Catherin & Alexander Love on the Internet: Love on the Internet

By T.R. Espinola

Catherin & Alexander, Love on the Internet, is about two romantically driven people that have been, for the greatest part of their lives, unlucky in love. They see the romance in the rose opening its bloom for the world to see the beauty held within, as well as in the ability for two people with romantic hearts to find each other, enjoying the poetic beauty of the world around them. However, each feels disappointed in the fact that they have not found the person that brings loves star into focus. Catherin, a hopeful romantic, is a woman that craves romance, enjoys being a woman, and loves being feminine. She envisions herself in romantic scenarios with a man that can hold her heart in his hands, capable of loving her for the rest of her life. On the other hand, Alexander is not only a man of action, an individual that has always enjoyed adventure, never missing an opportunity to feel the adrenaline run through his veins, but also a true romantic and a Southern gentleman. He believes strength is best found in the way in which a man loves the woman in his life and in the way he lives his life as an example for others to follow. After experiencing another bad date, he decides to follow the advice of a friend and join an Internet dating site. Catherin, experiencing a similar situation over six thousand miles away, does the same, allowing them both to find a love that bridges two completely different worlds, uniting their hearts forever together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781479784899

Book preview

Catherin & Alexander

Love on the Internet

T.R. Espinola

Copyright © 2013 by T.R. Espinola.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2013901449

ISBN:      Hardcover         978-1-4797-8488-2

                Softcover           978-1-4797-8487-5

                Ebook                978-1-4797-8489-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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CONTENTS

Chapter I   Catherin Alexandra

Chapter II   Alexander Rose

Chapter III   Mine Eyes Have Never Seen Such Beauty as They Have Seen in You

Chapter IV   Heaven Opens Its Doors

Chapter V   The Prelude to Adventure

Chapter VI   Giving Birth to Memories

Chapter VII   Moonlight over the Black Sea

Chapter VIII   The Perilous Chase

Chapter IX   The Heart Sings and

the Soul Dances

Chapter X   The Planning Begins

Chapter XI   Reconciliation

Chapter XII   Love, the Silent Miracle

CHAPTER I

Catherin Alexandra

The rose speaks of love silently, in a language known only to the heart.

~ Unknown source

C ATHERIN ALEXANDRA LIVED a normal, reasonably unremarkable life; and in her mind, there were times when her life appeared to be more than a bit boring. She despised monotony. However, she did the normal things people do in their lives—going to work, church; paying her monthly financial obligations; and performing her normal household responsibilities. But to Catherin, her life was missing the key elements that would allow her to feel complete. The important things she felt would allow her to be happy as a person and complete as a woman. Catherin, a business professional, liked the work she did; she had worked hard to achieve a management position at her company, a position considered to be one of importance. It gave her a great deal of flexibility. She felt that she was able to assist people and, in assisting them, give herself a great sense of accomplishment. Catherin, a woman of true character, believed in being honest with others; however, she never took anyone’s feelings for granted, always looking for the better qualities in a person and brushing aside the lesser ones. Catherin, known to be wicked smart, was always able to see easily through the faux personalities of those that were of ill character. Whenever the opportunity arose, she always tried to extend a helping hand or a kind gesture and, after doing so, felt the warmth of knowing that she had given to others the gift of kindness; she liked giving this gift and gave it often. She had a genuine adoration for people, many times thinking of others first and always feeling comfortable in both social as well as private settings.

Catherin did not make a great deal of money but lived comfortably and liked the freedom of being able to decorate her flat in a manner that showed off her feminine side without being too girly. She loved her life but felt a longing within her for love, romance, and a man that was meant for her and her alone. She longed for the essential yet simple elements that would make her life remarkably more exciting, like the love and respect of a good man and the excitement of being honestly in love. She longed for that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of giving her whole heart and soul unconditionally to a man whom she loved most, loved only, and who only loved her. Catherin was, in her eyes, just a plain normal girl, but to those who really knew her, she was a stunning beauty—long legs, inviting figure, flawless tanned skin, long hair, and bedroom eyes. Additionally, she was blessed with an extremely pleasant personality, which by her very nature invited others to emulate her in the most complimentary manner.

