Perfect Pairing

One sip warming me instantly, aromatic and smooth it fills my nose and softens any edges left by the day. I look at the glass and see him through the red wine talking about his interest in quantum physics. Just an amateur he says, but I can tell by how he talks that he is much more than meets the eyes. He is definitely cute, and I am hoping that he is over 30, but by the looks of him it would be just barely.

We are enjoying a private table at an Italian restaurant that I have never been to before. We have been eating appetizers and caught up in a surprisingly great conversation. He reads and loves to talk about deep subjects. Nothing like I expected, but that’s because I have never liked dating and in my experience it can be excruciating. My whole approach tonight is to just talk about what I am interested in and what intrigues me, come what may.

Truly, I dislike dating, I don’t think I am good at it. Too much to sit and interview waiting to see if he’s interested, am I? I had been prepared for any kind of exit, excuse to leave early, I tend to exhaust the men that I have met.

But this time, I am definitely intrigued and encouraged. Everything except that he looks a hair too young, a whole head of healthy hair. I prefer men to be older, older than me.

I met him a couple of weeks ago. I had been taking my two younger kids to a speech pathologist and one day I drove up to the building and he was there. Talking to someone above him on the balcony, like he knew them pretty well. Odd, I thought to myself, I have been coming to this building for over a year and this is the first time I have ever seen him. As I park, he goes over to a white pick-up truck and appears to be working on it. I don’t think much of it and take the kids in for their appointment.

At 38, my late husband was 10 years older than me. A comfortable distance that ensured my eternal youth in that relationship.

This wine is good and geez he is a bit delicious. Many surprises tonight, smart, cute, funny, single, and young. I sit back and ask “Ok, how old are you? Please be over 30.” He smiles and says cheerfully and confidently, “I’ll be 30 in a couple of months.” I exhale - I don’t know what to think. I’ve been married twice. First one, we were both too young, and it was just wrong. Whoever believes 18 is grown up hasn’t grown up yet.

How many times in life do you get out of an old worn out situation, tired shredded depleted questioning whether you know anything about anything. Decidedly, no more huge life decisions, no more men, we got this God. I promise to figure myself out first. Then here this man is being all good things. What is happening?! How am I supposed to make excellent decisions when presented with all things tasty and seemingly all signs are a go? Hence, back to the question, what do I know now?

Trust. In what? In me, In the Universe, in this life. Enough with the inner dialogue and mental acrobats. Throughout my life I have never been intrigued like this. In my teenage years I wanted to be so much, I just figured that my radar could be broken and just decided upon a guy and 6 years later married him for better or worse, ended up worse.

Back to the wine and mysteriously wonderful date. We’ve been here for 3 hours, 2 servings of appetizers, a bottle of wine later and wait - where’s our food? He goes and checks with the waiter. Apparently this place is so fancy, they didn’t want to interrupt our deep conversation. Bring on the food, Osso bucca and a pasta dish. I am not even hungry, I am a little bit tipsy.

With all the vibing going on I had barely noticed the environment and begin to realize that the room is spinning. Ok, maybe I am more than tipsy. I decide to go to the restroom and get my bearings. I excuse myself, and work to walk aware as gracefully and sexy as possible.

After a few minutes, splash of water and refresh on my makeup, I feel perky and head back to the table. As I am walking back, I realize that the restaurant looks slightly different than I remember. The photos on the walls seem to be different, but I am not sure how. The last framed photo on the wall catches my eye in particular. I stop and realize that it looks like me and my date. Ok, wait, it’s a black and white and we are wearing clothing from a few decades ago, maybe the 60’s? Before I was born, so I am guessing. Weird, just similar looking I supposed. And continue back to my date. He is waiting for me looking pretty chic sitting there with a sparkle in his eyes? Charmer.

I sit down and we decide to take the dinner to go. After everything is wrapped up and we are ready to go. I notice that I must be positively entranced because everything just looks brighter, colors richer, I am feeling light on my feet.

He has a slightly crooked smile, perfect teeth. I am a goner.

He opens the door for me, of course. The world we walk into is not the one where are cars are parked. It’s not nighttime anymore. The brightness of the day reminds me of summer on the beach. I am flooded, nothing makes sense, I believe this may be a literal mind blown situation.

His voice is near and he speaks into my left ear. “Breathe, everything is fine and you are safe.” Crazy as it is, I believe him and breathe, deep slightly shaky breathes. I wait to hear from him why I should be fine. He takes my hand and we walk up a short flight of stairs and when we step on the platform we are ensconced in a bubble. We start moving and appear to be skimming atop clouds. Like the view from an airplane above the clouds. It seems like a dream, but I can feel a wind around me, the firmness of his presence, the hushed sound of whooshing as we move. I reach out to touch the bubble wall, its firm - but like a jello. Although we are moving, I don’t feel like I have to worry about my balance. It’s a smooth ride and I can partially make out some tips of buildings and maybe mountains in the distance.

I wonder where we are going and turn to look at my date as if the question is scrawled across my face. I haven’t spoken since we walked through the door. I am not sure I can, I feel stunned, maybe this is a truly mind blown situation.

I ask in a whisper if I can sit down, now I am starting to feel a little off balance. Not dizzy or motion sick, just off kilter. He says to go ahead and sit down there will be a seat. Okay, the word is long in my head as I look down behind me at nothing. I slowly go into a squat and I feel the bubble material meet me as if it had already been there and it’s comfortable and forming to me for the best ergonomic fit. I instantly wonder if a perfect desk would form if I needed it, wished it, had a laptop with me.

Sitting comfortably I absorb everything around me. The luminescent walls of our transport, the white fluffy clouds blanketing below us and the bright light that you would think would require sunglasses at least, but it doesn’t. We are coming to wherever our destination is, I see a platform and the top of a stairwell. I stand and the bubble disappears as easily as it appeared. We walk to the rails and I notice that there is still a slight whooshing sound, it wasn’t the bubble or traveling noise. There is a wonderful breeze that seems to ever so lightly brush over my skin, perceptible, gentle. The clouds dissipate away and I see a glorious town as we descend, I feel a million miles away from my life, I feel strangely enough - home. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this place before, it’s so comfortable it’s like I’ve always been here. A beautiful energy runs through me, like the wind is brushing through me with a tingle. I am thinking it is energized like coffee or sugar when it hits your system, but with a calming. I realize I don’t want to speak and break the spell. There is a music barely audible in the air. It is like silence when I am alone and I am sure that I can hear something playing in the silence, a symphony in the quiet.

We are walking along a brick walk past a white building that looks like a church, regal and serene. Passed it lies a dirt path, I smell the aroma of flowers, many flowers floating in the air. My senses are filled, the sights, the smells, the touch of the wind and his hand reaching for mine. I turn to him and he leans down a kisses me with the most gentle touch of his lips to mine. That must be the sweetest kiss I have ever known. We walk a little more and there is a corridor behind a bush and trees, we turn into the shadows. It’s cooler and continue to a doorway, we step through and the chill of the night seems to wake me up. We are in the parking lot in front of the restaurant. It’s late, time to go home. I shiver a little, or a left over tingle from the dreamscape we were in. He winks at me, says he will text me to make sure I get home safe.

I thank him, it’s more than a whisper, although every word seems loud right now. He opens my door when I unlock the car. We met here earlier for the date, I don’t know him, better safe than sorry. Now I am not sure what I know. Was it the merlot?