As he sat on the edge of his bed, before turning out the bedside lamp for the night, Bill thought about the funny little twists of fate and how things in life always seem to happen with your best interests in mind. Today had been very much one of those days. A day that, for months, seemed like it would never happen.
You see, there was this girl. Bill smiled to himself as he thought about that. Doesn't it always seem to be about a girl? However, Bill had dated some post-divorce, as he liked to categorize this segment of his life, but no one girl had really held his interest for any period of time. Recently, Bill had become comfortable with the notion that he would likely spend the rest of his life as a bachelor. He had actually come to think he could like the freedom to come and go as he pleased, or maybe that's just what he told himself to get by.
Anyway...there was this girl. Like a lot of transplanted singles Bill's age, he had dabbled with online dating sites. Mostly, he had just found them to be scary! I mean, it didn't take long to see why most of these people were single. Issues! They all had issues! Not that Bill was totally free of his own baggage, but, by comparison, he thought he'd made it to this point of life relatively free of that sort of thing. The thing was, over some four months since first contacting this girl, today was only the second time he'd ever been out with her. The economy had been especially tough on Bill's career post-divorce. Add to that, a fierce independence, which was the direct product of several years of being basically a self-employed entrepreneur.
Of all the girls living within a 20-mile radius, Bill mused how and why he was still texting and messaging this particular girl who lives 60 miles away. He had repeatedly told himself, and her, that the distance was too great to even consider dating. But yet, they were still talking. Similar interests seemed to keep them talking, but money was really tight. The price of gasoline, as well as most everything else, had spiraled out of control, to a point that dating was almost unaffordable for Bill. But today, they had both felt caged up and had decided to meet at a point of equal distance between each other. No real plans. There was a quiet little park. A lake with a few scattered benches, and a walkway that wandered along the lakeshore and through shaded flower gardens.
This would be the setting for what Bill and Karen would each look back on as a day to remember.
A morning shower had passed, leaving the flowers looking especially vibrant. Their fragrance was intoxicating, and the green plants were left just a bit greener by the rain. Or, was that just the way Bill would remember it? The air was cool and fresh when they arrived and stepped from their cars.
Any reservations Bill might have had about meeting today were put aside by Karen's easy smile and the electricity that ran from his fingertips to his toes, as they lightly brushed cheeks with a modest greeting hug. Although he wasn't sure if Karen noticed, he was from that moment, lost for the day. She had him under that hypnotic spell only a woman of interest can unknowingly cast over a man smitten. It's at times like these, that it's apparent that man is very much the weaker sex.
Karen was light and breezy, and Bill floated along beside her, after creating the illusion he was in control of the afternoon's agenda. Her smile was framed by an irresistible pair of cute little dimples., and accented by her auburn hair that Bill could only imagine his fingers running through. Talk came surprisingly free and easy between them. Recent outings had generally found Bill searching for things to talk about. But, Karen was different. He easily forgot about the distance and any other reasons he had used to convince himself to not risk getting involved with this lady. Today was a day they had decided they both needed. Work had been draining, and an afternoon of leisure with unpressured company, the company of the opposite sex, seemed to be the perfect antidote.
