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Dear potentially interested,

       Reading the Synopsis is crucial to bring out the real flavor of the narrative whilst skimming through the Snippets. You will find that the two first snippets are almost identical. Yes, they are identical in space and content, but not in time. Ten years to the hour, and to the day, are separating them!  If reading these two snippets evoked any thirst for more, please keep on browsing, and I hope you do.  I never had an aspiration to Penn a book. I am proud of the quite unusual and beautiful story and the courage I had ink it on paper for possible others to enjoy. While English is not my mother tongue, I used two very helpful editing websites. They were, Granmarly.com but especially the ProWritingAid.com. For Synonyms, Wordhippo.com was priceless. Please note that these lines were not professionally edited; the Book, of course yes!

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Snippet A - December 20, 2009 (The narrative begins.)

       It was almost 3 pm on a pleasant and sunny Sunday afternoon that the calendar chronicled as December 20, 2009! Known to be a foppish guy, I shaved, and dressed-up more than casual, but at the last minute, I passed on a tie. “Hey, you are not going to a concert,“ I said to myself, “You are going just to have a date.” 

Regardless, an imperative first impression was before my eyes and mind. Three decades older than her, I had to conclude that age and looks would represent a thorny handicap for her to overcome. 

I chose black pants, freshly shined black shoes, a long-sleeve white shirt, and a striking looking brick-red jacket. It was such a distinct color that no one, not even a blind person could miss. Before leaving my residence, I glanced one more time in the bathroom’s mirror and embraced what I saw. With aviator type dark sunglasses, I looked - well, at least so I pondered - quite presentable, enigmatic, and tidbit James Bond-ish too.  Yes, yes, I admit, Bond had a full head of hair; I was bold. He was smoking, and I was not. Besides, truth be told, I never saw him in a splashy colored coat like mine. I must admit, however, that even this subtle analogy made me feel good and desirable. Alongside all these external embellishments, and with little help from the man above, I intended not just to surprise, but even compel admiration into my newly found date, inglorious age-gap or not.

                                                                                    ---------------------------------------------

       Seconds after 3:00 pm, the mutually agreed time, a tall, elegant, black hair, dark complexion, young, beautiful, drop-dead gorgeous, head-snapper exotic looking sexy lass, entered the facility. 
My chin must have dropped, and I forgot breathing altogether for several moments. She was so stunning; I could gage my racing heart in my throat. 
Surprised to my bones, I had to display an illuminating, cheerful grin on my bespectacled face, as I didn’t remove my dark glasses.

Noting that sexy female specimen that just came through the door, I petitioned the Almighty, “God, do not let me down now, assure me she is the one I am expecting; and if so, I will obey all your written and non-written rules.”

With a big beige handbag hanging on her left arm, she seemed poised and sure of herself.  “A strong-willed woman,” soi-disant, I thought.

She stopped for a moment, looked around staring in all directions scouring the place. In a flash, she spotted and alas recognized me apparently with no difficulties. Nobody else around me donned a redbrick colored jacket and dark aviator glasses, she was well aware I would wear.
In seconds, she made eye contact, waved, and moments later stood in front of an opened mouth, speechless, dumbfounded me, ready to introduce herself. 
A born gentleman, shell-shocked I was, I could not comprehend what my bespeckled eyes were seeing. Mystified, dismayed and overwhelmed for good several seconds, I even lacked sufficient strength in my legs to timely stand-up and great her ‘come il fault.’

                                                 Snippet B – December 20, a decade later. (When the narrative is ending.)

       It was almost 3 pm on a pleasant and sunny afternoon; the calendar marked December 20th. Known to be a foppish guy, good impressions never escaped my mind.  
For our ten years Anniversary observance, just half-an-hour away, I shaved and I chose my best black suit, a long-sleeve same color shirt adorned with a silver shade necktie. For added impact, my breast pocket displayed a little square of the same material and tone. A well-shined black shoe capped a classy-looking elegance. 
Not forgetting the James Bond-ish look of years way back, I had my dark aviator type sunglasses on my face as well. 

 Before leaving my residence, exactly as a decade before, to the day and hour, I glanced one more time in the mirror and I appreciated what I saw. Despite the added years, I looked not bad, and still quite presentable. Well, at least so I thought.

Alongside all these external embellishments, precisely like then, I intended to surprise, even compel admiration into my lady, decennium or not.

                                                                                      ---------------------------

      Seconds after 3:00 pm, exactly as ten years beforehand, the same tall, elegant, black hair, dark complexion, drop-dead gorgeous, head-snapper exotic looking sexy lass entered the facility. She looked around and spotted me right away. In a few seconds, like those many years ago, she stood in front of me ready to introduce herself. A stunning woman she was, I could gage, like when I saw her for the first first time, my heart racing in my throat. Not a single thing changed, except time, and a great deal of it!

In a most casual manner, she extended her right hand in my direction and in a soft, calm voice she said, 

     “I am Vronica, that is Veronica without the ‘e’.”  A few seconds later, “Correct me Sir, but if I am right, we met here exactly a decade ago, do you remember, do you?” 

      “Yes, I do my darling,” I said.
With moist eyes, I stood up, hugged her, and kissed her hand, exactly as I did way, way back.

On this occasion, however, my gesture did not take her by surprise. Vronica had ten years under her belt to get used to my habits of chivalry! 
       Yes, the calendar correctly marked December 20th, but a Friday, and not Sunday; and the year was not 2009, but a decade later, 2019! Our improbable love affair outlasted the two most insurmountable barriers we two-faced; the unchanged 31-springs age-gap between us that disfavored Vronica, and time, and lots of it. An entire decennary!
     “I can’t believe all this, but who would, tell me who on this Earth would?” “Same time to the minute, the same place 10-years later, incredible!” “Please pinch me,” I told her,” I need to set apart dream from reality.” 
In a whispering voice, I wished her Happy Anniversary and I offered her the seven red roses.

“Happy Anniversary to you too, my darling,” she replied.

      “Vronica, I do not want to spend much time in this place, I made plans for us.”

“OK, but before we go anyplace, please follow me,” she said, and in the same breath, “I need to kiss you outside in the backyard, exactly as I did the day our lives intersected! Nothing changed, darling. I am still attracted to you as I was when we first met.”

I followed her out the back door. The dilapidated pieces of furniture did not exist anymore, so we consummated a passionate kiss standing, and what a juicy French one too!

      “OK, darling, a room full of flowers, at the end of a long hall- way and far from the elevator, is waiting for us at our legendary hotel where everything started. For much later in the evening, I made a dinner reservation at Maude, in Beverly Hills, an exqui- site restaurant. We should enjoy it, we have been there but a long, long time ago.”

      “You have a deal,” she replied.

We got into our cars and headed straight to Embassy Suites, where we discovered the magic we still share.