Spiritual Networking

Spiritual Networking - Chapter 12

Chapter 12


The weeks and months went by and every night Millie and Paul would begin on Wattpad chatting. They would eventually make their way to Skype and talk. They had known each other for almost two years, and had a bond like neither had ever had before with anyone else.

Tonight was a first in their relationship. They were having dinner together. Pizza to be specific. Sure they had done that before in chat, eating while they chatted. Tonight they are having what Paul called a virtual date. So this was their first date.

Millie had taken some time to dress up and do her hair and even put on some make-up. They placed the online order for their pizzas to arrive at seven. At a quarter til seven they signed on to Skype.

Immediately, Millie noticed that Paul had also looked freshly showered, dressed in a button up shirt and his normally shaggy hair had been styled to perfection.

“You clean up well,” Millie suddenly wished she could see the whole package.

Paul was taking in Millie’s hair in long blonde curls and the make-up. Wow! She wore make-up for him. Not a lot to make herself look fake, but he noticed it just added to her already perfect image.

He then found himself imagining running his fingers through her golden locks, and nuzzling her neck and stuffing his nose deep into her curls. He imagined she smelled like the gardenia he had sitting close to his computer.  

Noticing the violet blouse that showed more than her normal t-shirt or sweatshirt, he almost forgot to talk. “Um, you look breathtaking!” He cleared his throat and tried to regain his thoughts. “Right now, you need to be glad there is a computer between us!”

Millie smiled, “I will take that as a compliment.” She never liked it when guys ogled her, and looked lustfully in her direction. She did not mind it with Paul. She knew she was safe and even if he had been in her presence, she knew he would be a gentleman.

“As you should,” Paul, gathering his wits asked her about her day. “How did the meeting go this morning? With the New York client you were trying to woo.”

“I don’t know about woo, but I have two weeks to give them a new logo. Then we will go from there. I found out that if they like my branding, they have several other companies under their umbrella that could keep me busy for several months.”

“That is great! I knew you would do wonderful,” Paul’s smile was mirrored by Millie’s. “Hey, pizza’s here. Be right back.”

Paul stood to get the pizza giving Millie a look at his apartment. Nothing she had not seen before, the gardenia plant sitting behind his desk, the sofa off to the side, only this time he left the window blinds open. Normally it was dark or they were closed when they Skyped. But tonight it was dusk and still light enough to see the view from his apartment window.

Millie’s heart stopped. She focused on his view, but she did not have to look for details because she knew it by heart. She went to her side window, one that Paul had never seen in Skype. She opened her blinds and looked out. It was the same view she had seen on her monitor, only now she stood one story above looking out her own window. Not only did Paul live in the same town, he also lived in the same building! Paul lived just below her!

A knock on the door sounded and the pizza guy had arrived. She mindlessly put on her hoodie and walked over to the door and opened it, handed the deliveryman the money and barely hearing what he was saying.

“I just delivered the same pizza to the guy downstairs. Isn’t that funny. Yo! Lady. Well, here is your receipt.”

“Thanks.” Millie thoughtlessly took the pizza from him and once the door was closed she slid down the door and sat on the floor holding her steaming hot pizza. The heat from the box did not bother her because all she could think about was that Paul was just downstairs. Just fifteen steps away.

If she turned on loud music, would he come up and complain? Did they shop at the same store and if so, would she see him there, or coming home? Would they bump into each other getting mail? And why had they not bumped into each other before? The questions did not end, her mind was racing, but Paul was waiting. She took several deep breaths to calm herself, for the first time noticing the heat from the box of pizza.


She stood up and walked towards her desk where a plate and glass were waiting. She couldn’t let Paul know. She had to stay calm. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that Paul would live anywhere near her, much less in the apartment right below her. Her mind was still reeling when she sat down in her office chair. “Anderson Attitude” she told herself and she smiled at the camera.

“Great timing. Like we had it planned.” Paul said with a wink and a smile. They had decided tonight instead of ordering from their favorite local place, they would order from a national chain knowing they would be eating the same type of pizza like on a real date. “Mil? Why is your hoodie on? I mean, you don’t have anything to hide from me.” Paul gave her another dazzling smile.

