His plane had touched down late Friday afternoon, she'd surprised him, handing him a single white rose as he walked up to her in the airport, laughing in response to the questioning look in his eyes. Standing with him a few moments later waiting on his luggage she was surprised at how nervous she still was, shaking her head saying to herself "It's only Daniel you've known him for months girl, what's there to be shaking about?" but try as she might she couldn't seem to quiet the butterflies that had taken hold of her stomach.
     In the car later, on the way first to his motel to get him checked in, and then off to dinner they'd talked, laughed together and slowly she came to know the same feelings of warmth and trust she knew online with him, knew this man was her friend, that with him she was safe in any way, at any time. She knew that she could say anything to him, talk about anything.
     He'd teased her somewhat on the way to dinner, incorrigible as always, laughing at her when she threatened to pull the car over, put him out on the side of the road if he mentioned the word ‘date' one more time. Unable to hold the giggles from erupting when he'd gone silent, looked about the car whispering conspiratorially "Ooops, I forgot, we've got to look respectable don't we, just a pretty lady and her gentleman friend out for a bite to eat together"
     "That's right hon" she'd answered "and the gentleman better remember to be just that a gentleman, if he knows what's good for him" his answering grin starting her into another fit of giggles one of many that was to come over the next couple of hours as they sat, his teasing, words and stories of things past running one after another. They talked of mutual friends online, likes, dislikes. He'd told story after story about his youth leaving her by the time dinner ended feeling she knew the people he spoke of, could picture both Jims, hear the wisecracking Don and Steve's quick witty responses, felt she knew Rick and Brian, Gary and Marty.
     She watched the change in him when he spoke of Frank, his eyes soften, a touch of sadness joining the twinkle in them as he spoke of rebuilding wheelchairs so a lifelong friend would never be left out "You should have seen that sucker when we were done, Ten speed bicycle wheels on the back and wheels from a kids tricycle on the front, ugliest fucking wheelchair on earth but with it we could take him anywhere we went" he said chuckling "though in truth he might have been safer if we hadn't, it's a wonder we never got him killed"
     "One time, out cruising about in Jim's car, an old beat up Newport and sure as hell doesn't the sucker catch fire. Middle lane of the road right there in front of a fire station. Well we all pour out, kinda every man for himself you know, only trouble being we forgot old Frank was there in the back seat with that fucking wheelchair still in the trunk.
     "Steve and Jim they manage to get Frank. Rick, the ever so thoughtful brother he went for the wheelchair, saved it and a case of empties from the trunk. Another time Rick, Frank and Jim are in Rick's car, they're racing against the other Jim and Steve when something goes wrong, sure enough Rick's car lips over continues on down the highway for a while sliding on it's roof. Cops show up, one an older guy the other early twenties. Now remember everyone is out of the cars already so there's no real panic or anything, the older cop he starts asking if everyone is ok, now Rick and Jim both answer that they're fine so he turns to Frank who with the straightest face you can imagine looks at him and says "I can't feel my legs sir"
     "Well let me tell you, that cop he swung right into action, had his partner radio in for an ambulance while he hustled back to his patrol car for a blanket. Ambulance arrives, they Get Frank all strapped down and are loading him when he turns to Rick reminds him to get the wheelchair from the trunk before the car gets towed away."
      "Wheelchair? the cop explodes, at which point everyone loses it and starts to laugh cept that older cop, hell he was fit to be tied, I swear if there hadn't been so many witnesses he'd have shot Frank right then and there, hell even his partner was laughing. It's not really funny thinking about it now, to tell the truth with Frank being paralyzed the way he was he could have had all manner of injury in that accident and nobody could have known, but at the time it was great, I was fucking crying there I laughed so hard"
     She was surprised looking up to realize they were the last customers left in the restaurant, the waitress counting her tips, glancing over to them occasionally to see if they were done, stood up to reach for the bill only to have him prove quicker, looking to him, opening her mouth to speak, to say he was her guest, seeing that mischievous grin of his appear before she could.
