not find a way to make her part of it. I needed to talk with her. I had feelings for her already, but I’ve never met her. I felt a connection with her unlike any I had experienced.
Sophia: It’s beautiful and so different.
I sent her a picture of a beautiful courtyard that was filled with flowers and tables, and a fountain stood in the center of the courtyard flowing with water and glowing.
Me: I want to sit in this exact spot with you and sip on a drink. I want to share all of this with you in person.
Sophia: I’d rather be there with you than sitting on my couch right now.
Me: Look at this.
I spotted a few girls with body paint decorating their bodies. They didn’t have shirts on, but the paint helped mask their nudity. They were taking pictures with random men on the street for money. I snapped a picture from a distance and sent it to her.
Sophia: Wow. They have no shirts on, and that guy is basically grabbing her boob.
Me: Yes, women do it all the time.
Sophia: More pictures please, but maybe less boobs.
Me: Gotcha.
We walked down the heart of the French Quarter and captured as many images as I could to tell her the story of my night. John was very patient and understood my goal of luring Sophia to New Orleans.
“So you really like this girl, huh?” John asked me.
“I do.”
“Giving up on your arrangements then?”
“Yes, she makes me want more. If she is anything in person like what she is like online, then I want her and no one else,” I told him.
“Interesting bro. Do you have a picture of her?” John asked.
“I have a bunch,” I told him as I tapped my tablet a few times until a photo of her standing by the ocean appeared. She was wearing a flowing black tube top and shorts. Her long brown hair was blowing in the wind, and she was wearing sunglasses. I stared at her for a moment, “Here is the first picture I ever saw of her.”
“She’s beautiful, Kayden. I love her hair,” John said to me as he moved his face closer.
“It’s what drew me to with her to begin with. Thank God she didn’t have short hair—I may have never met her then,” I said jokingly.
“Is she going to come here?”
“I’m working on it. That’s why I’m taking these pictures. She’d love it here,” I told him while switching back to camera mode.
“You’ll do it. You’re a persistent bastard,” John said, strolling down the street to get a drink on the next block.
The night flew by quickly, and I sent at least fifty pictures to Sophia. I hoped the virtual tour of the city and experiencing it with me, but from afar, had made her want to come here more than ever.
A Moment of Pause
Me: I’ve decided I’m going to come to New Orleans to see you.
I couldn’t wait any longer. My summer was slipping away. When the school year begins everyone wants to swap stories about their summer trips. As of this moment, the only place I’ve been is the community pool. I wanted that great story, the excitement.
Kayden: Seriously? How about in July? I can take a couple of days off work.
Me: Let’s plan on that. Let me know when you can get off work, and I’ll be there.
Kayden: I can take off anytime I want. How many days do you want to visit?
I’ve never driven to see a man I didn’t know. I didn’t have a wild past filled with men, but I wanted to meet him—I needed to meet him.
How long should I plan to stay in New Orleans? Most of the time I’d set the first meeting to last a couple of hours or over a cup of coffee, but we planned for a long weekend. I would have my own car and a means to exit the city—and his life—if it did not work out, which put my mind at ease. I wanted to get to know him and reminisce about home. It would be a long drive and I wanted time to relax and enjoy before having to return home. I would arrive on Friday and leave on Monday morning so he could go to work. I hoped that the trip and our meeting wouldn’t be a disaster.
Kayden had made it clear in our early