She'll Have the Merlot

Looking out the window on a spring morning, I remember him. Ten years later, my heart still races when I think of him. Equal parts love and terror, our romance was as memorable as it was brief. It started on a day much like today.

Nice weather in the early days of Spring alway drives me to the water. To prepare, I gathered up my notebook, water bottle and a copy of Toni Morrison’s God Bless the Child. A short drive to Candlewood Lake in Danbury, CT transported me to my happy place. Spreading my blanket and other whatnot helped me prepare for the calm that had escaped me all week. Everything about me, my aura, and posture should’ve emitted my desire...to be left alone. That was not the case.

Water, boats, seagulls....reading, taking notes, music playing in my ears… It was a vibe. The quiet and solitude were liberating. Suddenly, there was a shadow cast across my blanket. I bolted upright to glimpse what seemed to be the tallest man I’d ever met. My initial reaction was fear but then I’d seen the soft, quizzical gaze

“Are you a writer?” he asked. “You startled me!” I replied. He apologized and informed me that he’d been watching for a short while and that he’d waited to get my attention. Truth is, I hadn’t looked up from what I was doing for hours. He explained that he was worried that he’d miss the chance because dawn was approaching. “Langston” he said, as he gestured to shake my hand. “Gee” I replied. ...and then, I shook hands with the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. This vision of a man was tall, bearded and caramel hued with the deepest of brown eyes. Whew!

We talked for an hour about everything from books and music to wine and the events of the day. Finally, the sun began to set over the lake and I felt a sense of melancholy. This man who had disturbed by solitude, whom I’d just met an hour or so before, left me desiring more. He walked me to my car, opened my door and placed a transparent, perfectly square card in my hand and said, “I’d love to recreate this moment with you.” “We’ll see.” I replied. Then, I closed the door and sped away. My heart sped too.

All night I’d thought of him...the way he’d laughed and listened intently. “Get a hold of yourself” I thought. “You don’t know that man” But I wanted to know Langston in the biblical sense.

I spent the next day distracted from everything I tried to accomplish; writing, teaching and the tasks involved with running my small business. Finally, I took a second look at the card Langston had given me the night before. It was transparent and holographic. It bore no words, simply a small bar code in the center. Intrigued and a little nervously, I scanned it with my phone. An image of him was instantly displayed and then his phone number was set to dial. I pressed “call”.

For the next several weeks, Langston and I spoke every day. No topic was off limits. We discussed work, family and our favorite things. We reflected about friendships, relationships and situationship and even red flags. These conversations were important to me because I’d had some bad experiences in the past.

Our busy schedules had kept us from seeing each other in person. I had work, my writing and numerous personal obligations and he was up to his neck in architectural designs for a new building he was working on. Finally, we slowed down enough to set a date. By then, he’d discovered many of my likes and dislikes and said wanted to surprise me.

Date night. Langston sent a car for me. I didn’t know how to dress for this surprise. So, I went for a casual but chic look. I decided on distressed jeans, a silk cami and a linen blazer. I completed the look with open toe heels. The outfit and the car ride left me feeling carefree.

The driver delivered me to Greenwich Harbor where Langston was waiting for me. He looked and smelled amazing. Smoothly, he led me to a handsome cabin cruiser where the captain was waiting to usher us on board. I took off my heels and was held and guided starboard by both men. “What a night?” I thought. We shared laughs, stories and cocktails. After a two hour tour of the Long Island Sound, I was ready for whatever came next.

What came next was a bite to eat at a quaint cafe off the harbor. A waiter approached swiftly with an air of familiarity and bid us a good evening while passing us menus. He made haste giving us a chance to look them over. After Langston’s quick glance in his direction, the waiter hurried over and said, “Drinks?”. Langston cleared his throat and replied, “I’ll have a whiskey, neat and she’ll have a Merlot.” I began to open my mouth and before I could get a word out, he clutched my hand under the table and gave me a stare that shook me to my core. Red flag.