That First Kiss

They were both uncertain about whether to say yes. He had been through a difficult breakup and she had too. But mutual friends, Debbie and Santo, convinced them that they should at least meet. Debbie, who loved astrology, was so sure that Jenna and Stanley were a match, she offered to have them enjoy a light dinner and conversation at the condo she and Santo had recently purchased.

 Stan was more than a little bit reluctant to meet anyone. Just five months ago his then fiancée had terminated their relationship by showing up at his condo one Tuesday morning with her engagement ring in hand. Until that morning, as far as Stan knew, everything was set. Maybe he wasn’t over the moon, but he was happy. It never occurred to him to expect more. Standing at his front door, his fiancée simply said, “Here’s your ring. I don’t want to marry you.” There wasn’t a trace of empathy on her face.

 Bewildered, he called after her as she walked to her SUV and asked, “Why?”

 Without breaking her stride, and barely turning her head to face him she answered, “It’s too dark in your world. I’m moving to Florida.”

 He was devastated and very embarrassed. A week later, he called her but she didn’t pick up. He left a message for her though. “It is sunny in Florida. Lots of light there.” It wasn’t much and certainly it didn’t make him feel better, but it was something.

 Jenna’s experience had been quite different, but no less depressing. She had been dating a man five years younger than she was. He was very attentive and he did seem over the moon about her. One day, she decided to surprise him for their six-month dating anniversary by bringing him lunch. She walked up to his office building, carrying his favorite pastrami sandwich. She happened to look across the street which had a tiny park with a few benches. She saw him sitting there, a very young woman sitting very close to him. She looked like she could still be in high school. And, she was feeding him a hotdog.

She crossed the street and dropped the lunch bag at his feet. He looked up and actually laughed. “Bad timing. What’s in the bag?”

“My heart,” she whispered. She hurried away. He didn’t bother to chase her, which to her surprise, was a relief.

 So, neither Jenna nor Stan were feeling up to meeting someone yet. But Debbie was persistent with Jenna. When she finally relented, Santo called Stan. “It’s tomorrow night, Valentine’s Day! Might be a good omen.” He shifted his cell phone to his other hand. Stan was still hesitant. Santo added, “I’m going to have a bottle of the best Anejo tequila you’ve ever tried.”

Jenna arrived first, bringing a card, flowers and a heart shaped cake she made for her friends. Stan got there fifteen minutes later, thinking up excuses he could use if this Jenna woman wasn’t his type. “What was his type?” he wondered. He brought a bottle of champagne for his hosts.

Introductions were made and the couples sat and chatted in the cozy living room. Stan couldn’t help noticing that Jenna’s looks were far better than Santo had intimated. She was petite, wore her hair shoulder length and had big, expressive eyes.

Jenna liked the way Stan looked. He had a sweet smile and his deep voice was enchanting. But, having been fooled before, she reserved judgment.

The couples wound up playing a board game. Debbie did most of the talking and Santo drank a good bit of tequila. Jenna and Stan were cordial to each other, but reserved, until they were finally alone for a few minutes.

“I understand you’ve been having a tough time,” Stan said.

“I have been. I heard the same about you.”

“I wasn’t sure what to expect tonight,” he said.

“Are you disappointed?”

He looked at Jenna for an extra beat. Her question made him both sad and hopeful. “No, I am glad I met you. It’s such a nice evening though. Are you enjoying the board game?”

“Not particularly. Are you?”

“Not really. Would you like to take a walk?”

“I would, but what do we tell Debbie and Santo?”

“We’ll tell them we’re going out for a pack of cigarettes.”

“Oh!” She said, “I like that.”

Stan walked into the kitchen and let their friends know they were leaving. Since he caught them kissing, he wasn’t surprised when they didn’t object.  

Jenna and Stan took a nice long walk. They talked about their lives and revealed a bit of their dreams to each other. They were connecting in a way neither of them had ever felt before.  Silently, though, they both promised themselves they would go slow. They had to protect their hearts, after all.

When they got back to the condo, they stood quietly in front of Jenna’s car. On impulse, he took her in his arms and they kissed. It was a very passionate kiss, surprising them. Their eyes opened wide. Neither had ever felt such intensity from a kiss before. Going slow was no longer on their minds. They would talk about that kiss for years.