Three nights a week, eleven until three. That was my hours, playing smooth jazz on the local radio station to an audience that could not sleep. I suppose I was one of them. I enjoyed it. It passed on those hours that I used to spend chatting to strangers on the internet whilst my husband slept peacefully in our bed. Atleast he knew where I was.
I had been a DJ for three months. I was surprised I got the job after the interview. The station was one of several city stations that reached out to its population. It played nothing else but jazz and soul and it was popular. Even I used to listen to those late night DJ's and the call-ins from people who either wanted company or just be part of the show. The boss said I had a sweet sexy voice. I liked that and within two days I was in the studio doing my own show.
Then it happened. He was the sixth caller that night. He requested his favourite tracks and Eddy the controller found them as usual on his database. We played them as part of the schedule as the night drew on. He would not give his name and called himself simply "Mister" as we chatted on air, talking about music and what he liked for almost ten minutes. I loved his voice, it was smooth and calming and addictive.
"I'm glad they put a lady on the late show," he told me. "It makes it much nicer to listen to. I can picture you sat there by the mic. I bet you look cool and sexy." I did not reply and asked him for his requests as I saw Eddy grinning at me in the control room through the soundproof window. "Don't change the subject. I think you are wonderful." I put the next track on for the listeners and listened to the caller one to one.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"It doesn't matter," he replied. I tried to picture him in my mind. The owner of such a sexy voice, the smooth talking stranger that he was. Eddy gestured through the window to cut him off like all of the others that became intimate. What he was hoping and wishing for was a caller on the verge of suicide to add drama to the show, which never happened and yet probably never would. I was hooked onto the callers voice and I listened intently.
"Why don't you tell me your real name? They never show pictures of the late night DJ's. Why not?" he asked. "If you look as sexy as your voice, I don't blame them. They want to keep you for themselves. Hiding away from the public and adding torture to the whole mystery of it all."
"Candice is my real name." I replied.
"No it isn't. Let me guess," he paused and then began to list a bunch of names one after the other slowly as I listened. Then he said it and took me by surprise. "Karen... your name is Karen, I feel it."
"Wait..." I looked at Eddy shrugging and smiling. "How did you know?" I instantly assumed that Eddy had given away my name, but that was impossible. I would have heard him on the link. "Ok, now you tell me yours. It's only fair." He remained silent for a few seconds.
"Mister is all you get. That is...unless you want to meet me somewhere sexy lady." I knew it was the usual patter and I played along with him with the usual standard replies. I told him I was just a radio DJ with a real life beyond the airwaves. I told him he was entitled to his fantasies and that they were harmless fun. I asked him kindly to continue listening and take care. Then I cut him off with the usual goodbye. Eddy gave me the thumbs up and it was back to business.
From that night onwards I had never given "Mister" a second thought. I went home safely after doing the shows and lay beside my husband. We were married just two years almost after a long relationship out of wedlock. We loved each other passionately and he was the only man in my life and all I ever dreamed of in a partner. Sex was good and we enjoyed each others company.
Robert was a successful architect for a huge company. I was a homemaker with very few ambitions of my own. I wanted to be an ideal lover, submissive even, yet Robert was not a domineering person generally or sexually. We played out our fantasies in private, enjoying the thrills of experimental sex. Quite often we would watch pornographic videos together, picking up new ideas. And then for extra fun, we would even put on the camera and make our own home videos whilst we made love.
We had no plans for a family, as his work was very important, he believed children would spoil the karma and balance of our whole relationship and I respected that. Our friends were all professional people and that was our life-style, remaining firmly within a certain group and community and never straying beyond that world we were part of, except when I found the chat forums on the internet.
I could not sleep for hours like most people. All I needed was a few short hours of slumber and then I was refreshed. Often Robert would go to bed and I would be awake, reading, listening to music or watching TV and then one night I discovered how one could play and pretend to be someone else...on the world wide web.
Soon I discovered a way of sharing my fantasies with total strangers through cybersex and idle chatter, hidden safely behind a computer screen, a microphone and the keyboard. No cameras as I wanted to remain mysterious and partly unknown. I could be whoever I wanted to be and then I realised how pathetic things were becoming.
The radio DJ arrangement became open and I decided to go for it. I noticed the ad in the local city newspaper and I walked through the interviews and trial so easily. I was accepted and began the late night work without any problems.
A week went by and I had never heard from "Mister" again until he called on air with more requests.
"Hi, remember me Candice?" I could recognise his voice so clearly and in a way I was secretly hoping that he would call back sometime. He began to talk about the way things were in the city regarding its rising crime rate that dominated the latest subject and news. I replied casually with my open thoughts and opinions, and then played the next track after ten minutes conversation. He stayed online to talk to me.
"Karen, I missed you. Why did you cut me off the other night?" he asked.
"I didn't cut you off. This is a busy radio show and there were other callers." I explained. His voice was the same, so smooth and sexy, conjuring up those images of what he looked like in my mind, but he was serious. I could sense he was not happy with cutting our conversation shorter than he wanted.
"You have not even asked me how I knew your real name." I listened. "Aren't you even curious? I mean, atleast ask me so I can tell you. Go ahead ask me?" His voice became demanding and somehow I found it even sexier as I listened. "Ask me Karen. You know you want to."
"Ok, how did you know?"
"I found out about you. I have friends in certain...places? They tell me everything I need to know. But don't worry I'm not stalking you or anything. I don't want to hurt you or your husband. I noticed how close you two are and that is so cool."