Catherin’s resplendent natural beauty was enhanced by her ability to be herself in any setting, and in being herself, she was her most natural, most feminine, a complete lady of the highest caliber. Catherin enjoyed staying in tune with the current fashions and adored wearing short stylish skirts or dresses, elegant well-designed blouses, high heels, and even on occasion, when she was feeling especially risky, thigh-high stockings and boots. Her long legs, curvaceous figure, long hair, and bedroom eyes presented a wonderful example of femininity; and she always made her clothes look like they were tailored only for her frame, and her shoes, only for her feet. Catherin believed in natural beauty and used makeup as a way to accentuate her most desirable features, always careful not to overapply and capitalizing on the personal asset she admired so much about her, her natural beauty. Catherin adored being a woman and could not imagine life in any other way; she loved the way she felt when she dressed for the day, how her clothes floated upon a cushion of air upon her, careful not to bruise her skin. She adored the way her hair felt as she brushed it and loved the feelings she felt when romance touched her breast. She possessed a pure romantic heart unencumbered by negativity and required romance in her relationships, yet up to this point, her would-be suitors were left wanting in this particular arena.

Catherin never really experienced any real difficulty in dating; nevertheless, she was always disappointed in the dates she had experienced thus far in her life, not to mention in the men she was dating. Even the men she was meeting within the business and social circles in which she traveled were proving to be, at best, an imperfect fit. Most of them were more interested in taking her to bed than in taking her to dinner, wanting to talk about themselves instead of wanting to learn anything about her! Her close friend Ekaterina, whom she called Katya, was in a relationship with a wonderful man and knew of Catherin’s loneliness. One afternoon, during a casual conversation while drinking tea, she mentioned to Catherin about an international dating site and recommended that she place her profile and photographs on it. Frustrated with the men she had been dating thus far, she decided to take a chance and place her information on the Internet dating site recommended by her best friend and hoped for the best. After several months of receiving disappointing missives from the various men on the site, she saw Alexander’s profile and, after careful consideration, decided to write to him. She thought long and hard about what she would write, reading his profile many times and noting that he was a classic Shakespearean romantic like herself. After thinking about him for quite a few days, continually reading and rereading his profile, she decided to write in a way that allowed her true nature to be revealed.

She waited a number of anxious days before she finally received a response from Alexander and, with trepidation, opened his missive, her smile broadening with each word she read. The romantic way in which he wrote to her in his missive decidedly changed her thoughts on love and on the possibility of marriage to thoughts that allowed her to see herself actually happily married to a man such as Alexander. She began to envision him in her conversations, and in her romanticized world, he was absolutely perfect, in print. But in reality, could he live up to be the man she had made him out to be in her mind simply by the way she felt when reading his letters? The way he wrote and the things he said touched her like no man had ever been able to do up to this point in her life. In his letters to her, he had created perfection in a man, a perfection that no man could achieve in her world; and up to now, he was the only man that had ever measured up to her high expectations.

Catherin had experienced an especially delightful day at work, spending almost three hours chatting online with Alexander, thus the reason she was so insanely happy; and because of this, the day turned out to be so wonderful. She had been communicating with him for several months now, feeling so much closer and at ease with him with each letter she received, and it was always a special treat for her to speak with him in the chat room. Spring was close at hand, and the bouquet of flowers she had purchased from a woman on the street that morning brightened her desk and, of course, her mood. The time Catherin spent chatting with Alexander was like the frosting on the cake, always raising her mood, making her day even more pleasant. The day was finally coming to a close, and in tidying up her work area, she decided to walk home instead of take a taxi, just to have more opportunity to be at one with her thoughts. As she prepared to leave for the day, she decided to check her e-mail one last time to see if Alexander had penned her a missive, as he had faithfully promised. Upon opening her electronic mailbox, she found—as Alexander had promised—another long letter, and she almost leapt from her chair in excitement. She thought of reading the letter before she left but rethought the idea, deciding that she would read it at the café or in bed before she drifted off to sleep. In trying to decide the best time to read his missive, she thought, If I read it in bed, it would be as if I were in his arms, and we would be completely alone as he spoke to me. The weather in Ukraine was still a bit cool and required Catherin to carry a wrap with her that morning to keep her from catching a chill, but the warmth she still felt from the pleasant chat-room conversation with Alexander coupled with the letter she just received made her heart glow. The day is at an end, she thought, and I think I am going to review the weather on the Internet to see if it is going to be a pleasant evening for a stroll as well as a comfortable evening to sit outside enjoying a cup of black tea. Using the Internet search engine Google, Catherin typed in the web address for the local weather and determined that it would be not only a pleasant evening for the activity she had in mind but also one when there would be a full moon and no clouds. The weather report will fit well with my raised mood, she thought, and, of course, will allow me many opportunities to enjoy the evening and my thoughts of Alexander.