“Pizza guy was just here. I’m sorry, I meant to take it off.” Millie stood and walked away from the computer taking off her hoodie and hanging it on the coat rack by the door. Trying to give herself some time to calm down and relax. ‘This is Paul. He has no idea where you live. Just stay calm, relax, have fun.’

Paul prayed over the food and Millie was glad to have another moment to compose herself.

“Paul, can I ask you something?” Millie asked after swallowing a bite of pizza which gave her time to think.

“You can ask me anything. You know that.” Paul picked up his pizza and took another bite.

“Do you believe in fate?”

“Fate? I believe that God has ordered my steps, and that He gives me choices to make, but He helps guide me, if I allow Him and listen to Him.”

“But, like us meeting online. Do you think that was ordained by God?”

“Yes. He brings people into our lives. Who knows, if we had never met on Wattpad, maybe we would have met some other way.” Paul took a sip of his soda, “I am just glad we did meet.”

“Do you think God brought you into my life to help me overcome my fear?”

“I don’t know, but I would like to help you. I also know that no matter the reason, I am glad God brought you into my life.”

“Do you ever wish we...do you ever wish we could meet?” Millie swallowed another bite of pizza and tried to hide the look of panic she was sure was on her face.

The shock was evident on Paul’s face even through the monitor, and as quickly as it arrived, it was gone again. “Daily!”

“What would it be like if we lived close enough to see each other, I mean regularly?” Millie needed to know, wanted to hear from him what he would want and expect. Would they continue to be friends? Would she risk the comfort of her computer based world for a friend? Or, if it was more, if he was willing to help her, if he was willing to maybe one day love her, would she risk her well constructed walls for the possibility of love?

She knew how she felt about him, and she thought he felt the same about her, but neither one of them had ever said those three little words. She didn’t want or expect to hear it now, she just wanted to know what he was thinking.

“I would do everything I can to show you how much you mean to me. How much you have come to mean to me over the past two years. Getting to know you online has been great, and I would not trade it for anything. But, I do wonder what it would be like in the real world. Millie, I have never met anyone like you, and I so desperately want to meet you.

I understand your fear, but maybe I can help you overcome that fear. And if in the end, we are only friends, I am OK with that. But, to be honest, I really do hope it is more.” Paul looked at her, like he was staring through the monitor and into her heart, “Millie to answer your question, if you and I lived close enough to form a real relationship, one in the real world, I don’t know that I would ever let you go.”

Millie’s heart and resolve broke a little then. She wanted to tell him, she did not like having a secret from Paul, she would not have the nagging in the pit of her stomach if she told him. In her mind, she had three choices: She could tell him,  but then she pictured him running up the stairs to meet her and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that tonight; she could stop all contact with him and never speak to him again, but she knew in her heart that she did not want that;  or she could arrange for them to meet some place public, some place where she would feel secure, but not crowded or busy.

With her mind made up, before she could back down and chicken out she suggested, “Let’s meet.”

The words came out in a rush and at first Paul thought he did not hear her correctly. “What? When? Where? You just tell me and I will be there.” The excitement on Paul’s face made Millie excited too, she came close to telling him to just come upstairs, but knew they needed to meet for the first time on neutral ground.

“How about a coffee shop, you name it and I will meet you,” she suggested.

After the plans were made, they said their goodbyes, both looking forward to their meeting the next morning at ten, after the morning rush. When making the plans, Paul wanted to do it as quickly as possible, limiting Millie’s chances of changing her mind. And if she was honest with herself, Millie wanted to meet him right away for the exact same reason.

“Lexi! I did it!” Millie said as she clutched her phone after their virtual date ended.

“Wh- What? You did what? Mil, I am sleeping, I have to be at work in... in two hours! Morning television, you know?”

“Sorry, I had to tell you. I agreed to meet Paul.”

That woke Alexis up a bit. “You did! That is great! Tell me what happened.”

After she hung up with Alexis, Millie laid in her bed tossing and turning hopeful that she had made the right decision. Her sister told her she had. But, there was still a little bit... ok a lot of fear to overcome.