Virtually Yours: A Virtual Match Anthology

by Kait Nolan

  MANDY: Um…have you ever thought about maybe getting together?

  His stomach did a flip flop. What do you mean?

  MANDY: I mean us meeting. Getting together somewhere face to face.

  BILL: You know it’s against the rules at Virtual Match.

  There was a pause, and he thought maybe she wasn’t going to answer. Had he said the wrong thing, reminding her of the terms of service at Virtual Match? Then he finally saw the words on his screen.

  MANDY: I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.

  BILL: No, that’s ok, I just don’t want to get in trouble.

  MANDY: No one would have to know, would they?

  He thought about that for a moment. I guess there’s no way for them to know. It’s not like they’re monitoring our movements. But…what if they’re monitoring our conversations? I’m using their account, so they could do that if they wanted to. They might be aware, right this minute, that we’re having this conversation.

  MANDY: Oh.

  BILL: But maybe not. *grin*

  MANDY: Well, let’s not take a chance. I’m a paying customer, so what can they really do to me? But you could lose your job. I don’t want that to happen.

  BILL: I do have another job, so it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

  MANDY: Yeah, the insurance job.

  He hesitated then typed, About that. That’s part of my profile. But it isn’t true. I’m not really an insurance salesman. I’m sorry I lied to you.

  MANDY: Don’t be sorry. I understand about the profile. I know your name probably isn’t Bill. And mine’s not Mandy.

  BILL: I’m definitely not a Bill. LOL. And I figured you weren’t Mandy.

  MANDY: So…if we do ever decide to meet, then we can tell each other our real names. How does that sound?

  Butterflies flitted around in his stomach at the thought of meeting her and telling her his real name. It actually sounds really nice. But we need to think about this.

  MANDY: No pressure. I probably shouldn’t have brought it up. But I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Have you?

  He wasn’t going to lie to her. Yes, I have.

  Again, he waited for her to answer. There had been a lot of pauses tonight. Then he saw, I’m glad you’ve thought about it, too. I thought maybe it was just me.

  BILL: No, it’s not just you. To be honest, I’m kind of scared, though.

  MANDY: Me, too. I think I hear my mother calling me, so I better go. Can we talk later tonight?

  He typed, Sure. Later.

  ~*~

  Anna was generally a very truthful person. That’s why she was hit with a surge of guilt when she told Bill her mother was calling her. The truth was, her stomach was so tied up in knots at the thought of meeting him, she couldn’t handle talking to him. She knew this was stupid and childish, but she couldn’t help it.

  The next thing she knew, her mother was calling her. If she’d just waited a few minutes, she could have told him the truth. She smiled at that, and her anxiety went down a notch or two.

  “Anna, you have a visitor,” her mother said after rapping lightly on the door. “Could you make yourself presentable and come down for a moment?”

  Anna looked down at herself. Wasn’t she always presentable? She sighed, knowing what her mother expected of her, so she changed into a knee-length, flowing dress. She had to admit, it made her feel good to look in the mirror and see how nice she looked in the pink and purple floral print. Brian had always criticized her, no matter how hard she tried. She lifted her chin. Those days were over!

  She had expected to see one of her old friends waiting in the parlor, but she was surprised to find a gentleman she didn’t recognize.

  “Oh, there you are,” said Constance. “Anna, I want you to meet Darren Frazier, the son of an old friend. Darren, this is my daughter, Anna.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Anna,” said Darren, taking her hand and holding it a little too long for her comfort.

  “And you. I don’t remember you from when I grew up here.”

  He smiled. “I’m fairly new in town. I bought the old Kruger place. It’s taking a lot of time and money to fix it up, but it’ll be worth it.”

  “Anna, I thought it would be nice for Darren to come and take you to dinner. You haven’t really been out much since you came home, so it might be a welcome change.”

  Anna’s first inclination was to refuse, especially since she was supposed to talk to Bill later tonight. But it would be nice to make some new friends, and she should probably give him a chance.

