Alex fidgeted nervously with his keys as he sat on the cold metal bench outside the Donnovan Hotel, trying to somewhat shield himself with his coat to escape the cold breeze that seemed to have manifested from nowhere. He glanced at his watch and let a sigh escape his lips. He wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do. He had tried to rationalize this in his mind over and over again, never coming to the same conclusion. He had never met anyone from the internet before. He didn't really have the desire to do that. There was just something different about her.
He had met her in an adult chat room. They hit it off immediately. Alex found her easy to talk to. She could pick up a conversation, and even if she didn't know much on the subject, she would ask questions to learn more about it. She got his humor. She understood it and even appreciated it.
They had exchanged messenger addresses and spoke frequently. Sometimes they would chat for hours. He knew that she liked him. She had alluded to the fact that if they were in different places in their lives, that they would be great together. Alex had not thought much about it though. He was a realist. He knew that there wouldn't be a chance in that happening, so why bother. He chatted with several women on the chat site and through messenger, but he always went back to her.
Slowly he stood up from the bench, shoving his hands inside his pockets and walked into the hotel lobby. They had decided to meet there and to walk to a little restaurant about a block away. He waited nervously by the entrance to the hotel pacing back and forth. The girl behind the check in counter glanced at him and shook her head. It was like she knew what he was there for.
Just as he was about to say something rude to the nosey girl behind the counter, he saw her. She looked great in a deep purple turtleneck, black button up coat, and a nice pair of jeans. Her deep brown hair flowed gently over her shoulders, parted on the side. His breath caught in his throat for just a second as his mind finally reconciled why he was here.
She glanced around the lobby with an expectant look in her green eyes. Her gaze settled on him, and a smile spread across her face as she recognized him. He couldn't help but to smile when he saw hers. His warm brown eyes twinkled as he started to walk towards her. Her pace quickened as she came towards him. There was no awkwardness at all as she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a very warm hello.
Alex returned the favor by hugging her close and holding her there for what seemed like 5 minutes. It was as if she belonged in his arms. He reluctantly let go and after a few minutes of small talk, they decided to head out to the restaurant. They both shivered as they stepped out into the cold Chicago air. She grabbed his left hand with her right, and instantly Alex felt a warming tingle run from the tip of his fingers through his body.
The restaurant was a small family owned Italian restaurant that the tourists never came to. Only the locals knew of the great food, and family oriented fun that it held. As they walked in to the restaurant, a short, older, Italian lady with dark hair came to greet them. She welcomed them with a smile and glanced at their fingers interlocked with each other. With a knowing smile, she led the couple to a secluded booth towards the back of the restaurant.
Throughout the dinner, never once did their gazes drift or their hands stray too far from each other for too long. They laughed and chatted through lasagna, cheesecake, and wine. Finally, their hostess shooed them out the door muttering something in Italian and smiling. They held hands as Alex walked her back to the hotel. They conversation began to taper off as they neared the hotel. They knew that their night and their time together was nearing an end.