Catherin rose from the chair behind her desk, smoothed the front and back of her short mid thigh length skirt with her open palms, reached over retrieving her purse, and strolled comfortably toward the door to exit her office. Ordinarily she would take a taxi to and from her flat, but with such a pleasant evening before her and the thought of Alexander on her mind, she looked forward to the pleasant stroll to her favorite café. She knew that the walk would allow her mind to think of him, and she looked forward to being with him spiritually as she walked. During the walk home from work, she stepped into her favorite café—known affectionately as the Café on the Sea—for a spot of tea, warming her as the spring evening began to introduce itself to the village. She had been born, raised, and living in this village, and it was the only place up till now that she ever saw herself living. But now that Alexander was in her thoughts, this could easily change. Ummm, she thought as her conversation with Alexander reentered her mind, causing her to think about the things he had just said to her in the chat room.

Alexander had a way about him that permitted her license to visualize in her head the things he said to her in print. He had an understanding of language like no other she had ever met; he wrote in a way that not only intrigued her but also allowed her to enjoy romantic adventures with him. She loved to read romance novels and watch romantic movies, always seeing herself as the woman finding love, and the way he wrote was like she was this person and that this movie or novel was about her and Alexander. Alexander wrote using the unobstructed stars within the vast universe of her heart’s imagination, charting a romantic course within her organ of imagination, one that gave birth to gloriously romantic adventures with each letter she received. She liked the way he wrote because he wrote like a poet, creating feelings in her that she had never felt possible or could have ever imagined. It was as though he was a modern-day Shakespeare, and as Anne Hathaway was her husband’s muse, she was Alexander’s. She greeted the concierge with a pleasant smile as she was escorted to a table on the sidewalk just outside and ushered to a comfortable cushioned chair for her to sit. The café was located just a short distance from her home, and Catherin enjoyed spending time there drinking tea.

The spot the concierge had chosen allowed Catherin an unobstructed view of the sun setting in its glory upon the shoulders of the Black Sea. She enjoyed looking in this direction knowing that it will be from here that she will have the opportunity to finally meet Alexander and, in time, introduce her truest love to her many intimate friends and relatives. Catherin took the napkin from the tabletop, placing it upon her lap, and then took the menu from the waitress, who was now patiently waiting for her order. Catherin ordered black tea with lemon cookies, then handed back the menu to the server with a smile and began to think of the conversation she had had with Alexander during the day. Oh, she thought, he seems to fit my personality so well. Nevertheless, could this all be a game played by him knowing that I cannot see his eyes as he speaks to me and, in not being able to look into his eyes, cannot know if he speaks the truth? Pausing in her thought, she decided, No, he is the genuine article, he is the man I have been seeking my entire life, who up until now was the faceless man in my dreams, and I am convinced he is the man I want in my life. Catherin had an inane quality of being able to feel things about people, and she felt only the best type of feelings about Alexander.

As though on cue, the waitress brought her tea with lemon cookies, and Catherin eagerly wrapped her rose-petal-soft palms around the cup’s exterior, feeling the comforting warmth of the tea held inside as though it were an old friend. Feeling the warmth of the cup’s exterior, she slowly brought the tea-filled cup closer to her face, allowing her the opportunity to breathe in the full intoxicating aroma from the tea. The tea’s aroma refreshed her senses, giving her a sense of renewal as she breathed in this welcoming friend deeply into her breast. She imagined the fresh scent of the tea as though it was Alexander’s cologne, and this brought a warm smile to her lips. The gentle evening breeze reintroduced pleasant memories of her youth and of the love she hoped to experience from a man who, at present, was so very far away. I wonder what he is thinking right this moment, she thought as she pressed the warm cup of tea to her naked lips, tasting the inviting brew as it warmed her body. Catherin savored each welcoming drink from her cup, envisioning all the while that instead of the warm tea touching her lips, it was the delectable taste of Alexander’s kiss.