     "No date of mine has ever picked up the check girl," he said. Standing and walking away towards the waitress and cash register, "it ain't gonna start here."
     She was still shaking her head when he returned, starting to try and speak, giggling her way through "I am NOT you date mister" while waggling a finger in his face "and it's time you got that straight".  She saw the twinkle flair in his eyes, knew what was coming even before his heels clicked together, the salute begin "and if you yes Ma'am me just once you're dead meat hon" she added with a grin of her own before taking his hand, leading him from the restaurant, ignoring completely his comments to the waitress about whether it was proper for a lady who was NOT a gentleman's date to be holding his hand.
     "You are incorrigible" she said as they stepped outside into the warm evening air.
     "Have I ever denied it luv?" he replied, "If I recall correctly, and I more often than not do recall everything correctly, I've told you that any number of times."
     "That you have hon" she said, releasing his hand and reaching to unlock the car's door, "that you certainly have.
     The ride to his motel was much the same as the rest of the evening, him ridiculously suggestive, her giggling and laughing, the both of them quieting down, somewhat more serious as they pulled into the Motel lot, sitting in the car quietly for a few moments talking.
     "So it's a picnic for lunch tomorrow is it?" he asked as they both climbed from the car. "Somewhere secluded and romantic I trust?"
     "Enough already you" she said, this time managing to control the giggle "Time for you to get in there and get some sleep, you're obviously over tired and it's giving you ideas"
     "Care to join me" he teased, "save you the drive home and then back to pick me up tomorrow"
     "Ah now hon" she teased him back "I would, but silly me, I forgot to bring along a nightie. Can't imagine what I must have been thinking doing that" then reaching, her hand covering his mouth to keep him from answering, "Now you just say ‘Nightie night and run on in there to bed."
     "Oh alright" he said feigning the silliest looking pout she'd ever seen, "I'll go but it's under protest". Taking her hand then in his own, lifting it to his lips kissing her fingers ever so lightly, looking to her then and grinning, "betcha never though I'd e one to kiss on the first date did ya?" Then skipping easily away from the friendly swat she aimed at him, "See you in the morning luv, sweet naughty dreams"
     "Night hon, sleep well"
     She could see him in the rear view mirror as she pulled out of the lot, still standing in the doorway to his room watching her car pull away into the night and for some reason the image stuck with her for the balance of the trip home, was still there an hour later as she lay in the dark between the sheets thinking back over the day.
     She woke to a sticky and muggy Saturday morning, decided to skip the morning paper just made her morning coffee before slipping into the shower, pausing, surprised to find she was humming to herself, trying unsuccessfully to remember the last time she'd done that, shaking her head as she stepped into the stream of hot water.
     Shaking it again later sitting at her vanity, looking at the clock and realizing she'd spent better than twenty minutes now just brushing her hair time and again, at the polish that adorned her nails, the perfume scent hanging about her, at the dress she'd chosen for the day, a yellow pastel summer dress with spaghetti straps, speaking aloud to herself as she slipped the towel away from about her stepping into the dress ‘You'll deserve any teasing about ‘dates' he gives you today girl'. One last glance at the mirror before leaving the room, heading downstairs to grab the picnic basket before leaving the house for the market.
     He was standing in the doorway as she pulled back into the parking lot and were it not for the change of clothes, the faded jeans and T-shirt replacing last night's pants and dress shirt she might have been tempted to think he hadn't moved at all from when she'd left him last night, a thought that for some silly reason pleased her.
     "Good morning" he said, smiling as he slid into the car, his eyes widening just a touch at her appearance, the smile growing.
     "Morning yourself" she answered her smile mirroring his own.
     "So we're off and about to discover your world is it?" he asked as she pulled the car back out onto the highway heading away from town.
