Wow…just wow on this one!
Before we get into Danielle’s Life Crash Moment, I have to give my girl some serious props. Every. Single. Morning. Miss Danielle runs ten miles. Really runs. No jogging, high-stepping, or fast walking stuff. She runs! Come rain, heat, sleet, or snow, she ties up those running shoes and sprints through her neighborhood. Like the freaking postman! Without the minitruck. Admittedly, during one of my more tenacious phases, I tried running but just felt stupid, so in the name of all those women who failed, like me… You go, girl!
And if you think that’s crazy amazing… After her morning marathon, Danielle goes to work, a full day, during which she always takes the stairs, then walks through the doors of her gym for a two-hour workout. I’m exhausted, just writing about it. At least, she allows herself a reprieve on Saturday and Sunday. Except for the running. Every. Single. Morning. But it is all worth it, because Danielle looks good. Really good. And she should. Ten miles?! Anyways, now that I have that out of my system, on to Danielle’s story…
It was during one of those workouts, when the very nice young man she’d been drooling over for days approached her for a lunch date. Initially, the encounter was a bit awkward. Sure, she’d been ogling him, but she’d only ever dated older men. She appreciated their maturity and life experience, but she also appreciated plenty about Alex (nice name), so she just got it over with…confessed that she was in her late forties. When he just grinned and repeated his invitation, what was a girl to do? Honestly, she considered politely declining, but… How do you say no to all of that muscle, that slightly sinful smile, and cute, clumsy flirtation? Uhhh, you don’t…and Danielle didn’t. (Boom! And that cool head, neck, pointy hand thing too. Yeah…you know what I’m talking about.)
And as they say…the rest is mad, wild, wicked history. Of the sort Danielle had never known before. The kind that left her mind wandering at work, left her legs too wobbly to take the stairs, and had her near hyperventilating through her workouts. Watching him. Alex. All that sweat, glistening on all that skin, begging for her touch. And when he shared his favorite ebook with her, it was nearly too much. (Daaaang. What a man!)
Enter Meridian Stone: The Transition. (Yay!) Danielle never had time to read, other than the required materials for her job, but… Whoa! She was certainly reading a lot now, cranking up their relationship to a whole other level. Wicked run completely wild. The really good wicked that convinced Danielle there was definitely a heaven.
Thank goodness for the dinners with her besties, or she would have become one walking bundle of achy everything. Three times a week, she and her five girlfriends met for cocktails and dishes that totally blew whatever diet they were on. They began as a way to stay connected, gossip a little, or just take a time-out from their hectic lives. Unfortunately, over the last year or so, the once delightful outings had regressed into out of control sessions of whining and complaining, opportunities to say horrible, nasty things that they would never utter to another human being. (That’s what your girls are for, right?) She’d almost gathered the courage to tell them about her new, very young boyfriend, to listen to their inevitable lectures of reproval, to endure their disdainful expressions, but on this particular occasion, Tracy, the most boisterous of the bunch, dropped a bomb. She was getting married! Say what?! And all of them were ordered to be in the wedding party. And it was a mandatory BYOHS. Bring your own husband or son. (So bossy. My words, not Danielle’s. She was used to it.)
Believe it or not, the last part was the best part for Danielle. She’d been pleading with her son, Paul, to visit her for months, but he was always too busy with this or that to oblige. But ooooh…he’d jumped at this invitation. No pleading required. Sure, it stung some, but hey…her boy was coming home! It took a few weeks, but eventually the initial excitement wore off and the dread set in, then holy terror. Should she tell him about Alex? That he was only twenty-five years old…only one year his senior? Would he be all judgy about it? Or worse…hate him and her? So, she did the most idiotic thing possible (her words). She didn’t mention any of it to anyone. She didn’t even speak of the wedding to Alex…because there was no way she could invite him as her guest. A wedding was just not the proper place to drop her bomb.
The week before the wedding had been one the best of her life and one of the worse. Paul moved into his old room, and Danielle took the week off from work to spend with him. He was so excited to be home and made her feel like a queen, doting all over her. Danielle couldn’t help but drink in every moment. He was a grown man now, but he’d always be her baby boy. She never wanted him to leave again yet yearned for the last day of the visit. She missed Alex so much, it damn near killed her. He was in her thoughts all day and kept her awake all night, the only time they could find to speak. It was the most excruciating of torture…pure joy and pure pain, warring within her heart. But hallelujah, the big day finally arrived!
Tracy was absolutely gorgeous. While she flitted around, without a hint of nerves, the rest of the girls were about to throw up. In the vast hall, waiting for them to walk down the aisle before the bride, were five hundred of Tracy’s closest friends. What the?! Danielle didn’t even know that many people. (Come on…does anyone? Ok…so maybe you do. Fine!) The only comfort was that the bridesmaids would not be alone on the red carpet. Their sons or husbands would approach them from the opposite side of the aisle, interlock arms, then escort them to the altar. The thought of walking beside her son eased her angst but failed to ease her guilt.
