A Story for HNT

She remembered their first kiss fondly. They had talked for weeks, spending hours at a time every night on the phone getting to know each other. He told her stories about growing up as a military brat. She described what it was like be the farmer’s daughter. They talked about past relationships…the things that had gone wrong, the mistakes that couldn’t be overcome. They knew each other well even though they had never met.

She waited nervously for him at the bar as she listened to a regular discuss politics with the bartender. She heard the door creak and knew it was him before she turned her head. She smiled. He was better looking in person than in the picture she had of him. Broad shoulders, dark hair and a warm smile. They talked more over dinner. His kids, her friends, their lives. When they parted ways, she wondered if she would ever see him again. Things seemed so different in person. The warmth they had developed over those long nights on the phone seemed to have given way to nervousness and fear.

When the phone rang later he asked to see her again. They sat in her garage and discussed their philosophies on life while rain soaked the ground. It was hot and muggy, like mid-summer nights are in the South. The stark coldness of the beer provided some relief. The warmth and ease of the conversation had returned. She felt at home with him. He asked about her favorite book and then about her favorite color. She was in the middle of her reply when he leaned in, placed his hand on the back of her head and kissed her. The quickness of his movements startled her. It wasn’t a hurried kiss but more of the type that couldn’t be held back any longer. Bodies pressed firmly together, drinking each other in. She could smell the spices in his cologne and taste the sweetness of his gum on her lips. Time seemed to stop at that moment. She hoped it would never start again.