2

He woke with a start. He laid there and wondered just fore a second where it is he exactly was. Then it all came back to him, the downpour, the flat tire and being drenched. Then she pulled up. Her eyes were the most beautiful feature about her. He could get lost in her eyes. He roused from his thoughts and cautiously slid his hand over to where she should be. The only thing he felt was a set of cold sheets. Their lovemaking last night had been extraordinary. He was a gentle lover and she had shown him that she gave as good as she received. He closed his eyes and thought about last night once more. Finally deciding to get up, he looked to the clock and noticed it was still early. He was one who never got up at the crack of dawn. The clock read 6:55. He made his way to the shower. Getting dressed he checked out of the hotel, called the car service asking to pick him up at the hotel and then he called the shop to have someone retrieve his BMW.

All he could think about was her. There was something about her he could not shake. She was everything. He was one who believed in fate, but this, this angel was most definitely sent from heaven. Just before he went to the door he glanced one last time to make sure he had remembered everything. That's when he noticed the envelope propped up against the light on the bedside nightstand. He walked over and picked it up. Opening it he read the short note.

I am the flower you are the seed

We walked in the garden we planted a tree

Don't try to find me, please don't you dare

Just live in my memory, you'll always be there…

He dropped the note and felt like the rug had been pulled out from under him. Why would she ask him not to look for her? And why would she just settle for the memory of last night when he knew without a doubt that they could be so great together?

Right then and there he needed to find her, there was no question in his mind. He arrived at the loft around 10 am. His daughter was just about ready to head out for her afternoon class at Columbia.

"Dad! What happened to you last night? I was so worried. You never called."

"It's a long story, how much time do you have? The reason I did not call was because my cell was soaked, I might need to replace it."

"I could spare about 10 minutes." She told him honestly.

He told her about his encounter, everything but the sex part, but he thought she got the idea.

"So you don't even know her name?"

"No, I'm at a loss."

"What about anything else, like what was she driving?"

"It was an SUV." He now had a thought. He had a friend in DMV and maybe he could narrow down who she could possibly be.

"Well, Dad I need to get going. And if I know you as well as I think I do, you are going to be searching for her."

His daughter was right. That was his goal. He watched her leave and then he beat feet to his office and started to make phone calls.

/ / / / / /

It was a long and exhausting six months for Rick Castle. He had exhausted just about every contact in the city he knew, and he now owed favors to some of his friends but still he came up empty. It was like this woman did not exist on the planet earth. His friend at DMV came up empty. All he knew was that she drove a late model SUV, forest green in color, Volvo or possibly a Cadillac. It led nowhere. He even went as far as calling an official NYPD (off-duty, of course) sketch artist. He had a vague likeness, so he bet everything on that sketch. He posted it in the area he met her and also at the hotel. He received a couple of calls but after running down the sightings, they all ended up being a wild goose chase.

Alexis had lent a hand when she had some free time. She went about his quest the logical way.

"Dad. About how old was she?"

"If I had to venture a guess, I'd say somewhere around 30 to 35."

"Okay did she look like the professional type or maybe a soccer mom?"

"Definitely a woman in a professional job. She looked like a lawyer or even a doctor."

"Okay, now we are getting somewhere." She said hopefully.

"What's the use Pumpkin? She said she did not want to be found."

"Dad, do you have feelings for this woman?"

"That goes without saying."

"Then bear with me for a second, do you remember her hair color and eye color?"

"She was a brunette and had hair to her mid-back, with the most piercing green eyes I have ever seen."

"That's good. I know that you hired a sketch artist, but I have a program on my laptop that we could use to get a better likeness of her." Rick's brow raised with hope.

"Well, what are we waiting for then. Let's try it out."

After about an hour they had a better idea of who she could possibly be. Rick printed the sketch and compared it to the first sketch. The second one looked more like her than the first. He plastered the image in the same locations he had been to 6 months prior. And then he waited. The phone never rang. He was slowly going into denial, and for a second he thought that he had imagined their meeting thinking that is was all in his head. This is where he was now, a year and a half after he fell for her. Out of information, used a lot of cash, and was still back at square one.

Deciding that he needed air, he picked up his coat and his keys and left the loft. Walking aimlessly without a clue about where he should look for her next. The sun was just starting to set when he decided that he was done pitying himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a green blur drive by him. He turned to look out across 7th ave and he almost fell over. It was her in a 2013 or 2014 Volvo XC90. He darted out into the street and cursed himself that he did not react quicker. All he could get off the license plate was a J. He watched as she drove quickly away. A horn sounded and it made him jump. He almost was hit by a yellow cab. Stepping back onto the side walk he was sure that it was her. The right hair color and car. This just made him more determined to locate her...