  “I would like that, Darren, as long as Mother didn’t coerce you into it.”

  “Of course she didn’t. It would be my pleasure to take you to dinner.”

  That’s how she ended up riding into town in Darren’s bright red Porsche 911 GT3. This was a one hundred and fifty thousand dollar car! That was even out of the price range of Brian’s friends.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “I thought we’d go to The Yacht.”

  She was glad she’d put on a dress before she had come down to meet Darren. The Yacht was the most exclusive restaurant in town. It actually was a yacht in a small lake, permanently docked. She had been there a few times with her parents years ago. The food was excellent.

  After they were seated, Anna smiled. “So, Darren, what do you do for a living?”

  He frowned. “I really don’t have to work. Why would I do something for a living?”

  “Um, well, what do you do for fun?”

  “I love to sail. And I like to hang out with my friends at the country club. I play tennis a few times a week. I have to stay fit, you know.”

  He winked at her, but she tried to pretend she didn’t notice. She asked Darren a few more questions about himself, which apparently was his favorite subject. Her eyes felt like they were glazing over as she tried to focus on what he was saying. But he was saying so much.

  A couple caught her eye as they made their way to a table on the other side of the room. She would know that walk anywhere. It was Luke. At first, she thought he was with a date, and it made her feel funny inside. But then she realized he was with Lucy. When had she grown up?

  When they were seated, Luke happened to glance in her direction. Their eyes met and held. His seemed to be smoldering, but with what emotion, Anna wasn’t sure. Anger? Passion?

  “Hello? Earth to Anna!”

  She turned her attention back to her date. “I’m sorry. My brain isn’t focusing well tonight. I think I’m just tired.”

  “Not too tired for dessert, I hope.”

  She glanced over at Luke. “No, I think I can handle dessert.”

  Of course, it didn’t have anything to do with the fact she wanted to look at Luke for a little while longer. She wished she knew what had happened all those years ago when he’d suddenly decided he wasn’t going to talk to her anymore. It wasn’t a whole lot better now. He didn’t like her. But he didn’t really know her.

  “Anna. Our dessert is here.” She didn’t even remember ordering it.

  “Good. I can’t wait to try it,” she said with a smile.

  When they were getting ready to leave, Anna couldn’t help walking by Luke’s table, although Darren frowned at the detour. She walked up to the table and took a deep breath.

  “Hi, Luke. Lucy. I just wanted to come over and tell you both how sorry I am about your father. He was a good man, and I know you’ll miss him terribly.”

  “Thank you, Anna,” said Lucy. “We’ll definitely miss him. But he’s in a better place now, with no pain.”

  Luke had yet to say anything. Anna glanced at him, but he was still looking at her with those steel gray eyes. She refused to be intimidated by any man now that she was free of Brian. “Luke, are you doing okay?”

  He stared at her for another moment, but then he finally said, “I’m fine. Thanks for asking. And I appreciate you coming to the funeral.”

  Anna could see Darren fidgeting out of the corner of he
r eye, and it was clear he had no interest in being introduced. He was ready to go. “Well, I guess I better go. Nice to see you both.”

  When they arrived at her house, Darren asked, “You don’t have to go in right now, do you?”

  “I’m tired. I really need to rest.”

  “But I thought we could sit out here and…talk.”

  She looked at him and realized he had more than talking on his mind. Besides, she was anxious to talk to Bill. “I’m really sorry. Maybe another time.” Yeah, a cold day in July.

  “Okay, whatever. I’ll see you later,” He pushed his lip out the tiniest bit. Was he seriously pouting?

  “Goodnight.”

  He hadn’t even offered to walk her to the door, but she was actually relieved. She hadn’t wanted to risk the possibility of a goodnight kiss.

  Anna ran up the stairs and to her room. She changed into her pajamas as quickly as she could then sat down and opened up chat on her computer.

