It was a hot day in July in the city. It also happened to be my day off work. Wearing a Swiss-blue Champion shirt, black jogging shorts and Nike footwear, I was walking through the park mainly for exercise but also admiring the scenery. Very high wispy clouds partially covered the sky. Trees provided shade giving some relief. Even so, the heat was to eventually take a toll on me.
Little did I know that at 10 a.m. after walking for a half hour I was seconds away from an encounter that would change my life.
I looked into the bluest eyes I had ever seen. Light-brown hair framed a diamond-shaped face. A beard covered Porcelain skin. He stood 5' 7, exactly my height. His toned physique radiated sex appeal. Hell I would've taken him then and there.
His Golden Retriever bumped my leg with its body then sniffed my foot. I responded by petting its head.
"Friendly animal," I observed.
"He likes people", the owner replied.
We fell into easy conversation about recent incidents in our lives, our families and growing up. I mentioned that my black lab had died.
"I'm so sorry."
"I Lost him a month ago."
"How long have you had him?"
"Ten years," I replied. "He was a rescue dog."
Michael, it turns out, is 40 years old, 12 years older than me. A physician assistant at Mount Sinai, he specializes in Cardiovascular/Cardiothoraic.
I, on the other hand, work as a radiology tech at Lenox Hill. I mentioned that I got into the medical field recently after working for years at a dead-ender job in dietary.
There seemed to be chemistry between us right from that first moment. He turned around and walked with me for perhaps a half mile.
I asked "are you ever on call."
"I have been," he replied.
After chatting for a short while longer I said, "Let's go for coffee some weekend."
He nodded.
"I'm working this weekend. Hopefully there will be a weekend when you're not on call and I'm off."
"Yah hopefully," he said.
"Let's exchange phone numbers."
With that, we exchanged phones and entered our number to each other's contact list.
His phone rang.
"I need to take this."
Seconds later he was on his way to the hospital and I was on my way home.
I came back to an apartment that seemed not so lonely anymore. I could look forward to seeing Michael. I realized that this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.
Comfortable in my sofa, I resumed the audio book titled "Hard Call: Stonewall Investigations series." In the story defense attorney "Lorenzo DeLuca" falls in love with P I "Zane Holder" as they prepare the defense of "DeLuca's" client.
In the days that followed Michael and I sent text messages back and forth and even engaged in video chats.
Two Saturdays after that Saturday in the park my phone buzzed with a text while I was having breakfast at 8 o'clock.
"Let's walk in the park then we'll go for lunch. I know a good pizza and sub shop."
Is this a date? Will he become my first boyfriend in 13 years since I was 15?
