Chapter One
It had started so innocently. I had been in my favourite chat room, just fooling around in my own virtual way when my private message box flashed up. "You are funny" it said. I looked at the senders' nickname and it was one I didn't recognise. Wary at first I replied "Thanks. You have caught me on a good day." About thirty seconds later came the reply "Lucky me. Wanna chat?"
On that fateful first night we must have chatted and joked and laughed for about two hours and not a hint of sexuality was in the air. To be honest it made for a please change.
"Thanks for today." she messaged. "It is nice to find someone on here who actually wants to chat."
"LOL." I replied. "Ah yes, but we have only just met"
"Cheeky bugger!!" flashed the message back. "By the way, we have chatted so long and I still haven't asked how old you are."
"37" I responded.
"Wow, are you gonna be shocked? I'm 21" came the instant reply
I wasn't shocked and my ego definitely wasn't shocked that's for sure. "Nope, not shocked. Happy that an old codger like me can make you laugh." I pressed the send button.
"LOL. You do and anyway age isn't a barrier on here. Anyway, I have got to go. Will you be on here tomorrow?" came the message.
"Yep. More than likely. I seem not to have a life." Once again I hit the send button.
My message box flashed once again. "Me neither. I'll see you then but can you send me a pic of yourself. I'd like to see what you look like if that's OK." And so we exchanged e-mails, said our goodbyes and she left the chat room.
I sent her an email virtually straight away with a picture of myself and then went to bed. In the morning, she was still on my mind so I logged into my e-mail account with all the expectancy of a lovestruck teenager and there it was, a reply. Nervously, I opened not really knowing what I'd find. Did she like my pic? Has she sent me one? My eyes scanned the page. "Not bad for an old man!! LOL. Kinda cute in your own way and ooo, nice eyes." I laughed and read on. "Once again thanks for the chat. I do hope you are what I hope you to be. And as you sent me a pic, I have sent you one too. Hope you like. Chat soon......luv Becky....xx" I swore my hand was shaking as I opened the attachment. And up she popped. A green eyed, brown haired, smiling 21 year old and if I wasn't hooked before, I was now.
And as the days and weeks went on, Becky and I grew closer and closer. We had by now exchanged phone numbers and our conversations were getting steamier and steamier. I was totally amazed by it all. From what was a virtual world, it suddenly crossed into real life. Becky was real and I knew more about her in such a short space of time than I probably ever would have if we had met in a club or in a bar. I knew about her life, her work, her likes, her dislikes, what she did. Damn, I knew everything and she knew everything about me. And now it had hit me like a freight train. I was in love with her. Not a phony-internet-chat room love but real-life love. But how could I tell her without her running away? Hell, I couldn't even tell anybody about her for fear of being branded some cradle-snatching-internet-prowling weirdo. Nobody would understand. Nobody that is except Becky. And that was my problem. The one person who could help me in this situation was the situation. I would just have to tell her and cross all the obstacles as they came up. I took a deep breath and dialled her number.
Her answer machine kicked in and I patiently waited for the tone, which duly arrived. "Hi Becky, it's me Neil. Hope you are OK. Sorry I have missed you but I'll ring back later. There is er..er...something I need to tell you..er..er...I will ring back later babes and er...er...."
"Hey gorgeous." Becky interrupted. "Sorry, was in the bathroom. Oops, that's toilet to you. Is everything OK? You seem kinda puzzled."
"Hi babes. Yes everything is fine. Just need to say something to you that's all and I don't have an earthly where to begin." I replied, trying to get straight to the point. If it was going to end, I sure wasn't going to make it last.
"That's not like you hun. You know you can tell me anything. But you are starting to worry me now." She took a deep breath. "You are not...not.....going to end it are you?"
"No way. No, nothing like that." I heard a sigh of relief down the phone. "Just not sure how you are going to react to what I am going to say to you, that's all."
Becky laughed nervously. "It can't be that bad. Unless you have been lying to me." Her voice quickened. "You're married aren't you? You have kids? You are dying? You are...."
"Becky, I love you." I blurted out, halting her delirious questioning in her tracks. Silence. I knew she was still there as I could hear her breathing. "Becky? Talk to me....Please?"