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Stella214: No way! I just got home, and I look awful. The exchange of personal information is against the rules.
DanDad007: I doubt that. Rules are meant to be broken.
My fingers fidget, ghosting over the screen.
Stella214: Sendmea pic.
DanDad007: No way! I just got home, and I look awful. ;)
Stella214: Touche.
Our correspondence falls silent for a full day. My mood is reflective, and everyone notices. The only thing that makes me smile is a text from Lisa telling me that Jack, the guy from the bar, was asking about me.
Ping!
DanDad007: Let’s meet at Marcelo’s on Center Street.
My eyes round in surprise. The mention of the wine bar around the corner from my salon makes me think he’s local.
Stella214: I don’t drink wine. You’re from Camden?
DanDad007: Not originally. You? They have an extensive menu. You can have anything you want.
Anything thing I want…
Stella214: Born and raised. I didn’t realize you were in the area. What if what I want isn’t on the menu?
DanDad007: Did you change the radius reach? What is it that you want, Stella?
He thinks my name is Stella! I can understand the mistake since it’s the name on my profile. Little does he know I chose the name because of the beer I was drinking.
I reply,Don’t know what that is- running to Google. I want something bold and exciting but won’t leave me feeling bad the next morning.
DanDad007: I have what you’re looking for.
Part of me wants to confess that I was just trying to find out more about him for my daughter’s sake, but that’s no longer true.
Stella214: I know too many people in this town. Changing the radius reach before I shower and crawl into bed.
DanDad007: Thanks for the visual. Sweet dreams, Stella.
Stella214: Maybe I’ll meet the man of my dreams.
Oh, my God, what is wrong with me?I should not be flirting with this man. Burying my face in the pillow, I scream at my idiocy and instantly regret the message I just sent. Because of him, I eventually fall asleep with a satisfied smile on my face.
* * *
Diogi’s incessant barking awakens me. I toss the blanket off, grab my bathrobe and walk to the back door to let him out. He sets off the motion-sensored light and highlight the flurry of tiny flakes falling from the sky. Several inches are already piled on the picnic table. My snow-covered pup scratches at the door and pulls me from my thoughts about Tre hiking in this weather. I shiver as I yank the door open and notice Kylie’s car isn’t parked in its usual spot next to mine.
I walk through the kitchen, grab a towel from the linen closet, and dry Diogi off before we hop back into bed. Circling around to get comfortable like he usually does, he knocks the remote onto the floor. When I lean over the side of the bed to retrieve it, my hand finds the vibrator I forgot to put back in my drawer. While I touched myself, I imagined strong, rough hands massaging my skin and full lips kissing my mouth. His name was Tre, but his face belonged to Jack.
ChapterFour
Social media doesn’t steal hours of my day; I allow myself a few minutes in the morning and a few at night. Most of my online friends are mothers whose children went to school with Kylie, and people I grew up or worked with.
I scroll through my newsfeed and read Lisa’s post. She’s standing there with her arm around Jack’s waist. The hashtag reads, “PlayingWithFire.” His roguish grin is the same one he wore last weekend, and he looks gorgeous. If he took that hat off, he’d look even better. Distracted by his smile, my phone slips out of my hand and the unmistakable sound of my phone shattering makes me gasp.
The phone still works despite the broken screen, but I can’t access my apps. On Wednesday evening, I make a trip to the Apple Store to get an upgrade. When I’m finally able to get to the app, I see several text messages and a voice recording from Tre, asking why I’ve ghosted him. Again, the rasp in his voice suggests he’s got a sexy voice or is exhausted.