  Chapter Nine

  Luke said goodnight to his sister and went to his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He’d told his sister about his job at Virtual Match, but he would have been embarrassed for her to see him chatting with his virtual girlfriend.

  He opened up chat and saw he already had a message from Mandy. It said, Are you there? He hoped she hadn’t waited too long.

  BILL: I’m here now. I just got back from dinner.

  MANDY: I haven’t been here long, either. Did you enjoy your dinner?

  He smiled. Are you fishing to see if I had a date?

  MANDY: No. Well, maybe.

  BILL: LOL. I was with family.

  MANDY: That’s good to know.

  He hesitated with his fingers over the keyboard. Then he typed, I’ve been thinking about what you said about meeting each other. The more I thought about it, the more I want to do it. I don’t care if I lose this job. It’s more important to meet you.

  MANDY: Really? I want to meet you, too. Every day, I want that more and more. Does that sound silly?

  BILL: No. I feel the same way. Talking to you this way has been so much fun. I feel like I’ve known you forever.

  He saw her type, I know! Like we were meant to meet. But what if we live on the other side of the country from each other?

  His heart sank. Oh, that’s right. You did say you were from California.

  MANDY: But I don’t live there now. I’m in Alabama.

  BILL: Really? Me, too! I wonder if VM actually puts people together that live in the same area. Maybe they actually want people to meet up. I never even thought about that! Maybe it being against the rules makes people want to meet that much more. And VM knows that!

  MANDY: How close are you to Huntsville?

  BILL: Pretty close. You?

  MANDY: Yeah, me, too. Maybe that would be a good place to meet.

  He typed, I think that’s a good idea. Next Saturday? For lunch?

  MANDY: That sounds wonderful! Where?

  He thought a moment. If you like German food, how about the Ol Heidelberg Café?

  MANDY: I love German food! It’s a date! It really is, isn’t it? A date, I mean.

  BILL: Yes, that’s how I think of it. So how will I know you?

  She didn’t answer for a couple of minutes. Then, I’ll get there at 11:30, so you can shoot for 12:00. That way, the hostess or server can show you to my table. I’ll give them both our names. I’ll be wearing a red lace blouse.

  He tried to picture her in the blouse, but someone else’s face kept popping into his head. He pushed the image back. I look forward to meeting you, Mandy. We’ll be calling each other something different that day.

  MANDY: Yes, we will, won’t we? Do you think this is really meant to be?

  BILL: I do. It’s fate. I’m not going to fight it.

  MANDY: Me, either. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay? I need to get some sleep. And to think about this a bit.

  He smiled. I’m glad you’ll be thinking about it. I will, too. I can’t wait. Goodnight, sweet girl.

  MANDY: Goodnight.

  ~*~

  It was really going to happen! She was going to meet Bill…or whatever his name really was. Saturday!

  Anna went to her closet and started looking through her clothes. The closet was full, and yet, she couldn’t find anything she wanted to wear to meet him. Everything she pulled out was all wrong. Too pretentious. Too fancy. Not feminine enough. Too feminine.

  She sat down on the bed and took a deep breath. This was going to have to stop. If he didn’t like her for who she was, she didn’t need him. Did she need him? She knew she wanted him in her life. But she didn’t need anyone. Not anymore. She didn’t need a man to validate her. But she wanted him. She didn’t know where this would go, but if she didn’t take a chance, she would never know if this was the man for her. She’d thought Brian was. She had always believed marriage was forever, and it should have been. Brian had been the one to break the tie that joined them together as man and wife. And now, she was ready to trust someone else. She would never be a victim again, but she wouldn’t harden her heart, either.

  Anna went back to the closet, pulled out the red lace blouse she now remembered she’d told him she would be wearing, and grabbed a pair of jeans. This was good enough. Now, if only Saturday would hurry and come.

  “Anna, may I come in?” said her mother through the door.