After Alex had given so much of himself to her, how could she have not invited him? He should have been there to share this momentous occasion with her. Instead, she’d lied to him about why she couldn’t see him for a week. Ughh! She was such a coward, and just a general lousy person. (Again, her words, but…wow…poor Alex) He deserved better than that, deserved for the world to know how important he was to her. She promised to make it up to him, but in the meantime, she was sick to her stomach…and was being nudged toward the exit. The music had begun. Their cue. Nervously smoothing down their dresses, the bridesmaids started their march. Danielle was third in the procession, but when Paul arrived early from the other side, threw her a mischievous wink and grin, then accepted the arm of the woman in front of her, the world nearly blacked out around her.
And Wham! Just like that…the bullet
train of life slammed into Danielle. Direct hit. Straight to the heart. Her Life
Crash Moment had arrived!
Behind her son, with his arm extended toward her…was Alex.
“Hello, beautiful,” he whispered, and the smile on his face, the twinkle in his misty hazel eyes were bright enough to light up the world. (I’m so bawling right now)
Just as her legs were about to give way, he was there, linking their arms together and leading them down the aisle. The shock of it was so profound, Danielle had no clue how they’d reached the altar, but when the music changed and Tracy stepped into view, she understood much more. All those months, as she’d been struggling with her demons, resorting to shameful lengths to hide her secret, her friends and family had been plotting against her. Even through the expensive white veil, she could see Tracy’s triumphant smirk.
Through the entire reception, no one uttered a word about it, and Danielle was simply too overwhelmed to have Alex next to her, dancing with her, whispering in her ear, and holding her hand…in public…to ruin it. There would be time to deal with the scheming lot of them later. That was her plan…until Tracy turned to throw her bouquet over her shoulder and the mass of bodies parted like the Red Sea, leaving only her and Alex in the middle of the room. All Danielle could do was stare, as he swiped the bouquet from the air, handed it to her, then fell to one knee. (Oh, yeah, I so screamed at this part too!)
The rest of the story…
Danielle and her besties have more than hectic jobs and a little gossip in common. All of them have adult children who left the nest and established lives in different cities or states. Tracy’s son, Junior, chose a university two hundred miles from her, decided he loved it there…until he didn’t. Junior or Alexander, his given name…the one nobody ever called him by, had returned to his hometown just eight months prior. And two weeks before he mustered the nerves to ask his dream girl out to lunch, he’d shared his intentions with his mom and one of his best friends, since high school. Paul. Unlike Danielle, who never had an inkling Alex was one of her son’s friends from back in the day, Alex immediately recognized her. (Actually…in her defense, Alex really filled out over the years. Like REALLY.)
From the very beginning, he’d wanted to shut down any potential issues, but to his surprise, his mother and Paul had been overjoyed. Tracy could not think of any other woman she’d trust more with her son’s heart, and Paul…well, he knew Alex was a good man and just wanted his mom to be happy. (Awwww) And bonus! Those girlfriend dinners… They now consist of incessant chatter about the trials and bliss of new marriage, testimonials on the trials and bliss of running and working out at a gym, and fervent analysis of favorite chapters in Meridian Stone: The Transition. And how to most effectively apply them. (Heck, yeah!) No longer is the nasty trash talking. Ok, maybe there’s still 5% of it, but… (That’s what your girls are for, right?)
At times, it is still difficult for Danielle to believe how supportive her friends and family are. She often cringes at the countless hours she’d worried about their age difference, just to find out that nobody cares. It is all about their commitment to the other, how they make the other better, just by being together, how much they love each other. And they do love. The deep passionate sort alive on the pages of Meridian Stone: The Transition. And it is magickal!
Sooo…my thoughts, as if you’re not beyond over them already.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much, Danielle, for sharing your story with us! You are one lucky woman to have such bold and beautiful friends! And congrats to you, Alex, for being so freaking fearless and wicked. And smart. Danielle seems like a one in a million catch. There is little more exciting than two lovers tapping into and unleashing their magick together. To know that Meridian Stone: The Transition was a part of your journey is a true inspiration to me. Never relinquish that magick and never, ever stop running wild with your wicked.
And BTW… Danielle, you are so my hero! Seriously? Ten miles. Every. Single. Morning! You know…you’re allowed to miss a day, if you’re too tired. Hmmmm…I may even try running again. Maybe.
Thanks again, Danielle and Alex! You are awesome fans (their word)!
I look forward to hearing from you, too. Yeah…YOU…reading this post. You are invaluable, priceless, and your contribution is uber important. Plus, a girl can’t have too many fearless friends! Let’s hear from you today. If you want to remain anonymous, that’s cool. Just stop hesitating and share. 2019 is your year to be bold. Be MORE! You’ll never know what magick you’ll find or inspire…until you let your wicked run wild. The really good sort!
