This is a true story. Obviously, the name has been changed.
At thirty-six, I was at my peak-physically honed, emotionally scarred, and sexually charged. I am an Indian man, back then, from Durban, South Africa, navigating the chaos left behind by a long-term relationship that ended with betrayal by my best friend, and a dangerous love affair with a married Muslim woman that had burned too hot to survive (I will write of this at another time). That last one didn't end because we wanted it to-it ended because it had to. It was intense, passionate, and completely unsustainable.
So there I was, alone, with a mind that needed distraction. Facebook became my favourite playground. Late-night scrolling, casual comments, and flirtatious banter led me to Emma.
She was 26, a petite girl from Pietermaritzburg, recently separated, with a three-year-old child and a sharp tongue. We connected instantly. Her comment on a mutual post was laced with cynicism and cleverness. I echoed it, and she responded. That was the start.
Our chats quickly grew more frequent, more personal. She was witty, funny, bold, unfiltered. She told me she was living with her grandparents and in the thick of a messy divorce. After employing my detective skills. I found the number to her workplace and called her, unannounced. She answered, surprised but amused. That single call shifted the energy between us. She gave me her personal number, and the banter deepened.