This is a work of fiction, any similarities to persons known, or not, is purely coincidental. All characters are well above the age of eighteen years old.
*
Rendezvous
"Let's see... sandwiches, crackers, cheese, bottled water... check, check, check... and check! Napkins, table cloth and wash cloth... check."
Glancing at his watch, Sam saw that he'd better get a move on or he'd end up being late... again. Closing the picnic basket, he grabbed his keys and headed out the door. Out of his apartment and down stairs to his car. As he was putting the basket in the back seat, he remembered something.
"Damn!" he said aloud, turning to rush back up and to his apartment... and to his bedroom closet. Grabbing the two items he'd nearly forgotten, then rushing back out to his car to put the items in the basket.
"Whew! Dana would've been disappointed if I'd forgotten her surprise." He thought to himself with a smile as he pulled out into traffic. "And she does love her surprises!"
The traffic and noise around him faded away as Sam thought back over the past month or so and his meeting Dana. That wonderful, soft hearted down to earth girl with a beautiful smile and sparkling eyes. So warm and pleasant and inviting, yet with a streak of sensuality that just keeps a man intrigued and wondering what more could there be? It didn't hurt that she was so damned attractive and easy on the eyes too. Maybe not a model beauty that so many women try to emulate, more of a subtle and refined beauty that can only come from within. Oh, and what is within? Sam felt like he'd only scratched the surface yet. Dana intrigued him more and more every day. So many facets and unexpected secrets and desires. She just kept blowing his mind over and over since the first time he met her.
Sam was no novice when it came to women, he'd been around the block several times and had known quite a few women in his day. "Okay" He admitted, "I'm no Don Juan or Casanova." But he'd been fortunate in being guided and taught many things by those women. Thank God they'd had patience with him... and he cherished his time with each and every one of them. Perhaps that's something that keeps drawing him to Dana as well. That deep inner patience and warm sensuality that seems so rare in other women.
Sam met Dana online a little over a month ago. Feeling lonely and frustrated and simply tired of hopping bars and being fixed up by well meaning friends and family, he took it upon himself to check out some places he'd heard about. Most were blatant scams to get the money of so many other lonely or desperate people. However, he did find one site that actually seemed legit. So, he signed on and filled out his profile and started looking around. Several of the profiles of ladies on that site sounded interesting so he tried to contact them.
He really didn't expect much if anything to happen, perhaps this site was like all the others after all. Sam had several women try to contact him asking for gifts of time or credits so that they may talk to him or send him pictures of themselves in return. Yet just as he was about to give up hope of meeting any genuine people, he received an email from Dana. And everything changed. They exchanged phone numbers and emails and that's when the sun came out.
As nervous and hesitant as Sam had been about pursuing any kind of relationship from an online meeting, he was instantly and pleasantly drawn to Dana. The more he spoke with her, the more they learned about one another, the more he wanted to know. He found himself sharing his feelings and desires and dreams with her. Things that he had kept bottled up inside for so very long, things that he had shared with few if anyone else. And Dana... was sharing with him as well. What first began merely as curiosity, blossomed into friendship. A liberating, soul deep cleansing, joyful friendship with an added touch of spice and desire that Sam had only experienced twice before.
Of course, few things in life are ever completely carefree or simple. And Sam knew from the beginning that Dana, Sweet Dana, had her own troubles to deal with. She too had a cross to bear and was pretty much at the end of her rope with frustration and loneliness as well. Dana was married, that much Sam knew from her profile on the meeting web site where they had met. Most people on the site were after all... and all had their own stories and frustrations to deal with. In that, Dana was no different.
Dana was married to an older man who had medical issues that kept him from being able to do much of anything, from household chores to working, and even sex. Sweet Dana had to do everything, with no help or affection in return. Perhaps it was the frustration his part, or just thoughtlessness, but Dana's husband was very controlling and demanding to the point of being petty and childish at best... or hurtful and cruel at worst. So, Dana had reached out.
