I sat at Starbucks for some time writing and waiting for the rain to let up. Of course, the rain only got worse. To add insult to injury, in the distance I could see the boundary where the clouds ended and the sunshine began. It continued to pour where I was and the sunshine in the distance was just natures way of teasing me. My route out of starbucks would take me along the boundary, always on the raining side.

Mike, Angela's boyfriend, had sent me an email saying that he was tied up with his sons at a game and he would not be able to make it. I thought to myself, "change of plans, maybe I can meet Angela at a starbucks to chat for a bit and then roll on.". I didn't really know either of them that well as I had just spent a short time with them at Deal's Gap. But I remember thinking that the two of them were my kind of people. Angela had made quite an impression on me. I remembered feeliing a strange sense of familiarity. I wanted to at least have a chance to talk to her again.

But of course there's the endless internal conflict. I'm endlessly getting myself in trouble one way or another with boyfriends and husbands. For instance the husband of one good friend of mine eventually developed a problem with me and reportedly said "He's dangerous, he listens". This kind of thing has happened so often that I have become over-cautious, as Maria at Piratz can attest to.

I guess maybe Mike picked up on my hesitation to spend time with his girlfriend when he wasn't around. (Have I mentioned she's crazy beautiful?) He sent me another email encouraging me to go to Angela's despite his absence. "She'd enjoying seeing you again". I really appreciated that. "Good guy", I thought to myself. If he hadn't sent me that I don't think I would have gone. Angela sent me an email suggesting I just show up at her house. For an instant, I thought I should ask her "Are you sure you want some strange man showing up at your house? Wouldn't it be better to meet at Starbucks". I have been chastised recently for deciding for others what they should or should not do, so, quite out of character for me, I decided to squelch that impulse.

I left Starbucks overcaffienated and rode the 29 miles in the rain, consistently teased by the sunshine just a few miles to the west. It was pouring when I arrived at Angela's house. Before I could even say hello and garage door opened and a space had been opened up for my bike. "Garage!!". Excellent.

I rolled in, took off my helmet, pulled out my earplugs and said hello and thank you. Her three year old daughter, Lillianna, was there at the garage entrance asking a ton of questions and flitting about.

They have this flighty white cat named "Schreck". I laughed as I realized the cat wasn't named after the movie character but instead after the German word "Schreck", which means a fright. Apparently I am the only person to ever pick up on this.

The house, the environment all seemed strangely familiar. As Angela took care of making lunch for her daughter, any sense of discomfort I had disappeared and the next thing I knew Lillianna was asking me to open her vitamin bottle from the fridge. Instinctively, I pulled it out, opened and handed her one as if I had been doing this for years.

Have you ever met someone where you instantly felt like you knew them and that they had the same feeling about you? It was as if we had been friends for years.

We sat down on the couch and talked for hours. I forgot that I had just met her and that these were the first hours we were spending together talking. Topics ranged from her extremely varied interests to her experiences with divorce. (Did I mention she's a Phd Chemist and that she models?) A mind forever voyaging. She fences, runs, pilots powerboats, rides dirtbikes, shoots, has taught at Medical school, has been through Deal's Gap and wants to go again, is a computational chemist, and the list goes on and on. A disparate collage of impressions, insights, abilities, compassion and intelligence that somehow fits together in one person. Completely improbable. The time we spent talking was great.

I don't remember exactly when, but Lillianna seemed to take to me and started using me as a climbing toy. Over-energetic precocious 3 year old. The cat, Schreck, eventually got into the act. Unfortunately, I guess because there was this strange guest in the house, Lillianna refused to take a nap. After Angela put her to bed she was endlessly trying to sneak out of her room.

The hours past like minutes and before we knew it it was dinner time. Here in Kansas City there's a place called the Country Club Plaza which is kind of like Inner Harbor combined with Georgetown, but much nicer. I got out the leathers into some jeans and off we went to McCormick & Schmidts. It was high on a hill overlooking the plaza. The three of us sat outside during a brief sunny period. By the time had arrived Lillianna was out cold, having not taken her nap earlier.

Dinner was excellent. Angela had told me two things. 1) She's somewhat absent minded when it comes to the little practical things, such as where she's left her phone. 2) She had a gift certificate for McCormick & Schmidts. It wasn't until much later that she realized I had paid for dinner and she had failed to include her gift certificate. I was strangely pleased by this.

After dinner we went for a walk through the Plaza. There are boutiques, shops, cafes, bars, and endless numbers of women walking around in cocktail dresses.

There are also alot of fountains here which seemed to be a source of never ending fascnination for Lillianna.

(As I write this Angela is sitting on the couch reading up on her new camera. She asked me, "is it ok if I make you Kansas City Strip steak?". "You are asking me if it's ok to grill me a steak?" "I could get filet mignon if you prefer". I told her no good can come of this. "So which room am I moving into?" :) )

Back to our story. We walked for a few blocks when Lillianna spied a horse drawn carriage and asked to go. It sounded like a good idea to me so we got a ticket and went for a ride through the Plaza streets as the sun set.

Everything around us conspired to create a memorable moment in time.

We looked around and Angela pointed out all the places she would've liked to show me if there was more time. We were having a wonderful time.

After the ride we walked through the lit streets. Lillianna decided she had had enough of walking and demanded to be carried. Yes, I carried a 3 year old around the streets of Kansas City. Don't tell anyone.

It dawned on me we were having a story book romantic evening. There was something truly magical that I have not experienced in many years. Gesa used to always describe me as a "manifest cynic, latent romantic". This evening definitely brought out the latent me.

I found myself thinking about cages again. Donna and so many others kept telling me that I am now free. I can do anything with my life that I want. I am free to choose what I want. Choice has not been a big theme in my life. Most everything was prescribed for me or problems were dropped into my lap that I could not walk away from.

I realized that I do not excel in freedom. I excel in cages; within boundaries. I mentioned to Angela today that I thought if she had been single, if there had been any question, then we would not have been as free, as comfortable. Things would have been more cautious and the wonderful evening we had had would likely not have been possible. We were free to have one of the most romantic evenings I can remember because of constraints. Freedom through boundaries.Freedom through limitation.

I figured I would get a hotel but she insisted I stay in the guest room. 4 star accomodations. I fell asleep very early and woke up promptly at nine. As a mssion of mercy she drove me to starbucks in the morning, then on to a nice diner where we had breakfast. Compassionately, she looked at me and asked if I wanted to go to another starbucks. Yea, she is so not on my good side.

After the second coffee break, we went back to her house and walked over to a nearby park so Lillianna could play with reckless abandon. After some time it began to rain but were completely unfazed. "I have seen this before, I think it's called rain". It was a warm steady rain. We walked back to the house slowly getting more soaked. Lillianna demanding to be carried. I admit, I've got quite the squirming 3 year old workout during my time here.

This has been a very good time.

Mike and his two boys just showed up. I told Mike he was going to Deal's Gap in the fall. Angela had said earlier that she really wanted to go but convincing Mike might be challenging. No problem. 10 seconds later it was agreed, we're going to Deal's Gap in the fall. Then again in May. Excellent.