They met online, innocently enough. Both were living quiet, introspective lives, mostly hidden away for the world's view. They were equally private and somewhat shy people, yet with an untouched abyss of emotional feelings that neither of them could ever imagine was about to be unleashed between them.
Each had inadvertently stumbled onto the literary website and had begun to read the variety of erotic stories presented there. He was older, widowed and for all intents and purposes, alone and isolated. His children were scattered across the country and around the world. He had never even thought about the dating scene and when several of the single and even married women he knew in their small community had dropped hints of invitation, he brushed them off, usually without even realizing what they were proposing.
She was twenty and had graduated from High School a year previously. Her first year in college did not live up to all the hype and hoopla. She was pretty and petite, and when "dressed up" was quite a stunner. Yet her social life was minimal.
She had dated one of the football team members for only a few weeks, after which time she was completely revolted by his arrogance, stupidity, and his crass vulgarity. Since she had made it clear that she wasn't going to "come across with the goodies", he was very happy to let her go when she finally gave him his marching orders. They had had a few "intimate" moments without any invasion of privacy and she had not been left with the most pleasant memories of that particular basic sexual tryst.
The literary website had a small chat-room attached to it, and they both ventured in one evening out of idle curiosity, arriving at the same time, when no-one else was present. They said a quick "Hello" and shared the information that they were new to the site, new to the chat-room and new to this whole type of literary experience.
They laughed with each other a little as they joking explained their mild embarrassment at some of what they had been reading, but both agreed it was a new and refreshing look at life though the eyes of some of the authors. They discussed a little private information and, in spite of their age difference, they were surprised at the immediate and warm connection they found with each other. After a little more time of small talk, they took their leave of each other, promising to come back on the following evening and say hello again and report back on any article on the site that had been especially meaningful to them.
Thus began their "online relationship". There was never anything suggestive or offensive between them, but very quickly, each of them knew that their feelings for the other were changing and rapidly moving beyond the "friendship" stage.
Little by little, small terms of endearment crept into their conversations and personal, more intimate details were added and openly discussed between them.
After several weeks, they surprised each other in their chat one evening when they began to share details of where they actually lived. They laughed uproariously when they learned that they were no more than about an hour's drive away from each other. One thing led to another and they were soon agreeing to meet on the next Saturday, two weeks away, and have lunch together. As they prepared to part for the evening, he emphasized his age again and told her he would quite understand if she wanted to change her mind. She in turn reminded him of her age, and offered him the opportunity to re-consider as well.
Both protested vigorously and the day and time was set. They offered their "Good-nights" and both left their computers happier and feeling more alive than they had been for quite some time.
Saturday finally arrived and not surprisingly, both cars pulled into the car-park of the family restaurant almost simultaneously.
She parked at one of the far end spaces and he pulled into the one next to her, so that his car door was adjacent to her driver- side door. Neither had given much thought as to how they were going to greet each other, but as they stepped out of the vehicles, each opened their arms in a signal of embrace. They hugged tightly and kissed lightly as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do.
Neither felt embarrassed by the intimacy and hugged once again with an added kiss, this one a little longer and more personal than the first.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you at last face to face", she whispered, as if afraid someone might overhear them
"Yes it is" he replied, and with a laugh he added "and more like lips to lips. I hope I haven't overstepped any mark?"
"Of course not " she replied cheerfully, "how else would two best friends greet each other than with a nice hug and a very sweet kiss."
The emphasis she placed on the word "very" was not lost on him, nor was she unaware that he was still lightly holding her fingertips with his.
"Well", he continued, "we did meet for lunch. Ready?"
She nodded her head in approval and they headed towards the entrance of the restaurant. The sign at the door advised everyone to "seat yourself", so they looked around and found a booth at the far end of the dining room, beside the front windows. The waitress took their drink order and suggested the cheeseburger and fries as their most popular dish and left them alone.
They sat quietly for a few moments---each simply looking at the other and impounding mental images into their brains for future recall. The girl thought her date was anything but "old" as he had described himself. She looked again at him and decided that he was more "distinguished" and "dignified" and he was certainly still very good looking and very charming. Not at all like the uncouth, foul-mouthed morons she had to deal with in college and she liked the fact that he had held the door open for her as they walked in and that he had waited for her to sit down first before he did.
Meanwhile he was looking at her with awe and almost juvenile adoration. He agreed to himself that yes she was petite but strikingly beautiful and as for being , in her own words, "ordinary", she was anything bought. Attractive, sophisticated, mature beyond her years, confident without the aggressive harshness of many career women he had met over the years.
Their conversation turned lively and interesting and for the next two hours they chatted and laughed about a variety of topics, only allowing themselves to be interrupted by the waitress providing refills. Not long into the date, after they had finished their meal, they had gingerly reached across the table and held each other's fingertips again.
