Jonathan looked at himself in the mirror, a smile forming on his lips. His day to finally be with the one he cherished and loved blindly had finally arrived. He carefully inspected his appearance, making sure he looked presentable in the presence of the one he loved. He walked out to the living room, where he had set up an elaborate dinner for the two of them. Candlelight bathed the room, and classical music softly spoke from the speakers. The ambiance that existed was so thick, it could be cut with a knife. Just then, he was startled by the sound of his doorbell, and he scurried to the door. He closed his eyes, and thought of how sweet this was going to be. His mind drifted into a flashback, all the events that took place to make this moment possible…
It was nine months ago that he had met Dana online in a chat room. This began as a friendship between the two and had now blossomed into something intense and passionate. Of course, the journey to this day was an extremely painful one. He had wanted to be with her for so long, feeling a love deep inside of him for her that could not be explained.
The only problem was that Dana was madly in love with another man, someone who did not reciprocate the love she offered. He treated her well, and he treated her with respect. She would always ask Jonathan for helpful love advice, at which Jonathan had to swallow his pride and do his best to give an unbiased, objective opinion. There were times when Jonathan was resentful when Dana told him about her and her boyfriend’s sexual adventures. However, they never went all the way, as she waited for the day he told her he loved her. Dana had always liked Jonathan, a wonderful online friend who gave her great advice. He was always there when she needed him.
Then one day, Jonathan could not hold back any longer. He told Dana he loved her and wanted to be with her. In a passion-filled email, he let her know his feelings. Dana was shocked, but she knew deep down that she was in love with Jonathan, but could never, ever cheat the feelings she had for her boyfriend. A week later, Dana’s boyfriend broke up with her, and she was heartbroken. She called Jonathan, asking him what she should do. He knew better than to bring up the subject of the two of them, so he gave her advice on how to get through the rough time. However, Dana sensed what Jonathan wanted and decided to close the door on the possibility of a relationship.
“No, I cant, Jonathan. We’re too far away, and…I just don’t have the feelings you have for me,” Dana told Jonathan one night.
And that was it. He respected her feelings, and he no longer entertained the notion of a relationship. They remained friends, keeping touch with each other, however, they’re communication was becoming more and more distant. He always kept her in the back of his mind, wondering what it was like to be with Dana. However, each thought swept by like the breeze. She would never love me like I would, he thought. He decided that it was best to forge ahead, focusing his concentration away from love and women, and prepare for law school.
Dana tried to move on and avoid bringing up the topic of she and Jonathan being together. She knew she threw away what was an incredible opportunity to be with a nice guy. She thought back to their long conversations, and how she always wondered what Jonathan was doing without a girlfriend. More than anything, she wanted to be held by him. She had told him once that she might have feelings for him, but that was when she was with her ex-boyfriend. He was a nice guy, but it always seemed like something was missing. They had wonderful times together and intimate moments, but there was a side to her that was longing for more.
She knew what she missed in her life, and that was Jonathan. Nobody had ever been so reassuring to me, and no one has ever told me they loved me and meant it…except Jonathan, she thought. She thought of him as being a wonderful guy, who had a big heart. He had given her his heart, but she did nothing but throw it back in his face. It had been a month since she had talked to him because Jonathan had gone off to Europe for a vacation before he got ready for law school. It was during this month that she realized she needed him. Not only that, she wanted him. She vividly remembers the night he told her how he would make love to her, but that was when she was with her boyfriend. And she’ll never forget how she crushed his heart with her comment:
“Dana, what are you thinking?” asked Jonathan after he told her his fantasy of making love to her.
Dana answered, “I’m thinking…that by talking to you, I have now realized how much I love my boyfriend.”
Months later, she wanted to redeem herself. So she called Jonathan, hoping he was back from his European vacation.
“Hello?” Jonathan answered.
“Jonathan, its me, Dana,” she trembled into the phone, trying desperately not to drop it.