed my hair, sobbing sweetly; "I'm just so glad to be here"
"Come inside, Dianne," I whispered after a few moments, mindful of a curious neighbor. "Mrs. Dorset across the street will have a heart attack!" The joke lightened the tension. Dianne wiped a tear from my face and we began to collect her things from the car. I mused at the inventory: overnight bag, handbag, a bottle of indeterminate contents wrapped in a Booze Brothers paper bag and one small, loose parcel. A small box, gift wrapped in pink with a black bow. "Not yet!" Dianne proclaimed, snatching the parcel away with a wicked grin.
We made our way through the hallway and into the lounge room, setting her things down on one of two overstuffed club sofas. Brilliant deep-cobalt Sanderson linen; my favorite. "Make yourself at home, love" I said, ushering Dianne to it's mate, diagonally opposite. Inspecting the contents of the paper bag, my heart skipped just a little. One single bottle of Yellow Glen vintage champagne. One of the very first things I had ever told her, it wasn't so much that she had brought it, more the fact she had remembered it was my favorite. "You sweetheart!" I exclaimed holding up the bottle as reference to the statement, "Let me get a couple of glasses." When I returned from the kitchen, the vision before me made my heart melt. There, sitting in my loungeroom, on my favorite sofa was the woman I had never met, but truly loved with all my heart, perched with all the grace and confidence I always knew she had. Dianne looked like she belonged and always had.
Catching myself in such a state of melancholy, I moved toward her and took my place just as I had done hundreds of times before online; at her feet, on the floor, looking up into her eyes. Our online relationship was finally manifesting itself in real life.
"Want some?" I asked, looking up at Dianne and gesturing to the champagne now waiting on the coffee table. "Not yet hon," came the reply as she guided my shoulders, encouraging me into a kneeling position that faced her directly. Dianne cradled my face in her warm, soft hands. With one hand on her knee and the other lightly touching hers, I looked into my Mistress' face for the first time. The atmosphere was suddenly electric and I felt a desire growing from deep within. The gaze from her somewhat sad yet piercing brown eyes felt as though it might burn right through me, into my very soul. We just sat there for what seemed an eternity, taking each other in. I felt giddy from her scent; fresh and not unlike sandalwood. Finally I was beginning to truly feel the power she had over me. I was lost. I unconsciously moistened my lips, which did not go unnoticed.
Dianne leaned down toward me, pulling me a little closer still. The moment I had spent so many sleepless nights thinking about was finally upon me. Slowly, ever so slowly, our lips met. The bolt of electricity that hurtled through me made my heart skip. We melted into each other. I felt the tears returning in sympathy of such a beautiful moment. Dianne's lips were so very soft against my own. I was so totally absorbed by her beauty, her scent, her touch. As I felt her tongue beckoning to mine, I opened my mouth a little wider, receptive to the invitation. Our tongues danced and entwined into their own embrace. It was the single most delicious moment of my life and I never wanted it to end.
Suddenly, Dianne pulled away. Eyes still closed, my hungry mouth tried to follow but found only a void. I opened my eyes to find Dianne sitting back on the sofa, smiling. The smile told me she was pleased, but there was a wicked twinkle in her eye. "So," she said, matter-of-factly, "How about that drink then?" My response came quickly: "You teasing bitch!" The wickedness spread across Dianne's face. "You know I like to tease, Winter…" We both burst into laughter and I squeezed her hand.
With drinks poured and cigarettes lit, we began talking. So much to say! We were like two schoolgirls who hadn't seen each other all summer and needed to catch up. How was the flight, isn't the plane food terrible, where is your daughter, is this her picture…We talked though the Yellow Glen and dented a bottle of bourbon. All the while, the little pink parcel on the opposite sofa stared at me, daring me to guess it's contents.