  “Sure,” she said, hurriedly putting the clothes on top of a box in her closet. She closed the door before her mother stepped in.

  “I wanted to see how your date with Darren went. You went straight to your room and didn’t stop to talk to me,” she said, sitting down on the bed.

  “I’m sorry, I was just tired,” Anna said.

  “Did you have a good time?” Constance asked.

  “Yes, it was pleasant. I saw Luke and Lucy there.”

  Her mother frowned. “I’m surprised. How can they afford such a place?”

  “You know, Mother, every once in a while, you have to splurge to make yourself feel better. I’m sure they don’t eat there often. They just lost their father, so I guess they needed something special.”

  Her mother looked contrite. “I suppose you’re right. I shouldn’t have been so judgmental about it.”

  Anna looked at her in surprise. “Did I actually hear you say that?”

  “Anna, I’m not the snob you think I am. Yes, I believe nothing good comes of mixing social classes simply because it makes some people feel uncomfortable if they have nothing in common. It’s not that I think I’m better than anyone else. On the contrary, I’ve tried to get help for the people on the south side. “

  Anna suddenly felt bad for misjudging her mother. “I’m sorry, Mother. I’ve just grown up with all these snobs, and I never felt like I fit in with any of them. I only hung out with Shea and the other two because I was expected to stay within the same circle as you and dad.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t pay more attention to the things that really mattered. When you were growing up, this was all new to me, too. Your father had more money than I had ever imagined possible, and it went to my head. I wanted only the best for you. Since you’ve been gone, I’ve grown a bit wiser.”

  “I know you wanted the best for me, Mother, but maybe the daughters of your friends weren’t the best for me. Shea’s not a nice person.”

  Her mother frowned. “How so?”

  “I don’t want to go into it. Let’s just say she hasn’t changed a lot through the years and leave it at that. I don’t plan on seeing her anymore.”

  “That’s your choice, dear. Her parents are good people, though.”

  “I know they are. They just gave her too much, and that made her feel entitled. I’m glad I didn’t make the same choices she did.”

  Her mother rose and started toward the door. She turned back and said, “I’ve always just wanted you to be happy. You know I love you, don’t you?”

  “Of course I know that.”

  Anna went to her
mother and hugged her. Constance hugged her back then stepped away, a wide smile on her face. “Sweet dreams, dear.”

  Anna turned off the light and got under the covers. She felt like this was the beginning of a new life where she made her own choices, and no one was going to tell her what to do. Life was finally good.

  Chapter Ten

  Saturday seemed to take forever, but it finally came. Anna and Bill had been talking every day, and she was feeling closer and closer to him. But what if they met and didn’t like each other? Was she making a big mistake? She needed to stop second guessing this. The date was set, and she was going. And if it didn’t work out, then it didn’t. She was tired of living her life in fear and submission to others. It was time to take a chance on something.

  She had told her mother last night that she was going to spend the day in Huntsville, and her mother had wanted to tag along, but Anna had told her she wanted to spend some time alone. Which was actually true, because she would be spending time alone in the car to think about things. And she did need that. Her mother didn’t need to know there were other things on her agenda.

  She dressed in the red lace blouse she’d told Bill she would be wearing and put on the jeans she had decided on. She wore her long hair loose. Donning a pair of red sandals, she started out to her car.

  By the time she arrived in Huntsville, she was a nervous wreck. A part of her wanted to turn around and head back to Palmer and play it safe. But she knew she wouldn’t do that. She was a little early to the restaurant, so she sat in her car trying to slow down her racing heart. She was losing that battle.

  When eleven-thirty rolled around, Anna got out of the car and entered the restaurant on shaking legs. The hostess showed her to the table, and she ordered a large glass of iced tea. Then when it arrived, she was afraid to drink too much of it for fear she’d have to go to the bathroom and miss him coming in. She sipped it slowly and waited, her heart feeling like it would pound out of her chest.