When Jake met Melinda online he never expected to feel anything real. Everyone knows it's just fantasy, an escape from your everyday life...right? Then why can't he stop thinking about her? She invades his thoughts during the day and his dreams at night. He felt like there was a connection from the first day they talked and she said she felt the same way. The fourteen hour time difference makes it hard for them to connect so they started leaving little messages for each other to find when they wake up, hoping to make each other smile. Jake finds himself logging on as soon as his eyes open each morning, anticipation making his heart beat a little faster, hoping to find a message from his beautiful Mel.
Walking through the airport towards the rental car counter, his eyes are bloodshot with exhaustion. It's been a long trip from Australia and there's still almost two hours of driving before he gets to rest. He's been dreaming about this trip for months, ever since he met her. The pictures of the beautiful wilderness she shared spoke to his adventurous nature almost as much as her pictures spoke to him. Unable to resist such beautiful scenery and the promise of an amazing adventure, he booked two weeks in a cabin on a lake in Maine. He has no idea where she lives exactly but in the back of his mind he fantasizes about finding her.
As he pulls his rental car up to the main building he's in awe of the view before him. Walking through the lobby towards the front desk, he sees a woman come into view and stops dead in his tracks. It's her! She's looking down at some paperwork completely unaware that he's there.
Standing there for several minutes, unable to move or speak, his breath catches when she steps out from the desk and crosses the lobby. She's walking towards him, heading for the stairs. Afraid he'll lose his chance, he steps in her way bumping into her, goosebumps covering his skin when he feels her touch his arm.
"Oh excuse me. I'm such a klutz" she says with a chuckle. Her eyes finally look up and lock onto his. Her hand flies to her mouth as she gasps in surprise, her eyes wide with shock.
"Jake" she whispers
"Melinda" he breathes
She stands there for several minutes in stunned silence, unable to believe this is really happening.
"What...? How....? I can't believe it! What are you doing here?" stammering over her words, too nervous to string together a coherent sentance.
"I couldn't resist the mountain. The pictures you sent were just too enticing. I had no idea you worked here." his eyes unable to leave hers. The urge to reach out and touch her is almost too much to resist. Hands shaking, he reaches for his bags that are sitting forgotten on the floor.
A nervous laugh escapes her. "It's so good to see you." Tentatively, she starts to put her arms out in a shy hug but pulls back, her nerves getting the better of her. He notices her hesitation and feels a little disappointed. Afraid this is a dream, he doesn't dare to touch her either. Realizing that she's talking to him, he snaps out of his daze in time to hear her ask how long he's staying.
LL
"Two weeks. I've got plans to go hiking and explore the mountain a bit, but the rest of my time here is wide open. I wasn't sure what else there was to do."
"Oh there are so many things to see and do here." Reverting to her ingrained hospitality mode, she starts listing all of the amenities and local hikes and things to see.
"I want to see our waterfall," he blurts out. The picture of that beautiful waterfall tucked away in the wilderness was the catalyst for him to book this trip. As soon as he saw that picture, images of the two of them together filled his mind, images that made his pants a little too tight on more than one occasion.
"You should definitely go, it's a beautiful hike."
Feeling like he's blowing this, he gathers up his courage "Come with me."
"Jake, I have to work, I can't...I wish I could." hanging her head, afraid she's going to miss her chance to get to know this amazing man in person.
"You must have a couple days off coming up. You're usually off Thursday and Friday right? Well, it's Monday now, I'll wait for you and we can go Thursday? Unless you have plans...."
Hesitating for just a moment, that voice in the back of her head telling her that she doesn't know this man, not really. Shaking the thought from her head, "I don't want you to waste two days of your vacation waiting on me."
"You said there's plenty to see. I can go tackle that beautiful mountain I saw on my drive here and then find that waterfall with you."
"If you're sure.....I'd love to." a big smile forms on his face when he hears those words. His pants tighten at the thought of making some of his daydreams a reality. Afraid she'll notice the slight bulge, he tries to make an excuse to leave.
"I won't keep you. I know you probably have to get back to work. And I've got to get settled in my cabin."