 "Just one or two places I think you'll enjoy seeing hon, kinda special places"
 "Wouldn't expect any place you like to be anything but special luv, after all like I've been telling you for months now, you're a most special lady"
 "Don't start" she warned, feeling already the slight touch of heat to her cheeks, knowing that if he continued she'd be beet red in near to no time?
 "Start what?" he questioned with that mock innocence he was forever pulling while online, "I'm just telling the truth."
 "You know perfectly well ‘what' hon, and I'm warning you, keep it up and this picnic could end up being at the town dump, we'll see how special you find that", his answering chuckle telling her he had no intent whatsoever of stopping at all.
 They sat quietly while she drove, her, lost in thought, him watching the countryside as they passed through it, taking in details. She watched him as she pulled to the shoulder in front of the old church, saw the wonder in his eyes as he took in the picture, the small white building against the dark granite rock face behind it, something she'd always thought of as resembling a halo about the place. She knew even before he reached for the door handle that he'd need to get out of the car, soak in the place, knew as well he'd head for the gravestones, smiled as wordlessly he did just that, followed him to where he stopped, heard the awe in his voice as he quietly read names and dates to himself.
 "Some of these graves are better than three hundred years old" he began as he turned to her, "can you imagine the differences three hundred years have brought to this area, or that the people laying here would even believe the place would remain as is? That they still live in a manner of speaking, live through these markers?"
 "Been people here a long time hon, and it's wondering things like that which bring me to this place whenever I need somewhere peaceful to think, it's like all of them laying here at rest make thinking and answers possible here, maybe their rest making the peace if you know what I mean?"
 "Yeah, I think I do luv. So should I fetch the picnic basket from the car or would you like to walk around some first?"
 "No, not the basket yet, and if you'd like to walk about some then let's do, there's somewhere else to see yet though, that's where we'll have lunch and spend the afternoon"
 "If it's anything like this one, you may have to drag me away from it luv."
 "Hon, it's better" she answered, taking his hand in hers and leading him back towards the car, "and not that far away either though we will have to walk part of the way to get there"
 "Secluded is it?" he asked. "Should I start doing that evil grin thing about now?"
 The laugh came quickly, easily, "you do and its the garbage dump hon"
 "KO, putting the grins on hold"
 "Good idea hon"
 The drive to the pond was short but she found herself anxious to be there, close to holding her breath as the car rolled the few miles, thankful when at last the roadway came to an end, as she pulled the car over and shut it down. "Time to walk now hon, only a few hundred yards though" she said while reaching into the back seat for the picnic basket and turning towards the trail, surprised to find him already beside her, his hand wrapping about one side of the picnic basket handle just as hers did the other, the gesture somehow more meaningful than had he reached and taken her hand itself in his.
 She almost stumbled when, as they rounded the last bend he stopped, staring out over the pond, saw his lips moving as he tried to speak, the words not coming, as if his eyes, so desperately trying to take in the entirety of what was before him. Giving him a moment or two before lightly nudging him in the side of the ribs, "Whatsa matter hon, cat got your tongue?"
 "You might say that" he began, "Something has it. Gods this place is incredible"
 "Found it years ago while out riding, been back hundreds of times since and never once has there ever been another soul about, come, we'll go sit down."
 They'd spent the afternoon there, first eating, cold chicken, cheeses, fresh french bread, then talking quietly while the birds sang in the trees above them, talked of dreams past and present, of where their lives were as compared to where those past dreams would have had them, talked of goals, wants.
 She told him of her first kiss, first date, first love, surprised herself when she heard her own voice asking him if he wanted to go for a swim, knowing that he'd know she couldn't possibly be wearing a suit beneath her dress. Smiling at him as he stood, turned away to allow her the privacy of slipping out of the dress and into the water, heard him splash in behind her a few moments later the two of them splashing and playing like children in the warm waters of the pond, their play together and it's innocent nature making her less and less self conscious about her own nakedness, enough so that when they both tired of swimming she left the water with him, was able to sit and let the sun and warmth dry her without fear or embarrassment though she was thankful that, when it came time for them to dress again he did turn away, didn't see the near scandalous panties she'd worn and needed now slip back into.
