Before the days of my wife Randee, I went to this doctor’s office for some medical problem. The streets were crowded as cars were piled tight next to each other blocks up the street in Elmhurst, Queens.

I could not find a parking spot. So I parked in the doctor’s private driveway. As I was in the waiting room this young good looking nurse comes in complaining that someone took her parking spot.

I was called into the doctor’s office and was waiting to be attended to.

Here comes this complaining woman into the room to do my pre-physical. She sees me and–boy, oh, boy–do I see her!

She gives me a big smile and after she takes my blood pressure, my heart starts to go wild. She is gorgeous and standing really close to me with this big smile. Shortly she leaves, and the doctor comes in.

I am befuddled, as now I don’t know how I ascended to heaven, as I stutter to the doctor trying to remember why I came.

Half hour later I am back in the office, when Angie (my receptionist) tells me I have a call.

I answer the phone with my learned business manner and find out it is the nurse’s girlfriend that I just met in the doctor’s office. Her girlfriend says to me, “Do you remember the lady nurse that just attended you?”

I say coyly, “Sure.”

Her girlfriend says, “She wants to know if you would go out with her?”

My heart starts to accelerate as I do not believe this is actually happening. Thank god this was not one of my stupid moments, and I immediately said, “I would love to.”

Her girlfriend laughs and says, “She will call you right back,” and hangs up.

I am sitting there stunned. I say to myself, “How did I get this lucky.” One minute, two minutes go by, and I am about to cry, as now I realized this was probably a prank.

Then Angie (my receptionist) says, as she looked at me sort of jealously, “Barry, you have another phone call.”

I pick up the phone and it’s her. Her name is Linda and we agree to meet at the diner that is right on the border line of Queens’s Village and Bayside at 8 p.m.

It’s summertime, and after eating we go out to Jones beach and have a wondrous time walking on the boardwalk, then laying on a blanket on the cool, happily desolate night beach.

Then we sneak into the huge Jones Beach pool that was closed for the night. We are now swimming half-naked, as we have no swimming suits. Next we lay on the lounge chairs outside the pool on the top outside balcony.

It’s unreal, but somehow very real, between us.

We are both grown-up, mature individuals in our late-20s, and the night is warm and goes on wonderfully to morning light.

Please let it be known that we did not do the horizontal Rumba that night; as it was not required since everything was perfectly right.

It was magical, and we stayed together for the next year, as so much love would appear.

How could I be so lucky? This woman was so attentive to me, and every time I looked at her she was smiling back at me with love.

Linda and I were inseparable. We were really in love, but not that lost love of exotic wanting that leads to confusion and worry.

We just wanted to be with each other, never asking for anything at this moment, just wanting to be near each other.

We went everywhere together in that summer of bliss. We always found ourselves off to some great adventure in the Hamptons, Montauk, Lido, Long, and Jones Beach: Soon to Fire Island and other exotic, peaceful, natural wonderlands.

This summer was going by fast,  but fast in love.

Editor’s Note: Barry A. Popkin is the author of four books in multiple genres including military history and family biography. They include: “My Year in Vietnam,” “The Savior The Prophet The War,” “Worlds Collide,” and “The Death of God in New York City.” All are available on his website.

Read Part II of Lost Summer Romance: This Wonderful Surprise, on Thursday, July 19.