An Affair of the Heart

Chapter 2: The Meeting

First impressions are so telling.

Expecting to like Alex when we met in person, I was naturally curious about how he would look. Several images of him were conjured-up in my head, formed from countless books and romantic novels I had read over the years. Since I was a little girl, and even before entering my teenage years when romance is on every young dreamer's mind, books about handsome heroes, daring adventures, heroic deeds, and grand love affairs have been my favorites. I can unashamedly say that even after many years into my adulthood, my love of these kinds of stories has not changed. They are still my favorites to read, to watch on TV, or to see portrayed in movies.

Come on, ladies! What woman doesn't love the charming bravado and derring-do of Spanish actor, Antonio Banderas, portraying Zorro on the big screen in living color? Like Banderas, the heroes depicted in the books I read and the movies I watch are always predominantly dark and handsome. This has been my preferred male stereotype since childhood. I find Latin men in particular romantic, seductive, mysterious, slightly dangerous, and magnetically attractive.

My curiosity was finally satisfied when Alex and his companions arrived for the first meeting of the day. As they walked through the door, there were three men in the group but I had no trouble spotting Alex. He looked exactly as I thought he would. No, this is not true. He looked even better than the picture of him that had been forming in my head for weeks and weeks. My first thought was, "Alex is really, I mean really handsome. What a great looking man!"

Dressed in Air Force blue, Alex wore his uniform with the commanding presence of a proud officer and a totally confident man. Before I realized I was even thinking the words, as we shook hands to greet one another, out of my mouth came, "Alex, it's so good to finally meet you. You look exactly as I pictured you would." Alex did not seem surprised by my comment but responded quickly, "So do you, Lily." He sounded sincere although this response could have been made purely for the sake of politeness.

In person, Alex's demeanor and personality is charismatic, charming, and magnetic. The twinkle in his eyes is friendly, and in a way mischievous. This surprised and delighted me. "OK," I thought, "Alex is not only confident, well-spoken, and really good looking, he seems to have a fun side to his personality. This is going to be an interesting day!"

Alex ("Alejandro") is a strikingly handsome man whose Hispanic heritage I had already assumed from his name. Dark hair, dark eyes, and olive skin completed the picture that had lived only in my imagination until the moment we met. Adding to Alex's charm and charisma was a warm, genuine smile. It comes and goes easily on his handsome face, brings out the dimples in his cheeks, and reaches all the way to his chocolate brown eyes. I think it says volumes about a person when their eyes "smile" along with their mouth.

My assumption of Alex's Hispanic heritage was later confirmed in our social conversation when I learned he was born in Cuba. His family escaped Castro's revolution, leaving Cuba when Alex was barely three months old. His parents fled to Miami, Florida with Alex, their youngest child, his older brother, two sisters, and his abuela (grandmother). They came to the shores of the United States seeking safety, refuge, and a better life. To live the American dream as thousands of immigrants have done throughout our nation's history.

Like me, Alex is the youngest sibling in his family. Even though I have an identical twin sister, I was born 10 minutes after her. So technically, I am the baby in my family too. A characteristic I hold in common with Alex. Whether or not we both possess the traits psychologists attribute to the youngest child remained to be seen.