Catherin was a capricious, very imaginative girl in her youth, quite lively in her thinking, adventurous even though a bit precocious—a girl that eagerly welcomed the excitement of climbing a tree as if it were a mountain, or kicking a ball as though she alone was capable of making the difficult goal and winning the game. She would continuously run with her friends as though the youth she felt within her would live forever, and in her mind, it had done just that. Growing up, Catherin was fearless; she loved playing hide-and-seek on the roof of the family’s cottage and unwittingly teasing all the local boys with her winning personality. Catherin enjoyed being feminine more than anything else, and as she grew older, her need to be feminine grew stronger. She remembered how long her silky hair was as a child, reaching down below her waist, and how much she loved and enjoyed having it brushed by her mother while listening to or reading stories of a romantic adventure about the sea. Her father, who was a seaman himself and who worked on one of the ships docked at the pier, was always there at bedtime to tell her tall tales of sea adventures and pirates’ booty. Catherin adored listening to these stories from her father as well as the ones he told of ladies within the emperors’ inner court, and she listened intently as he spoke of these wonderfully romantic adventures. She envisioned herself as a princess on some days, and on others, as a heroine fighting pirates, depending upon her mood and the playmates available at the time when her imagination was given full reign.

When she read stories of Catherine the Great, her imagination flew into the atmosphere of imagination, commanding her playmates as though she herself were Catherine II, leading them from victory to victory just as the famous ruler had done when she commanded her armies. When she read stories of the empress Czarina Alexandra, she became the most elegant of all ladies, allowing her male playmates to wait on her in the meticulous manner befitting her royal position. She adored teasing the boys in her village, watching them as they vied for her attention, making them perform specific tasks that—when done to her complete satisfaction—rewarded them with a wonderful smile, allowing them to kiss her outstretched hand. Sitting at the café table, she looked about her at the different sites within her view and then thought about the time as she looked down at the watch on her wrist. She realized that the sun was about to set, turning her complete attention to the beautifully picturesque sunset. She looked admiringly at the reddish-colored sun as its sleepy rays tickled the water at the horizon’s edge and then slowly proceeded to dip his tender toes into the inviting sea. While looking at the beauty in the setting sun, she thought of times in her life when she had poetically sailed turbulent seas of her own, as she proceeded in her personal search of adventure, love, and happiness. She had had very few men in her life, and those that she had opened her heart to had later committed treason upon the very breast and soul, which she had at the time happily opened to them, only to later regret. She knew without question that Alexander was different; he presented himself differently than any of the other men she had met in person as well as on the Internet. Alexander touched her soul like no other man had ever done before, and this excited her beyond words or imagination. Could this finally be the beginning of true love for me? she thought almost aloud, then raising one eyebrow as though thinking this thought through to its logical conclusion, then lowered when she reached the obvious conclusion saying definitively, Yes!

Catherin had come to trust Alexander through his letters, knowing that he had a different way about him—a gentle, warm, comforting, cozy, soft, nonthreatening, very welcoming, even inviting way about him. She adored their conversations and missed him moments after the conversation ended or the last word in his letter was read. He had a way about him that brought peace to her inner world, and she felt not only calm in the way she felt about him but also protected in the fact that she instinctively knew this man was exactly what he professed himself to be—a true romantic that made her heart melt when she read his words, although she knew that at any stage up until actually meeting him, what he said in his letters was just that, words, sweetly written words, but just words. She could not help the feelings that were growing within her and immediately felt comfortable with him as though she had loved him in another time, in another place. The feelings she felt in his missives to her had the inane ability of wrapping his loving words about her like a favorite blanket. Catherin felt like a woman loved when she read the missives Alexander wrote to her, and she adored this feeling, never having felt this from any other man before. She had grown to love him deeply through each of his letters, and with each letter, her affection for him grew ever stronger within her breast. Alexander’s letters were filled with deep feeling, romance, intrigue, and made her feel her femininity heighten with each one she received. She liked the way she felt when reading his missives and the fact that he was extremely interested in who she was as a person as opposed to what position she would play in the relationship, and she admired him tremendously for this. Catherin anxiously waited for him to come for her, and as patient as she was, this wait seemed for her to be an eternity. He had promised that he was coming in the spring, and in recent conversations with him, she knew that he was true to his word; however, the wait at times was unbearable. She knew that if he was as he represented himself to be in his many letters, her true knight, she would finally give her heart to the most deserving man she had ever met. She knew in her heart of hearts that Alexander is a man that would love only her, be true to her, and be with her no matter what waited for them in their ever-changing future together.

