She's beautiful. She's beautiful and beaming across the table from me, flanked by her lover, whose eyes are piercing, whose energy I fall in with easily, instantly liking him. I'm flush and devouring her words, as always, surprized to find I'm still hungry for the food. And I, in the tenuous throws, of a new undefineable something, smile and talk and we fill the restaurant with our laughter and gesticulations. She's completely intoxicating and all I can do is take her in. The restaurant's warm and the sushi addictive--the others interjecting and smiling and sipping sake, getting in what they can over the back and forth of our banter.

All in all a great first meeting, one I hope to duplicate soon, so that smiling, I laced my arm through G's and walked the other way, crushing as hard as ever and thinking of her lover's eyes.

July 18, 2001