Private Party

Long Distance Boyfriend

(Elizabeth & Alex)

I've never met Alex in real life, okay? And before you tell me all the dangers of cyber dating and whatnot, I happen to know he's a real person. He's the cousin of one of my best friends. She told me about him and said we'd be the perfect match, then gave me his number.

Alex and I have grown extremely close and I've learned all about him in the past year and a half. I'm definitely not saying it's been easy. We've had our ups and downs, but I really do care about him. And it's crazy because in just a few short weeks, he's going to be here.

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I sit in the crowded airport waiting for Alex's plane to arrive, nervously picking at my nails. A million doubts race through my head and I have to focus on not running away.

What if he doesn't like me? What if all this time was a big waste and he thinks I'm too weird or something? What if he doesn't think I'm pretty? What if--

"Plane 142 from Dallas arriving now."

Oh my gosh that's him.

I take a deep breath and then another, forcing myself to calm down. Soon, the passengers arrive and I stand up, looking through the crowd for his familiar face. I can't see very well, so I get up on the plastic seat to look again.

"Excuse me miss, but you're going to have to get down from there," a voice says from beside me.

I don't even glance down, "I'm not getting down until I see my boyfriend."

The person laughs and my eyes widen as I look down, "ALEX!!!"

He grins up at me and I blush, suddenly very self-conscious. We stare at each other for a long minute, silently comparing the real us to the person we've seen only in photos and Skype calls. His brown eyes are even more gorgeous than any of the photos had led me to believe, and the slight curl of his dark hair makes me want to run my fingers through it. His skin is light brown, thanks to the combination of his spanish heritage and the bright Texas sun.

"You are so beautiful, Elizabeth," he says quietly, breaking the silence.

I blush harder, "You really think so?"

He chuckles and nods, then holds out his arms, "You should get down now baby."

I lean into his embrace and he easily places me back on solid ground, then slowly pulls me into a hug. His cologne surrounds me and I smile, then wrap my arms around him.

"By the way, this dress looks incredible on you," he whispers against my ear.

I shiver and he pulls away, then grabs his suitcase and smiles at me, "Well... where to baby?"

"Home."

I thread my fingers through his and he smiles, then brings the back of my hand to his lips, "I'm already there, sweetheart."

I blush dark red and lead him to my car, then help him shove his suitcase in the trunk. He follows me to the driver's side and grabs the handle before I have a chance to. At my look he shrugs, then pulls open the door. I roll my eyes and smile at him before getting in and starting the car. We small talk for most of the ride home and soon enough I'm pulling into the driveway.

We both stare at the tiny ranch house, observing the red brick frame and brown shutters. I had bought it a year ago from an elderly woman who was moving into the nursing home.

"It's not much, but I've managed to make it work so far."

He smiles at me, "I've seen worse babe... Besides, it's pretty awesome that you've already bought your own house. I mean, you've only been out of college for two years."