The evening breeze from the sea began to whisper his name as though he was spiritually speaking to her at the table. The whispering breeze caressed her hair gently, as though preparing it to ride upon the inviting breeze of the sea’s wind; and in thinking about him, it was as if the breeze were his soul embracing her as she sat in the chair. She liked the fact that Alexander used metaphors in his letters to her, describing the depth of his thoughts and of his feelings, many times writing stories to accentuate these emotions in a way that made her heart sing. She remembered one of the many stories Alexander wrote about in his missives to her, stories in which the words presented allowed her to feel at one with him and emphasized his amazing ability to romanticize his feelings, carrying her romanticized imagination to distant lands and, of course, breathtaking adventures. Alexander wrote stories of adventure to her—allowing her to play a leading role in the stories he wrote about the two of them—and many times used the sea to romanticize his thoughts of her, a true indication of how his feelings for her were growing strong and deep. Since her father had made his living on the sea, telling her stories of love and adventure made Alexander’s stories much more exciting. She could somehow hear the creaking of the wood of their ship under sail, trimmed nicely, allowing the rope to sing as the wind played the rigging like a rare string instrument. She could see herself with him on board the ship as they experienced the adventure together and loved the fact that he told stories with as much passion as her father had possessed in the ones he told her years before. The ability to think about the sea as Alexander had introduced it to her in his many missives made her smile as she thought of him and as she recaptured the wonderful memories of her father.

She allowed her thoughts to board love’s vessel as these same comforting thoughts filled the very sails that allowed her ship of romance to sail smoothly within her breast imagination. She felt the breeze from the sea as it tickled her very senses, the smell of the salty air, the sight of the sea as it placed its blanket over the slumbering sun—allowing the awakening moon to guide her way—and the song of the rope rigging singing softly in the sea’s breeze. In her mind’s imagination, she felt the movement of the vessel as she sat in her comfortable chair; and with each thought, she felt her body move in a swaying manner as though she were actually aboard this very vessel—a vessel in which she had sailed so often with Alexander in so many of the stories he had already shared with her.

The waitress momentarily broke Catherin’s concentration, suggesting a piece of cake or pie, saying it would go well with the evening tea and cookies. This question caused Catherin to take pause in reflection of how her mother would ask her this very same question, and a smile suddenly appeared on her face as she said, Why, yes, pausing slightly, I believe I would, thank you for asking.

The cheerful waitress brought her a small piece of Key lime pie with whipped cream, designed artistically upon its surface, placing it upon the table in front of her. The waitress smiled warmly as she placed this culinary treasure on the table in front of Catherin, saying, I hope you enjoy.

Catherin responded sweetly, I am sure that I will, and, at that, reached for the newly provided utensils supplied by the waitress. Um . . . , she thought as she placed a small bite of pie into her welcoming mouth. The taste and flavor of the wonderful pie exploded with flavor on her tongue, and the pleasant taste of the pie allowed her imagination to return to the vessel that she had been sailing with Alexander. She hoped that, in time, she and Alexander would together sail love’s vessel into the horizon.

Catherin could easily see that Alexander was a true classical romantic based on the way he spoke as well as on the things he wrote to her. Alexander was a man who clearly understood that the rarely traveled path to a woman’s heart was through honesty, unabated honest attention, romance, the genuine expression of his true feelings, and unconditional love. Any woman adores complimentary gestures and sweet words; still, Catherin gave greater value to honesty, and Alexander had more than proven himself in this arena. Alexander, an honest yet simple poet, is a person very much at ease with himself, she thought, so very capable of painting images of romance and love with his poetry that each and every one of these works of art he painted for her was placed in the most pristine locations within her breast and hung prominently within her soul. Alexander was a poetic artist using words as the colors on his palate and, in using these colors, painted a vivid—dare one say—a poetic, even spiritually scenic portrait of how she knew true love and romance should be expressed, lived, and completely enjoyed between two hearts in total harmony. Though Alexander weighed lightly on her mind, his gentle spirit resembled that of a poetic feather that tickled her romantic heart’s imagination, fanning passion’s flame, and she adored him for this quality. She believed she had this in Alexander, the very reason she thought of him so very often and why she was so willing to forsake all other would-be suitors as she awaited his arrival into her physical world.

