"Are you really trying to meet up with him again? What is this, the third time he's bailed on you?" I could tell in her voice she was livid and I understood her concern for what I was getting myself into. I knew the situation was tired and even a bit pathetic. But I loved him - even if in my core I could tell it was toxic and likely a red flag.
"He has really bad social anxiety, Piper, and we've been talking for like four years - there's no way someone would fake that for that long," I responded as I listened to her rustling on the other end of the phone, likely trying to convince herself not to come out to take me back home.
"That's bullshit, Lyla, you and me both know it. If he's some Brazilian model, then he's got money and literally in front of people all of the time. You realize this, right? Like why do we have to keep going over this?" Her voice had that tinge in it in which I knew she was on the brink of frustration tears and it tugged at a part in my chest. Maybe I was being irrational - even if this time I had a feeling something would be different. My jaw clenched as my eyes lifted to glance along the coffee shop, it remained mostly empty and I could feel the familiar sensation of fear creeping in.
"Sorry Piper, if he doesn't show up in fifteen - I will let you know and can come pick me up, okay?" It had been my usual get out of jail free card and as my best friend - she was always good for it.
"Yeah, I got you. If you don't call I will show up anyways and embarrass you as if I was your mom. Now order yourself a coffee and maybe talk to a real person or two - can't hurt."
I gave an audible click of my tongue but a smile pulled my lips and I could hear her holding back a giggle.
"Kay, goofy. Will talk to you later." I huffed, standing to move toward the counter - eager to distract myself with a warm drink and a muffin.
"See ya, stay safe - slut."
Before I could respond, the call ended and I was at the counter - the warmth of coffee and baked goods stronger at the plexiglass display case of sugary confections. The barista appeared from the backroom, pressing the door with his hip as he brought a new array of donuts, fresh and seemingly kissed by the gods. He was a younger guy, younger than me anyways as I was in my early thirties and he seemed just out of high school. He gave a half grin upon seeing me, his brown gaze shifting from my face to my chest in a deft flick. As his eyes dipped, mine did as well - *Hello my name is Darin.*
"Afternoon, how can I help you?," he chimed, a tinge of red beginning to show in his cheeks. I smirked, pressing up onto my toes and ensuring the heft of my breasts were resting on the counter as I eyed the new round of sweets.
"Mmmn, just peeping what you got there, Darin and would like a caramel iced coffee - which one of those would you recommend?" I was using my coy voice, tilting my head and watching his lips and his eyes. They darted once more to my chest and it was followed by an elongated blink. I was never really a sexual deviant and I was wholly dedicated to Gabrielo despite our ever present issues, but I did feel a tinge of power looming in my actions as I watched his reaction to the creamy puff of my breasts threatening to pop out of my blouse.
"Uhm, I like the cream filled ones," he croaked, a deeper hue of red spreading along his cheeks. I let out a giggle, lofting a brow as my voice dropped an octave,
"I bet you do, hm? One of your favorites then and an iced coffee - caramel, please." He only responded with clearing his throat and nodding, his stilted shifting telling more than anything else. I paid for my order and let him know where I'd be sitting as he remained speechless. It was strange, but intriguing. I wasn't the least bit attracted to him, but the fact I knew he was likely thinking about my breasts made me feel I had something over him - some sort of sexual leverage.
I wasn't the succubus type of woman, either. A very plain Jane, civil engineer for our little city, aunt to four little heathens and serial picker of men who turned out to be terrible. I did go through a minor stint while in college of being a cam girl but I never enjoyed the attention and I was always a bit shy about my weight. I lost most of my college weight, though but seemed to retain "birthing hips" as Piper called them paired with "mommy milkers" - but I never really dressed provocatively. My career and education always took precedence over wanting to look good for anyone but myself. And if I was clean and comfy, I was looking good enough for me. Though I did decide to wear a tight blouse and a pushup bra in hopes that if I did get to meet Gabrielo he would praise me as much as he did in our messages.
I sat at my table, thumbing through my phone and sending a quick question mark and a sad emoji to Gabrielo. Our previous chat history was littered with flirts, emojis and nudes. Mostly my nudes, of course but there were times in which he would send dark grainy videos of him jerking off. That and the fact I had spoke to him almost every day on the phone made me believe he was real and not just some Nigerian scammer. It was hard to explain that to Piper and my family so I never divulged. It did make me feel crazy, of course.
As I sat looking through my phone, I realized I had been in the café two hours past our initial meeting time. Devastation hit, as it had each and every time, I realized just how far I was willing to go for this person who couldn't simply respect me enough to keep a date. I began spamming texts, saying how I never wanted to talk to him again - my eyes welled in tears as I started to leave the café. I was too flustered to even look where I was going. I could see him responding, the ellipses constant as he attempted to respond but I kept typing, as I started down the sidewalk - headed toward the park so I could cry and call Piper to save me.
Walking down the sidewalk, tears streaming down my cheeks and attempting to hide my face from random pedestrians - someone called my name. I stopped immediately, my heart in my throat as my eyes raised and a man jogged toward me with a hood pulled over his head. He was slightly familiar as if I had seen him before but I didn't know him nor had any idea why he would be calling my name.
"Hey, Lyla - hey... uhm..." He started as he approached me, my brows furrowed in confusion and frustration. Words wanted to come out but I was not one for confrontation and from the looks of it whoever he was, he wasn't either.
"I know this is confusing, okay? But I'm Gabe - I uhm," his brows furrowed as my eyes darted along his features. He was handsome but not the man whom he'd been sending me pictures of. My head shook and tilted, eyes still brimming over with tears as I stood there - confused, hurt, angry, surprised. Every emotion possible in the situation was washing over me.
"W-what do you mean?" I was able to sob out, a tinge of fear creeping in as I stared at this slightly familiar stranger speaking to me as if he was my boyfriend.
"Lilybean, I promise it's me - I uhm... it's a long story," his voice lowered some and he glanced back over his shoulder before bringing his gaze back to mine.
"I can take you to my place and explain everything, just promise not to freak out."
My brows furrowed deeper as my eyes fluttered, fingers white knuckled around my phone. He knew my pet name, he sounded like Gabrielo but he wasn't the tanned athletic man that I'd become obsessed with. He was Asian and a lot shorter than I imaged but still a few inches taller than me.
"Are you really Gabe?" I asked, chewing the inside of my bottom lip.
"I swear, like I said - I will explain I just... don't want to in public, you'll understand - I promise. I promise on Niko's life." He swore, raising a hand and the other on his chest. I knew Niko was his cat and from everything he was telling me, he WAS my boyfriend but looked nothing like him.
"I'll let Piper know, but... this is very weird," my words seemed to betray the welling fear still in my core. Even if it wasn't him - why did he know so much? All of that intimate information... for what?
He gave a wide smile, his teeth were white and he had a gold one on the left side. His appearance was far more rough and alternate than what I had always expected of him.
"I'm just parked over here, listen I'm not a weirdo - I mean I am but like I am not going to hurt you or anything. I do love you," he nodded in a direction to where he was parked and we began to move that way.