 He'd finished dressing when she turned back, seated again on the blanket looking out over the now calmed waters in silence the way she often did in this place, and she, not wanting to break that trance simply sat down beside him, let her mind wander out over the water, join the faeries she always imagined as invisible dancers on it's surface. Found herself later to have leaned back against him, her head resting against his chest, his fingers trailing slowly through her hair drawing out the tangles formed while they swam.
 "This really is a beautiful place" he said, the words after so long a silence surprising her, "a man could easily get lost here, forget the world even exists beyond it"
 "One of the reasons I come here hon, to forget"
 "Can see the temptation luv, feel it, but life has a way of drawing us back whether we like it or no doesn't it?"
 "Yeah hon, it does" she sighed, knowing that the time to get back to that real world was fast approaching, sighing again as she sat up, started putting things back into the picnic hamper, looking to him asking, "Any suggestions for dinner hon?"
 "Makes no difference to me luv" he answered, "Italian, Chinese, whatever, you name it."
 "Nope"
 "Nope?" he asked, "You have somewhere else?"
 "Yes" she began, "my place, now what would you like for dinner?"
 "No luv, you don't need to go to that trouble, we can just grab something somewhere"
 "Right, and then you'll just grab the check right?, Nope, not this time mister, this time I'm putting my foot down" which she did, a minor stomp that caused them both to laugh, "and besides" she added with a slight blush, "I think I'd like to cook for you."
 Slightly taken aback he nonetheless agreed, "Ok, but on condition that I buy the wine"
 Smiling, knowing she wouldn't, couldn't win this one, "Agreed hon", then holding the basket out to him, "Shall we be off then?"
 They'd sat on the balcony eating dinner, simple steaks and vegetables, plates balanced on their knees, wine glasses on the floor deck beside them talking over some of the conversations they'd shared online over the months falling into their online guise and dance for a while, his outrageous ego and her teasing, deflating that ego, reminding him with a smile that while everyone else online might think and believe him a slut she knew different.
 "Ah me darlin" he began, "if only ye knew"
 "Ah but I do hon, I most certainly do" To which he'd recoiled in supposed shock demanding to know who was talking, telling tales out of school?
 "Now wouldn't you like to know" she continued the game laughing, comfortable with the familiar give and take between them.
 The rain when it came fell in sheets, the two of them fortunate enough to escape being soaked by abandoning the dishes that had been resting beside them as well as the empty wine bottle, a sight which sent him into a silly lament for the fumes wasted, lost, a lament which carried on until she finally went to the kitchen, returning with another bottle of the same brand and a corkscrew, laughing as he fell to his knees giving thanks to gods of any and all religions.
 "Thank the Girl Guide gods hon, was them taught me to be prepared" she giggled, handing him the bottle before turning to the living room, laying out the same blanket they'd used for their afternoon picnic before the fireplace. Reaching to the mantle and drawing a wooden match to set to the paper and kindling that was always ready, patting the blanket beside her, "Hon, that bottle doesn't need any more aging, open it already"
 "Trying to get me drunk are ye?" he asked, "Take advantage of me when I'm befuddled with drink?"
 "That's it hon" she giggled back at him, "you've got it all figured out"
 "Happens all the time you know" he began, seems me magnetic charms do turn the ladies devious, makes them do all manner of things."
 "Sure hon" she patted his hand, "It's a hard life you lead" Then adding when she realized the opening she'd just left him, "You don't want to go there hon, you know you don't" then laughing at the look on his face as he tried to play innocent and ‘who me?'
 "Ok luv" he answered, "I'll let you off this time, but don't you be thinking that you're gonna get away with things like that regularlike"
 "Oh I don't hon" she giggled back, "Only know I can with you"
 He smiled then, "true luv, that you can." then adding, "we should think soon about getting me back to the motel you know, while the rain is slowed enough to make driving safe."