The pleasant thoughts of Alexander were still swimming in Catherin’s mind, and as she sat thinking of him, the waitress again appeared before her bringing the check for her tasty tea, cookies, and Key lime pie. Catherin was a bit startled by the reintroduction of the waitress to her table, but she willingly accepted the check from the waitress’s hand and began to audit the bill for accuracy. Realizing that everything was in order, she reached down and took several bills that were held securely in the inside pocket of her thigh-high boots and laid the appropriate amount on the table along with an appreciative tip for the excellent service provided. Catherin greatly enjoyed drinking tea. Savoring the last bit from the cup, feeling satisfied, she dabbed the corners of her mouth with the napkin that had been lying obediently on her lap, lingered a few additional moments, scooted her chair back from the table, and then rose to her feet.

Not particularly wanting to go to the cold lonely flat at present, Catherin decided to take a brief walk along the cobblestone streets next to the sea. Embracing the night air, she noticed that the lanterns securely mounted from the poles were now lit, and as she walked, she again allowed her consciousness to drift. She remembered her youth, her weighty responsibilities, and how her life had not quite turned out as she had planned. She longed to be whisked away into the arms of her glorious knight and be forever loved by this man, but unfortunately, he presently was several thousand miles away, and this treasured moment would have to patiently wait a bit longer. Catherin had never actually met the verbally attractive knight of hers, with the exception of exchanging photographs and missives and chatting online, but she knew that she cared deeply for him. She loved the way that he shared to her about himself, the fact that he appeared to be so very honest in the things he said, the fact that he could speak at length about them, and that, like herself, he was a true romantic. She had also spoken to him on the telephone, and his demeanor, overall mannerisms did not appear to fluctuate in the slightest from what she saw in his missives. This, too, was a comfort. She adored his pleasant way; he was articulate, well-read, educated, remembered things she told him, understood things easily, and, most importantly, seemed to understand Catherin. Yes she thought he seemed to know her better than any other man had ever tried before.

She also adored that, true to his nature, he was extremely easy to speak to. His letters, oh, his letters were so very long and always full of adventure, intrigue, and romance, and his thoughts on life and love captivated her completely. He was very attentive in his letters, always remembering the things she had written and asking questions about them. Indeed, having a man who proved to be more interested in her than in himself was something very new to her. Yes, she thought again. This was a first. Most men wanted to talk about themselves and held little interest in a woman’s thoughts, dreams, opinions, desires, or philosophies in life. Most of the men she had met were not interested on whether she was clever but on whether she would bear more children, was good in bed, or would attend to their many whims or desires. But Alexander, Alexander was different. He focused on her, how she felt about life, and what her opinion was. He wanted to know about the things in her life—her dreams, her desires, and what made her happy and complete. The fact that he wanted to know so much about her left her with the understanding that they would be close, close friends long before they would ever be lovers, and she appreciated this in him. Catherin had written to him often and, of course, expressed how she felt within the depth of her being; and when she read the words he had written to her, she felt that he was doing the same. It was in these feelings that they felt together an undeniably romantic bond forming. They loved each other on paper, though the words had never been spoken, much less written, and she was anxiously awaiting him in person to see if the love she felt through their shared missives was a true love; she desperately prayed that it was for them both.

Is this man everything she hoped he would be? Is he truly her knight, the man she has dreamed of her entire life, or is he going to be just another disappointment? Would he be her prince, or would he be an ax-wielding homicidal maniac? Could the man she thought so much of make the fairy tale she had dreamed so very often as a child actually come true? She hoped so, but then again, she also lived in the real world and knew that—like her—he, too, would possess inevitable flaws. However as imperfect as they both were as individuals, she thought, she wanted them to be perfect together. She had been communicating with him for many months, and everything about him seemed to be exactly what she was looking for in a man, a friend, a husband, and a lover. He was articulate, well-spoken, polite, attentive, and extremely romantic. But was he the one, had her search finally ended, and would her first kiss with this man be her last first kiss? Would she finally feel within her soul the passion that she had prayed for so often on that first star of the evening? This question haunted her many times when she was alone with her thoughts. Hmmm, she thought, looking into the star-filled night, with him being so very far away; it was not going to be answered tonight. We are scheduled to meet, she rationalized, and when we do, then these questions will have the definitive answers we are both seeking, and my long wait will, I pray, have a happy beginning.

