For Jo, my special muse
When the phone rang, I knew it was you even before I answered. I had been waiting for you to call since our last encounter. Before we parted last time, I had slipped my card into your pocket with the hope that you would call me. You must have found the card.
"Hello," I said. For a moment there was no response, and then I heard you say, softly, "It's me." My senses thrilled at the sound of the voice. Those two words brought a flood of memories from our previous encounters and sent a shiver of excitement through my body. We chatted briefly, and then you said you wanted to meet again. We set a time for later that day, and then the line went dead. I stood by my desk, staring out the window, my thoughts focused on you. I knew my productivity was gone for the day, so I went to my favorite coffee shop to read the newspaper and pass the time until our scheduled meeting.
At the appointed time, I drove across town and parked in the lot beside the library. It was there that we had last been together, and it was there you wanted to meet. As I sat in my car, I scanned the faces of those walking by, seeking your smile and sparkling eyes. After a wait of several minutes, I saw you coming toward me dressed in a stylish skirt and silk blouse, smiling, with a happy bounce in your step. As you arranged yourself on the seat beside me, we exchanged greetings, and then we were on our way. We made small talk, still a bit uncomfortable together, despite the intimacy of our past encounters. I knew that awkwardness would pass once we had time to get to know more about each other.
I drove to the lake and parked, and we sat quietly for a minute as we watched the park visitors enjoying the beautiful day. I leaned toward you and you turned to face me. We shared a warm kiss of greeting, and then we climbed out of the car. We spent the next hour walking the paths around the lake, chatting, learning more about one another. Somewhere along the way, your hand found mine, and we were joined together in body and spirit, energy flowing between us through the casual connection. My palms began to sweat and my heart pounded. We walked silently for a while, consumed in thought, remembering our past encounters and pondering our future together.