Involuntarily, I let out a laugh, some of my built up tension escaping with it. I stood up and turned around to face him, hardly believing what my eyes were telling me.

And yet there he was. Finally real. So very real.

Hi, Cal said.

Hi. I shook my head, my brain not understanding what my heart was already singing at the top of its lungs. You’re ManInBlack72? I asked.

He nodded. Slowly.

But how?

He took a deep breath. Shifted from one foot to the other. God, was he actually nervous?

After we started chatting, I knew I wanted to meet you, but that you’d never agree. I knew from your profile that you worked at the Informer, so I went down to their offices to see you in person. I pretended I was there to see if they needed extra security in the building. Unfortunately, you were out, but Felix took my card. A few weeks later, he called me when you started getting threats.

So, you knew who I was all along? I asked.

He grinned. I’d be pretty crappy at my job if I couldn’t figure that out.

And, it was you I was typing with all this time?

Again, he slowly nodded his head. Disappointed? he asked, his voice low and gruff, as if the answer really meant something to him.

I bit my lip. And shook my head. No, I managed to get out, before my throat clogged with emotion. I would have been disappointed if it had been anyone else.

Cal’s face broke into a grin, his eyes lighting up in a way that lit my insides right along with them. He stepped around the bench, and I flung myself at him, wrapping both arms and legs around his middle as he lifted me off the ground.

I’m sorry, I said. About last night. I never meant to—

But he didn’t let me finish. Shut up, Bender, he whispered, then silenced me as his lips covered mine.

And then he kissed me. Long and hard and so all consuming that we were completely oblivious to everything around us until one of the teenagers on the carousel shouted at us to get a room.

I just have one question, I said when we finally came up for air. That night, with the margaritas. Did I…did we…I mean, I know I woke up in your bed, but did we… I trailed off, hoping he got my point.

He did, a devilish grin spread across his face. He delayed his answer just long enough to make me worry before saying, No. But that’s something I plan on remedying in the very near future.

I couldn’t keep back the ear-to-ear grin I felt spreading across my face. Coy I was not, and this was one time he was getting no argument from me.