I will then be able to look into his eyes, she thought, and see the truth in his answers. I will be able to see his body language as he responds to my questions as well as to my answers, and from here, I will know in my heart if he is my true knight or just another man. She prayed for the former, knowing logically that only time and actually meeting him in person could ever hope to answer this riddle. Yet even with all the ill-fated possibilities, Catherin had an excellent feeling about this virtual man knowing that he would soon be a reality, and this comforted her completely. Catherin thought about an ancient Greek myth she had once read. The myth stated that many years ago, their lived a land of perfect people—Androgens. They had both feminine as well as masculine characteristics. They were so beautiful, harmonious, independent, and all sufficient that their talents were soon noticed by the gods. Zeus was infuriated with them in their perfection, for how dare they possess the temerity to emulate the gods of which he reigned supreme? And in his rage, he split everybody in two parts, scattering them all over the world.

From that time forward through the ages, the two halves, the man and the woman, were ordained to search for their second half, and it is this missing half that is their true and only true love. Catherin felt strongly that sometimes, we feel that each of us is that half. So, with the Internet as the medium available to her and Alexander, it was not incidental that they had finally found each other, and it was only logical that this far-fetched notion could actually be a true vehicle, allowing her to finally find the only man for her. This is not a coincidental coincidence, she thought. There are too many things that point in the direction of true happiness, of him being the half of her that she has sought for so very long. Catherine thought about this myth often, probably more often then she would have liked, because the relationships she had had in the past had proven to be ill-fated and finally led to heartache. Alexander lived so very far away, and she felt that the wait for him very much resembled this myth, and then she sweetly smiled.

Is it possible that there was more truth than fiction in the stories told of old and that, possibly, because this myth was so uncommonly prophetic, she had finally met her missing half, the man who owned the part of her heart that had been so empty for so long? Quite possibly, it would be he who was able to fill it completely, allowing her to be whole at last where before she was only half. The feeling as though she had found a man that could understand her as a woman, as a wife, and as a friend pleased her in a manner that she had not felt before. The very man who would be the face of the faceless man she saw so often in her dreams—this man—would be, without question, the light in her heart and the sparkle in her eye. Could he be the one? she thought. Could my wait be finally over, and is there really a fairy tale in my life that possesses a happy forever-after ending? She thought about this long and hard, coming to the resolution that he just might be and that she would know for sure when she could look into his eyes and, from there, see into his heart. She would know if his words were true or if they were just words spoken to a woman who desperately wanted to be loved by a man who would be true to her and her alone. She was never quite enough for the other men in her life, and she had a comforting feeling that she was finally at home and finally enough with Alexander—a man that she could think of not only as her loving husband, passionate lover, but also as her best friend and trusted confidant, a man to whom she could tell the worst things about her and he would understand and it would all be OK.

Alexander was from Texas. His customs, his way of thinking, and his mannerisms would be different from mine, she thought. Maybe we are too different. Then again, she thought of the Androgens and the many lovely missives he had penned to her, missives that had spoken directly to her heart and lit the flames of passion within her soul like no other man had ever been able to do before now. Texas, she thought, this man is from Texas. Texas seemed like a very strange albeit romantic place. The people who were from Texas talked about it as though it were a country in itself, a beautiful woman. Texas is a lovely woman, a Texan will say, a woman that is different than any other woman, and only a true Texan could ever understand this. Texas is also a way of life, they would continue to say when defining this state that is so far away from where she lived. Could she be happy living in this new land, this new country? Yes, she said aloud, as if at a political rally, and then sheepishly looked about her in the hopes that others did not overhear her or think her to be crazy.

He spoke so eloquently; he possessed such confidence, and he knew well the intimate inner workings of a woman’s heart, she thought. He had an uncanny way of always