Okay, email sent to Zita. I am now kind of single, but also in a very very long distance relationship with the Mermaid. We've been mailing and chatting lots, she's on her way back to California at the moment.
I'm not sure if I said the backstory on her.. years ago I used to travel a stupid amount with work, and I'd be over in California at head office every few weeks - sometimes two or three weeks, sometimes as much as 6 weeks, and I almost always stayed in the same hotel. So I'd get off a 14 hour flight, jetlagged as hell, and walk into the hotel reception, and there would come this cry of 'Baaant!!!' and Mermaid would run across from the bar and give me a hug, then pour me a pint of beer and we'd sit and chat for a couple of hours every night when I was there.
After a couple of years of this, and of me thinking maybe moving to California wouldn't be so bad after all, except she was too young for me (23 when I was 30, I'm odd like that) we exchanged email addresses and I got unexpectedly laid off, met my XW, had kids etc - but we stayed in touch as friends and met up a couple of times when I was over there for work. She got married, I did, we both divorced in the last two years.
It turns out she'd had a crush on me and was always pestering reception to find out when I was coming in next so she could work that shift. I'd been planning work trips over there to see her, more than to do work.
And now she's on her first flight ever back from Europe to California, so I mailed her to tell her that the jetlag she's feeling now she's landed and can read the email is what I used to feel every time I arrived, but she always made my day hugely better when I heard that shout and saw that smile..
I am completely stupid getting involved with someone 1/3 of the way round the world. But sometimes you can't help it.