The two returned to the living room and an hour later, Tina knew the whole story. And regarded Anna with even more concern in her eyes than when she’d first arrived.
“I know that look,” Anna said.
Tina’s brow crinkled. “This is not good, Anna.”
Anna’s spine stiffened. “How can it be bad? I’m having the time of my life!”
“That’s just it. The time of your life is being had with a phantom in your dreams.”
Anna shook her head. “He’s not a phantom.”
“He’s not a real, flesh-and-blood human male,” Tina pointed out.
“Maybe he is. I mean, the books said that although all sorts of beings pass through the astral realm, so do plenty of humans just like me.”
Tina sighed. “Let’s say he is a real person, like you, exploring astral travel. You can’t have a relationship, not a real one, with someone you meet in your sleep.”
Anna crossed her arms and bristled at Tina’s words. She didn’t want to hear this. She didn’t want to listen to what she knew, deep down, was the truth.
Tina gestured to the living room. “Look around you. You haven’t cleaned your house in weeks, have you?”
Anna blinked, taking in the discarded clothing, newspapers and take-out food containers. The room was littered with trash and clutter. And she hadn’t noticed.
“And what about Emerson? This cat hates me normally. What the heck is he doing to my leg? Are you spending any time with him at all anymore?” As if to lend emphasis to Tina’s words, the tabby cat was rubbing himself all over Tina’s legs and feet, purring, then stood on his hind legs and batted at her knees, begging for attention. His eyes rolled back into his head with pure pleasure as Tina rubbed him behind his ears.
A pang of guilt swept over Anna.
“And beyond all that,” Tina continued. “From what I gather, you haven’t left your house except to go to work since this whole thing started. And I’ll bet your work progress is less than stellar right now.”
Anna frowned. Tina was right.
Tina scooted closer to Anna and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. “Sweetie, I am really worried about you. You’re obsessed. You’re never going to find love again this way. And this is not healthy. You yourself know that it’s not good for you, don’t you?”
Resigned, Anna nodded. “I need to end it.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll go back to see him tonight and tell him it’s over and then—”
“No,” Tina interrupted. “You should not see him again. You need to quit. An alcoholic does not allow himself just a little drink to remind himself not to drink.”
Disappointment rained over Anna. Tina was right. She was completely right. And Anna hated that her friend was right. She already felt a pang of despair at the knowledge she’d never see Aether again.
“Okay,” Anna agreed.
“Okay, what?”
“I’m done. No more astral travelling. No more sexy dream guy.”
Tina hugged her. “Good. And this weekend, we are going out and you are going to meet a real, live hot-as-hell man, and you’ll allow him to sweep you off your feet and live happily ever after, right?”
Anna allowed herself a small smile. “If I must.”
After giving Emerson one more quick scratch behind the ears, Tina rose and headed toward the door.
“Tina, what do you think Richard meant?”
Tina paused with her hand on the front door handle and thought about the question. “I think he was trying to lend you strength so you could move on, that’s what I think.”
“And the whole ‘love is in the air’, thing?”
Tina shrugged. “Wasn’t he always writing you bad poetry? Perhaps his talent hasn’t improved much in the afterlife.” Tina’s grin was infectious.
Anna returned the smile. “See you later.”
“See you this weekend,” Tina insisted.
“I agreed, didn’t I?”
Tina lifted her eyebrows as if to say she wasn’t sure Anna’s word could be trusted. Then, she gestured toward Emerson who had followed her to the door. “And pay attention to that cat, will you? I’m no good as a stand-in. I can feel my allergies acting up already.”
To show his gratitude for Tina’s concern with his plight, Emerson promptly coughed up a fur ball on to her foot.
True to her word, Anna did not attempt another meeting with Aether. She forced herself to accompany Tina on at least one night out on the town per week. They frequented places Tina strategically chose for man-hunting potential. Anna actually found herself having fun during these outings. She flirted, got flirted with and gave out her phone number a time or two. She even entertained the idea of returning the phone call of a handsome lawyer who’d called.
Her house was clean, her work was caught up and Emerson was happy to have regained his side of the bed. But late at night, when she was supposed to be sleeping, Aether filled her thoughts. And a fierce, aching need swept through her.
Then, one Friday evening after a long, gruelling day at the office — an evening when Anna really would have rather backed out of Date Night with Tina — something truly magical happened.
Anna stood next to the bar in the latest, hippest club, watching people in various modes of attire get their groove on atop the strobe-lit laden dance floor. She sipped a glass of Pinot Grigio and waited for Tina to return from the restroom. Just as she was finishing her last swallow of the wine, a very broad shoulder bumped her arm. She glanced up into familiar green eyes — and choked.
“Are you okay?”
The man who’d bumped her patted her lightly on the back. When she’d calmed down and gathered herself, Anna wiped the wine from her chin and nodded.
Same wavy, jet hair, same chiselled features, definitely the same arresting gaze. How could this be? Was she losing her mind?
Say something, she told herself. Say something, anything. But she could barely breathe, let alone speak. The man didn’t seem to notice. He was studying her, too.
“You seem familiar,” he said. “Do I know you?”
She opened her mouth to answer but then his hand touched her arm and shivers of delight burst over her skin. She stifled a moan of pleasure.
“I’m so sorry about bumping you. This place is really crowded tonight.”
Anna swallowed and finally found her voice. “It’s okay.”
If he only knew just how okay it was.
“I haven’t seen you here before. Are you local?”
“I live just a few blocks from here,” she told him.
“Really? Me too.” He tilted his head to the side. “Man, I could swear we’ve met before. What’s your name?”
“Anna,” she said. “And yours?”
He stuck his hand out. “Aether. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Anna.”
Anna’s pulse sped and her legs grew weak. It was him. She wasn’t crazy. It was really him. “Aether?” she repeated, incredulous.
He gave her a shy smile. “What can I say? My dad is a professor who specializes in Greek mythology and my mom is an artist. She even painted me once as the Greek god, Aether.”
“Greek god?” Anna repeated, realizing she was starting to sound like a broken record but unable to stop herself.
“Yeah, you know, the god of Air?”
And suddenly everything made perfect, beautiful, crystal clear sense. Her sudden interest in astral travel, meeting Aether and their intense connection. And especially, Richard’s message on the bathroom mirror.
I’m sending you love. Love is in the air.
Moisture welled in Anna’s eyes. Her heart swelled with elation. Richard, you truly are the most wonderful man. I will never forget you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for looking out for me. The words whispered through her mind, unspoken. Somehow she knew that wherever Richard was, he heard her.