First Encounter

I double-check the name of the diner, off of the directions I printed out, from the email that you sent. It is correct. I am nervous as I pull into the parking lot. The diner looks old, but not run down, remote and off the main road, but a local favorite. A kind of place where the waitresses have their regular customers, it stands alone on the street, not part of any mini-mart or town square. It has large open windows in the front. I notice that the blinds are down for the noontime sun, and I am bit thankful,because then we will see each other at the same time. I get out of my car, and walk to the glass entrance door to open it. The small cowbells hanging from a hook above the door signal my arrival. Tense from the nervousness it startles me a little. To the left as soon as I walk in is a sign that politely says "Please Wait To Be Seated." As a full-busted blonde haired woman, she appears to be in her 50s, with the name Peg stitched in her uniform, approaches me as I scan the diner for your familiar face. My survey is interrupted with, "just you hun?" I smile and say, "No I am supposed to meet someone." She and I both turn to the open diner. There are a few people sitting in various booths through out the diner. Some old country music is playing lightly from the ceiling speakers, and then I recognize those warm dark eyes. You smile at me as you get up from the booth. I start walking towards you. We meet about halfway, where you extend your hand and for an awkward moment, neither one of us knows what is appropriate to do. I reach up and wrap my arms around your neck for a hug, as your arms move comfortably around my waist. The embrace is as familiar as the words we have been exchanging from a distance for so long. We walk back to the booth, next to a large window, in the middle of the diner. We sit across from each other. Both of us just grinning from ear to ear, even though there are no words exchanged, the silence isn't awkward, but a moment we take to absorb the experience. There is a spark of excitement, and both of us are wondering where to start. Peg walks up to our table, and in her sweet southern drawl ask, "What'd ya'll like ta eat?" As if scripted, we both quickly respond, "Coffee." We look at each other and laugh, as if we knew it was going to happen. She says, "Ya'll don't want nothin ta eat?" We both agree that we aren't hungry and say not right now, just coffee. Peg quickly brings us two cups of coffee with the creamer and sugar bowls, before we get started on the long anticipated conversation. You start, as you always do, bysaying, "You are even more gorgeous in person than you are in your photos." I smile with embarrassment, and say, "Thank you." You say, "How was the drive?" I reply, "It wasn't bad at all. Pretty straight forward and no traffic." The conversation is smooth and easy. We chit chat as if we had been talking like this for years. We discuss the writings we have been working on. Talk a little about your boys, and what they are up to. You tell me about a place that we should go once the sun starts to set. "It is a great view, and the pictures would be just amazing." The time flies by in the normal since, but stands still for both of us as we freely discuss the future and its opportunities. You look out the window and say, "So let's go, let's go check out the sunset." We pay for our coffee and head out the door to your truck. It is an older Dodge, with a bench seat. It makes me smile, I think, it is totally you, and reminds me of that Cake song. You open the door on the passenger side and I climb in. Then you go back round to the drivers' side and hop in and start the truck. As we drive along we talk about the music on the radio. You explain that there are a million in one country stations out here, that before you moved here, you were not that into country music, but that it has grown on you. We laugh about music from the past and old memories of high school. How different we both were then, but we eventually decide that we weren't really that different, we just didn't know who we were yet. You drive down a dirt path and into an open area, where the view is in fact amazing. No city or residential area to get in the way of the natural beauty that can be rare to find. You park the truck and break out your camera. You say, "Where is your camera?", and gasp at the fact that I didn't bring it with me. I retort with how nervous I was about meeting you, that bringing a camera was the furthest thing from my mind. You get out of the cab and walk to the front of the truck to take pictures. The coolness of the evening is fresh and pleasant. I stand next to you as you snap various shots of the horizon. Then you start taking pictures of me, making fun and being playful. I grab the camera from you and turn it on you. I capture that sexy handsome smile that leads to a laugh. In laughter we pose together for some shots. We sit there a little longer in peaceful silence watching the sunset, capturing the moment. Thoughts are running through both of our minds. Wondering how it came to this. How crazy exciting it is. My back is leaned up against you, while your arms are wrapped around my shoulders, and we watch that last bit of orange hue disappear. In your honest and straightforward way you ask, "What is next?" Of course I shrug and say, "I don't know." You laugh and rest your chin on my head. Neither one of us really knows what is next, but we both understand the need to enjoy the moment as it is now. I shiver from the chill in the air, so we walk back and get into the cab of the truck. I scoot in close to you, and am reminded again of the Cake song that sings "no bucket seats..." It makes me smile. You're looking at me and ask me, "What are you smiling about?" I explain about the song and we both laugh at the thought. With your arm wrapped around me I am nestled in your chest,we talk some more. We talk about what we thought was going to happen,how we thought either one of us would react. I can smell you; you have a warm masculine scent that is so familiar. My head leaning into you,you ask " Do you want me to take you back to your car?" I softly say,"No, I like where I am right now." You give me a tight squeeze, and we sit there for a little while longer in the quiet. You say, "Hey, can I see you again?" I pull away a little bit so that I can look you in the face, and smile saying, "of course."