 She was quiet a moment then before whispering, "You can stay here you know, in the guestroom"
 His turn now for a few moments of silence, looking to, at her before slowly nodding, then to break the awkwardness  grinning, "You sure you can behave yourself girley? That bed of yours likely to be a lonely place with me in the next room. Maybe I should barricade the door?"
 "Hon, barricade it if you want" she answered him back with the same taunting voice, laughing "wouldn't make a difference to me either way."
 They'd traded a few more jabs after that, the fire beginning to dwindle away slowly when she stood, gone to the linen closet to fetch him some fresh sheets, tried unsuccessfully to convince him to let her make the bed up on her own, finally giving in smiling and letting him help, surprised at how pleased she was to have him do so.
 Turning back to him before leaving the room, indicating the closet, "you'll find a robe in there hon, simple white terry one" grinning, "See I did learn that prepared thing well didn't I? A generic robe that suits guests of either sex. Night hon, sweet dreams"
 His chuckle at that, the softly whispered "Night luv" as she stepped through the door into the hallway flipping off the light switch beside her own bedroom door, closing it and leaning against it for a moment letting her thoughts organize themselves before getting herself ready and into bed.
 The clock was showing two thirty five when she got back out of bed, unable as yet to sleep, not knowing why even. Standing in the living room, the coals from the fire long died down now, staring out the window watching as the rain fell, hearing his voice, quiet behind her in the dark "You ok luv?"
 Realizing then there were tears running down her face, realizing as well why, and why she couldn't sleep, the bed was to large, cold and empty. Turning to him, reaching to brush away the tears, feeling his hands catch her own, the shaking of his head, the whisper "Don't luv, sometimes a body does need to cry"
 Standing there with him, his arms wrapped about her shoulders, his hand gently stroking the back of her head she let herself cry her fill against his shoulder, the tears spilling slowly against the robe he wore.
 The tears had stopped when she felt him shift slightly, one of his arms slipping downwards as he scooped her up, carried her to her bedroom. The words coming as he slowly lowered her to the waiting bed, "Please, stay, stay here and hold me just a minute until I go to sleep". Her eyes closing then, feeling the soft terry of the robe pressed against her cheek, the warmth of him beside her, soft brush of his lips against her forehead as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
 She woke to find him still there beneath her cheek, his arms still wrapped protectively about her, opened her eyes to find him smiling warmly at her. "Good morning" she whispered, unable to stop herself from snuggling closer to him, not wanting to stop herself, "Been awake long?"
 "Half and hour or so luv, maybe forty five minutes. Thought about making coffee and breakfast but decided it was best to wait for you".
 "You didn't have to do that hon, told you last night, make yourself at home. I'm not one of those women thinks of her kitchen as hers and hers alone you know."
 He smiled then, looking down into her eyes "it wasn't that at all luv. Far from."
 "Then why?" she asked though she knew the answer even before he spoke it, knew it clearer than she knew her own name.
 "Because" he started then paused, "I didn't want you to wake alone this morning"
 He'd leaned down and kissed her then, not on the forehead as he had earlier, but his lips coming slowly, lightly to hers for a moment before drawing away, looked down at her, smiled and spoke in a somewhat shaky voice, "Might be an idea for you to hop into the shower or nice long bath while I go get something whipped up for breakfast luv" with that he stood, slipped out the door leaving her alone with her thoughts.

 "Ready in five minutes luv" she heard him call as she was finishing toweling off.
 "Be right along" she answered back, reaching for a clean robe, a match to the white terry he wore, then shaking her head, leaving it hanging on the closet door where it had been, going to her dresser, smiling as she opened the drawer, drew out a forest green silk, stepping into it, the feel of the lace teddy part against her skin delicious, the cool brush of the silk skirts even more so. Pausing long enough to peek at then wink at herself in the mirror she reached for the door handle.