The ride.

"Your ride is there ..."

I interrupt my conversation and slowly turn around towards the conference room window ... I peer through the blinds and see the silver convertible top down cornering into the parking lot ... it is my ride ...

I chuckle ... you know ... it feels funny when you see your car drive around without yourself in it ... so used of driving it myself ... ;-) ... I seldom let anyone drive my car ... and ... you're early ...

I excuse myself from the meeting and walk to the side exit door ... by the time I hit the bright sunlight, you've circled the parking lot ... you're looking for me ... you don't know which door I'm exiting ... you're scanning 900 feet of building ...

You finally see me and you throw both hands high up in the air while driving over the speed bump and you're waving at me ... crazy ... but it gets a big smile on my face and can't help thinking that the whole building is watching you ...

I cross the parking lot your direction and you intercept me in the middle ... you're beaming ... you get out of the car ... grey cap ... white satin top with ruffles ... Rock & Republic jeans ... Betsey Johnson heels ... blonde hair spilling from underneath the cap, bouncing with each step, flowing in the wind ...

We hug ... we kiss ... the building cringes ...

You try to hand me the keys ... I give you the keys back ... you look at me in disbelief ... but you're happy you get to drive some more ... you like the car ... you love the way it makes you feel ... I take the passenger seat and you take off ...

I can feel the building rubbernecking till we're out of sight ..

We talk during the ride about the day, the stuff we've done, the stuff we still need to do ... then ... quiet ... we look at each other while you navigate traffic ... we smile ... we don't need to talk ... we know ...

The sun is out and I'm watching to my right as we're approaching the long bridge over the bay ... it's a beautiful day ... little wind flowing through the hair ... perfect blue skies ... blue water ... no choppiness ... no fog, no marine layer ... no nothing to spoil the moment ...

I turn towards you and you're not wearing the grey cap any longer ... you're sporting my brown leather aviator hat ... straps loose dangling and bouncing up and down with the turbulent air from the ride and you're bobbing your head up and down, singing silently along ... you look at me with those beaming blue eyes ... your blonde hair flowing wildly underneath the cap ... your laugh shattering the silence ... we both laugh ... pure bliss ...

I put my chrome and black leather aviator goggles on and we laugh some more ... you're more gorgeous than ever and you're elated exuberance makes this a wonderful moment ... instinctively I grab my camera but it is not there ... such a shame ... a unique moment in so many ways ... gone for ever

You read my mind ... "we can do this again and you can shoot it" ... you grab my left hand and pull it onto your lap and hold it there ... tightly clutched ... I close my eyes and savor the moment burning this image forever in my mind ... you're bobbing your head on the tune of track 10 ... we both love that track ...

For seven eternal miles we are one thought ... one soul ... one love ...

You corner sharp left when we reach the end of the bridge and let my hand go as the car demands all your attention ... we smile ... we're quiet until we continue with the rest of our day ...

I unmistakably know this one of a kind experience is gone ... there is no return to perfection ... there's no need to ...

* * *

When I wake up out of the darkness every day, that image is the first reality I see ... I feel the warmth of the sun ... the wind through my hair ... the exhilaration of that one moment lasting seven miles ... I dread the emptiness in my heart ... then I listen to track 10 ...

The yellow rose is all dried up by now ... beautifully muted colors ... but standing firm ... just the way you wanted it to dry ... you couldn't bear to see this memory go limb that last morning we ever talked at home ... we cried ... we connected ... we knew ...

To be continued ...