Da14u: how r u 2nite?
PlainJane415: I beg your pardon?
Da14u: uh…How are you tonight, Jane?
PlainJane415: I am fine. How are you?
Da14u: Cool. You know shorthand is more economic
PlainJane415: I don’t talk in code.
Didn’t he just know it! In the months they had chatted on line, the only Internet shorthand she had ever used was the standard BRB and LOL. Most of the time, she used proper punctuation – semicolons included! She was one anal babe. He’d give her that!
Da14u: So how was your day, beautiful?
PlainJane415: How do you know I’m beautiful?
Da14u: It’s in the way you type.
PlainJane415: You have brown eyes, right?
Da14u: No, blue. Why?
PlainJane415: I figure you are so full of crap your eyes have to be brown.
Da14u: LMAO You wound me, Jane!
PlainJane415: Riiiight…
Da14u: So how was your day?
PlainJane415: Same old thing. I get up. I got to work. I come home.
Da14u: And you get to chat with me.
PlainJane415: *rolls eyes* Oh, how could I ever forget that? Lol
Da14u: Ya know you love me! Lol
PlainJane415: *gag* With all my heart *choke*
Kate had met the man, if he was indeed a man, in an Internet chatroom for pet owners. They had instant messaged back
and forth since. He confessed to her was currently pet-less, but hoped that would change with his next big deal. She got the
impression of Da14u was always waiting for his ship to come in. But she found him entertaining and charming. She had no
fantasies that this was her dream man – or that he would ride into town on his trusty white steed and slay all her dragons.
He did, however, in that obvious full of crap way of his, make her feel good for a time. Maybe it was delusional, but right now
that was all she had.
Da14u: Jane, is something wrong?
PlainJane415: No
Da14u: Your fingers got quiet.
PlainJan415: I type for a living.
Da14u: You won’t let me call you…
PlainJane415: We have been through this.
Da14u: I’ll give you my number—
PlainJane415: No
Da14u: I’m not a perv or a freak or anything like that…
The sound of a door slamming and she went off line.
Damn! He’d pushed too hard again!
Chase Scott left his instant messenger up – just in case ‘Jane’ came back. He scrubbed his hands over his face tiredly.
With her it was two steps forward and one step back. Tonight something was bothering her… Some times she would share
with him like a trusted friend. Other times, like tonight, she was like a cat on a hot griddle.
Mostly he found her prim and proper ways adorable. She could be so stiff and uncomfortable and he thought that sort of cute. Of course, being all male, he preferred the nights she’d had a glass or wine or two. She’d loosen up and flirt a little. Now that was the ‘Jane’ he wanted to know. Sexy innuendos and double entrendres came over the modem to make him hot and bothered. He’d spent several nights stroking off in memory of ‘Jane’.
Her name wasn’t really ‘Jane’; it was Kate. She’d let that slip one night after some wine. He hadn’t pounced on the information, afraid of scaring her off. She’d also said something about Abbington and the clerical pool. He smiled. Maybe with enough wine, she’d surrender her own mother! The girl was a lightweight!
He wondered why she had chosen that particular screen name. Plain Jane. Not many women wanted to announces they were less than beautiful. But then ‘Jane’ didn’t want to talk about herself. She was more interested in getting him to walk the straight and narrow.
Chase smiled. How many times had she encouraged him to stay out of trouble and get a ‘real job’? His ‘Jane’ was a crusader. She cared about him in her way. She wanted to rescue her online pal from himself.
He sat up straight when a door opened on his IM. She was back. After a moment, a message popped up.
PlainJane415: I’m sorry. I’m in a foul mood. I shouldn’t take it out on you. Good night…
Da14u: Chase
PlainJane415: What?
Da14u: My name is Chase.
PlainJane415: Oh.
Da14u: What went wrong with your day, baby?
Kate could almost feel his friendly, supportive arm go around her. She was much more vulnerable to his gentleness than his charm.
PlainJane415: It’s the anniversary of my father’s death.
Da14u: *hugs* Aww… baby, I’m sorry.
PlainJane415: Thanks
One year since she had gone underground to protect herself and her grandfather from her father’s killers, leaving behind her real life.
Da14u: Wanna talk about it?
PlainJane415: No, but thanks for the offer.
Da14u: Anytime. Why don’t you have a glass of wine and just chill. You’ll feel better maybe.
PlainJane415: Not tonight
The screen was quiet for some time, then she typed.
PlainJane415: Kate
Da14u: What?
PlainJane415: My name is Kate.
Jackpot!
Da14u: Nice to meet you, Kate.
PlainJane415: Thank you, Chase. I’m going to go now.
Da14u: Have a good night. I’ll leave IM in case you need to talk.
PlainJane415: Thanks, but I won’t. Good night, Chase.
Da14u: Night, babe.
The door went closed again.
Okay, sensitivity won over charm when Kate was feeling down. She didn’t want to be beautiful; she wanted someone to care.
Kate was lonely.