The Woman in His Dreams. Michael had dreamed about her for years. He just hadn’t known she was dreaming about him too.
It began on an ordinary Wednesday night. In his dream, Michael stood alone on a beach beneath a huge silver moon. The ocean was black glass, perfectly still, stretching toward a horizon that seemed impossibly far away.
Then she appeared. She walked slowly toward him through the shallow water.
She was tall, dark-haired, and beautiful in a way that made him forget the scenery around her. Her dress was simple and pale, moving around her legs as the waves touched her.
She stopped in front of him. “You took your time.” Michael smiled. “I didn’t know where to find you.” “You were supposed to.”
She stepped closer. He could smell her perfume—something warm and faintly floral. “What is your name?” “Isabella.”
She touched his chest with one hand. “And yours?” “You know my name.” “I want to hear you say it.”
“Michael.” She smiled. “Now I know you.” Then she kissed him.
Michael woke before dawn with his heart pounding. He could still feel the warmth of her lips. He could still smell her perfume. And for the first time in his life, he wanted desperately to go back to sleep.
The next night she returned. This time they were in a candlelit bedroom overlooking the ocean. Isabella sat on the edge of the bed.
“You came back.” “You invited me.” “I didn’t think you would remember.” “I remembered everything.”
She smiled. “Good.” She stood and walked toward him. Michael noticed that she was wearing a black dress this time. He raised an eyebrow. “You keep changing clothes.” “I like keeping you interested.”
“It’s working.” She laughed. “You are very easy to tease.” “You’re very easy to look at.” She came closer. “Is that all you want?”
Michael looked into her eyes. “No.” “What else?” “I want to know if you’re real.”
Her expression changed. “I am.” “You’re in my dreams.” “So are you.”
He frowned. “What does that mean?” She touched his face. “Perhaps you aren’t dreaming me.”
She moved closer until there was almost no space between them. “Perhaps we’re dreaming each other.”
Michael’s breath caught. “That’s impossible.” “Is it?” She kissed him again. This time he put his arms around her. She didn’t pull away. The kiss lasted longer. When they finally separated, Isabella rested her forehead against his.
“Michael.” “Yes?” “You have to stop thinking of me as perfect.” “Why?” “Because I’m not.”
She smiled. “I can be jealous.” “I like that.” “I can be stubborn.” “That too.” “I can be difficult.”
Michael laughed. “I suspected that.” She kissed him lightly. “And I can hurt you.”
His smile disappeared. “Why would you?” “Because I’m real.”
He woke suddenly. Morning sunlight filled his bedroom. For several seconds he couldn’t remember where he was. Then he smelled her perfume.
Michael sat upright. There was no one there. But on his pillow was a single black rose. He picked it up. A drop of water fell from one of its petals.
That evening he went to the address Isabella had given him. A small restaurant stood on a quiet street. He entered. And there she was. Not in a dream. Not on a beach. Not in some mysterious moonlit world.
She sat at a corner table wearing a red dress. Michael stopped. Isabella looked up. Her smile was exactly the same.
“You’re late.” He walked toward her. “You’re real.” “Disappointed?” “Quite the opposite.”
She stood. For a moment they simply looked at each other. Michael reached out and touched her arm.
Warm. Real.
She smiled. “I told you.” He leaned closer.
“You also told me you could hurt me.”
“I can.”
“Are you going to?” “Probably.” He laughed. “At least you’re honest.”
She sat down. He took the chair opposite her. Dinner lasted two hours. They talked about everything except the impossible. They discovered they liked the same music. They argued about books. She teased him about his terrible taste in wine. He discovered that she hated thunderstorms but loved walking in the rain.
By the time they left the restaurant, the mystery seemed almost unimportant. Almost. They walked beneath the streetlights. Isabella slipped her arm through his. Michael looked down at her. “So what happens tonight?” “You’ll dream.” “Of you?” She smiled. “Perhaps.” “And if I don’t?” “You will.”
They stopped outside his apartment. Isabella looked at him. “Invite me in.” Michael opened the door. She stepped inside. For a moment neither spoke. The room seemed suddenly much smaller.
Isabella looked at him. “You’re nervous.” “I’m trying not to be.” “Why?” “Because I’ve dreamed about this moment.” She smiled. “And?” “It’s different.” “Better?” “Much.”
She moved closer.
Her hand rested lightly against his chest.
Michael touched her waist. She didn’t move away. Instead, she looked up at him. “Tell me what you dreamed.” “I dreamed you kissed me.” “Only kissed you?”
He smiled. “At first.” Her eyes sparkled. “And later?” “Later, I stopped being afraid to wake up.”
Isabella kissed him. Slowly. Warmly. Her arms slipped around his neck, and Michael held her close. The kiss deepened, but she eventually pulled away, smiling.
“Come with me.” “Where?” “Back to the beach.” “I thought dreams weren’t real.” She touched his cheek. “Neither are rules.” The room blurred. The walls disappeared.
Suddenly they were standing beneath the silver moon again. The ocean stretched behind Isabella.
She slipped off her shoes and walked toward the water. Michael followed. She turned and held out her hand. He took it. Together they walked into the warm, shallow waves.
“Isabella?” “Yes?” “Why did you choose me?” She stopped. The playful smile disappeared. “Because you were the only man who dreamed of me without trying to possess me.”
Michael stared at her. “And what did you dream about?” She smiled. “You.” He pulled her closer. The moonlight shimmered across the water. For the first time, Michael understood that the woman in his dreams had never been a fantasy. She had been searching for him.
And perhaps that was the most dangerous kind of love. Not the love you imagine. The love that finds you when you least expect it.
The love that feels like a dream. And the love that makes you wonder whether waking up is really such a good idea.