And, as luck or fate would have it, she had seen Sam's profile online and took a chance on him. And Sam had been thanking his lucky stars ever since. Now he longed for and looked forward to talking with Dana every day. And it didn't matter what they talked about really, just sharing anything from the mundane up to and including sexual exploits and adventures... and fantasies. So many things that excited and intrigued one another. So much they both desired to feel and experience... with one another.
Their friendship grew and grew, their longing to hold one another in person also grew with each passing day. That longing becoming a tangible physical ache at times yet exciting and thrilling all the more. They had spoken on the phone whenever it was possible so Sam and Dana knew one another's voice. They had exchanged dozens of photos so each knew what the other looked like, yet they had still not met in person. Today was to be that day... and Sam excited, nervous... even a little scared perhaps. Dana had told him that she felt exactly the same just the night before.
As it turned out, Sam was off work today, and Dana was actually able to get out from under the thumb of her husband to meet with friends for lunch. Of course, instead, she was meeting Sam. A picnic lunch at a nearby park with a lake for fishing. This time of year, it was still not too busy, but due to the unseasonably good weather of late there were a few people visiting the park to fish or as he and Dana, to have a picnic.
Sam had asked Dana what she would like for lunch and both laughed that they'd probably be too nervous to eat anyway so keep it light. As always, he marveled at her down to earth practical thinking. Sam did ask her for one thing for himself, however. He'd asked Dana to wear a pretty dress to show off her lovely lovely legs. Laughingly she had agreed.
An hour and a half driving, some of just to kill some time... but twice to empty a nervous bladder. "Damn" Sam thought aloud. "I haven't been this nervous since I was a kid! Oh please. Don't let me screw up or make a bad impression." He whispered to himself.
At last, he found himself pulling into the entrance of the park. Same reached yet again for another shot of breath freshener. "Maybe I'm early?" Sam said aloud as he began a second trip around the park looking for Dana's car. If it was there the first time, he might have missed it... but no, it wasn't there.
Sam found the parking area for the shelter number where he had agreed to meet. Grabbing the picnic basket from the back seat, he walked to the shelter and picked a table of the nearby lake, and of course, the parking area. Spreading out the table cloth but leaving the food inside the basket that he put on the table. Sam took a seat on the bench facing the car park to wait.
The minutes passed, as did a couple of cars... but no Dana's. Sam was starting to worry if something had happened or worse, maybe Dana had changed her mind. His stomach was in knots, and his mouth was dry as sand. It was while he was reaching for a bottle of water from the basket that Dana's car pulled into the car park... and time froze.
Dana, with a shy and obviously nervous smile on her lovely face, emerged from her car wearing a light-colored floral print dress and sandals. Her hair was pulled back and loosely gathered into a pony tail. She seemed to float rather than walk, hesitantly, from her car to the shelter. Her hands and arms fluttering about as if unsure what to do with them.
Sam had seen every photo she had ever sent him, dozens of times... memorizing every line and curve of her face. Those sparkling soulful eyes... with and without the quirky glasses. That cheerful dazzling smile that made her eyes squint just ever so, and her cheeks... those adorable, kissable cheeks stand up whenever she smiled as well. As Dana floated nearer and nearer Sam could tell that she was blushing like a school girl.
Standing there at the table, frozen, with a water bottle held in hand still halfway from the picnic basket, Sam's heart skipped a beat... then another. Unaware that he'd been holding his breath he nearly gasped as he finally inhaled a massive rush of air. Dana stopped at the edge of the shelter and looked a little unsure, worried even as she noticed Sam was not smiling.
"Sam?" She asked hesitantly. "It is you, isn't it? Are you okay?"
Finally snapping out of the spell he was under Sam fumbled and dropped the water bottle he was holding. The bottle bounced once then rolled off the table and across the ground to rest at Dana's feet. At last, smiling his happiest and brightest and possibly shiest smile, Sam came around the table to stand before Dana. Both blushing and smiling and stammering...
"Hi..." "Hello..."
