Alex was sitting at the bar with his co-workers on Friday night after a long week when his phone buzzed in his pocket, which he found weird since everyone who texts him was sitting around the table with him. "What the hell," he whispered to himself as he looked at the name on his phone. "What was that?" one of his co-workers asked him. "Oh, nothing, just an old friend sent me a text out of the blue," he replied and then went back to the conversation with his co-workers without opening his phone to see what the text said. About an hour later, as he was leaving the bar to walk home, Alex pulled out his phone to read the text, "Hello, I'm sorry to bother you...but is this Alex?" Alex typed out a few replies, some more sarcastic than others, but finally settled on a simple, "Hello, this is Alex." After he sent the reply he found himself intrigued and excited for the reply.
The text was from a woman named Ruth. Alex and Ruth had known each other for close to ten years. Alex paid for college by working at a video store where Ruth began to work her senior year of high school. The two were fast friends, and there was some mild flirting, but Alex had a serious girlfriend and nothing had ever come of it. After he graduated, Alex proposed to his girlfriend and she said no - she had been cheating on him for the past year. When Ruth found out she began texting him more often, but she had recently entered into a serious relationship. Over the years there would be a text here and there, maybe even a chain of them for a three of four day period, but nothing substantial. From social media, Alex knew Ruth had married a guy a few years back and was working at a hotel in the city.
His phone vibrated as he entered his apartment:
Ruth: Good! I was flipping through the channels tonight and National Treasure was on, it made me think of you.
Alex: Ha. I lost track of how many times we had to watch that crap on repeat at the video store.
Ruth: I think it was close to 350, if I had to estimate.
Alex: That seems accurate. How are you?
Ruth: Good, I've been working a lot and also finishing up my degree. You?
Alex: What are you getting a degree in? I've been good, also working a lot. Moved about a year ago and I'm still trying to find my way around this place.
Ruth: I'm finishing up my bachelors in accounting. I'm working for a hotel at the front desk but they're letting me work a few hours a week with the accounting department to get experience and said they might hire me when I'm done with my degree.
Alex: That's awesome! I'm glad they're helping you out. Are you still at that little hotel downtown?
Ruth: I am, just celebrated my 5 year anniversary of working there!
Alex: I hope they had cake! How are your parents and sisters doing?
Ruth: They are good! Dad is retiring at the end of the month, mom still loves her job. Stacy graduated and moved to Arizona with her fiance, Kenzie is still in Colorado and has four kids now.
Alex: Dang! 4 kids?! I mean, everything else you said is impressive but 4 kids really seems crazy.
Ruth: Four kids under the age of 5. I don't know how she does it. How is your family?
Alex: Everyone is good. Mom and dad are celebrating Sarah finally moving out of the house, I think they were beginning to think she was going to live there forever.
The small talk about families and jobs went on until Alex fell asleep. When he woke up the next morning he had a good morning text from Ruth and the two texted back and forth all day while at work. They talked about a lot of things, but neither of them ever brought up relationships. After a week of texting all the time, Alex noticed Ruth had started flirting a little bit so he started flirting back.
One day when both Alex and Ruth were bored at work they started sending pictures back and forth - both of themselves and of random things in their offices. When Alex sent Ruth a picture of his outfit for the day she laughed and told him he did not match at all.
Alex: Hey now, no need to make fun of my lack of ability to match!
Ruth: Aw, did I hurt your feelings?
Alex: Maybe a little :p
Ruth: You love me, you know it.
Alex: You think so, huh?
Ruth: Mmhhmm
Alex: The world may never know
Ruth: Well maybe one day you'll admit it
Alex: And will you admit you love me?
Ruth: I thought you already knew I loved you
Alex: And here I thought you were just tolerating me :P
Ruth: If that's all you thought I was doing I must have lost my ability to flirt..
Alex: I didn't want to assume you were flirting with me, but I was hoping that's what was happening
Ruth: Good, I haven't lost it!
Later that evening while the two were texting, Ruth sent Alex a picture of her laying in bed with just a bra on. The text with the picture read, "I could really go for a good cuddle right now, it was a long day." Alex was a little taken-a-back, but also pretty excited about the development. He was ready to test some boundaries. He finally responded.
Alex: I'm a pretty decent cuddler, but sometimes my hands sometimes wander...
Ruth: Where would they wander to?
Alex: They would probably start on your stomach and I would softly run my fingers across your stomach, down by your waist band and then up your side and back down to your thigh
Ruth: That sounds really good to me. I wouldn't be able to help myself from pressing back against you. And what if you were laying on your back and I was cuddled up against you?
Alex: Hm...My hand would run up and down your back softly and slowly a few times until I got the guts to slide it further down and grab your ass. What would you do?
Ruth: I like the sound of that too. My hand would explore your chest, running up and down slowly and playing with the waist band of your pants as your hand ends up on my ass.
Alex: It probably wouldn't be long before I pull you on top of me
Ruth: And I would straddle your body, a leg on each side of your hips and a hand on each side of your head, and then I'd lean down and kiss you
Alex: My hands would find your hips and I would pull you down into me as I kiss you passionately, sliding my tongue past your lips
Ruth: I wouldn't be able to help myself, I would softly grind against you, feeling you and playing with your tongue
Alex: My hands would start wandering again, finding their way under your shirt to your bare skin as I run them up your back, around, and down your chest. I'd break our kiss to take your shirt off and then go back to kissing you
Ruth: If my shirt goes off yours has to too, I would sit up a little and pull you up to take it off then push you back down and start kissing your neck and shoulders
Alex: My hands would go back up your back and I would unhook your bra and slide it off your shoulders then pulling it off
Ruth: Mmm, you are a good cuddler. Maybe we can cuddle for real one day...but now that I'm all worked up I'm going to go to bed..
Alex: You don't have to go to bed yet...
Ruth: I probably should so we don't do something we might regret
Alex: I wouldn't, but I don't want to push you. You're a great cuddler too, I hope we can cuddle again soon. Good night, Ruth.
Ruth: Good night, Alex. I love you.
Alex: I love you too, sweet dreams.
Alex was even more confused, and horny, now. What did she mean by regret? Would she regret it because she's married and didn't want to cheat on him? Would she regret it because sexting is for 17 year olds in high school? He grabbed his laptop and went to facebook. He knew he could probably figure out his mom's facebook password pretty easily and logged in as her to look at Ruth's facebook page. Alex's mom had friended Ruth years ago, as weird mom's do on facebook, and he hoped they were still friends. Sure enough he was able to see her page. There were no pictures of the husband or comments from him in the past two years. Her relationship status wasn't on the page. Alex tried to find the husband on facebook but he didn't seem to have a profile. Alex decided he would ask Ruth about her relationship status the next day. Then he logged off his moms facebook and fantasized about what would have happened if he and Ruth kept going that night.
When Alex woke up the next morning he had a text waiting for him.