Chapter 2- An Unexpected Prospect
Marcelle woke up the next morning in her bed all alone. She ran her hand across the vacant side of the bed and sighed. She was always alone, and to top it all, she felt so drained as if she hadn’t slept or dreamed.
It wasn’t like waking up yesterday afternoon after her nap with Charles. She had truly felt refreshed then. That was something she hadn’t felt since–well–since before she got pregnant with Charles.
With a sigh, she turned over in bed, threw the covers off, and rolled out. Naked as the day she was born, Marcelle wore nothing to bed when she slept. She hated how clothing made her feel like she was being strangled in the night, but oh how she loved the feeling of silky lingerie as it caressed her skin any other time.
Walking into her private bathroom, she used the facilities and then took a shower. When she got out she dressed for work. Makeup first. Just a splash of rouge around the eyes, eyeliner, mascara, and lipgloss to make her lips look like candy. Then a pretty bra with matching thong panties. Socks. A simple company shirt. Tight high-rise boot-cut jeans. A belt, and lastly boots. Confident in her appearance, she left and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.
It wasn’t until she made breakfast and called Charles to come eat that she finally picked up her phone and keyed around until she brought up her new dating app. As soon as it launched her phone exploded with notifications. She had five hundred messages. Over a thousand favorites, and a thousand hearts on her pictures. She went from pleasantly surprised to hyperventilating!
“Charles!” She shrieked.
—-(!)—-
I heard the panic in mom’s voice as she called my name from the kitchen, so I finished tying my shoelaces, grabbed my pack, and trotted to the kitchen.
“What’s up mom,” I asked.
Her face was an expression of complete horror as she held out her hand with the phone to me.
“I–I can’t do this!” She almost cried as I took her phone.
To be honest, I was floored at how much response mom got. I had just checked my profile and I had only twenty or so responses and all of them were bot accounts created by the company.
“Wow,” I said, my tone reflecting my surprise. Then I grinned as I decided to tease mom a little, “Well, it looks like you are a sensation!”
“No joking, please,” Marcelle chided, “I–can’t handle this. Just–just delete my profile!”
“Look,” I said as I sat down next to her and moved so she could see her screen, “Most of this you can just ignore. See here, this just means that your profile was looked at by this person. And you can ignore the likes on your photos. That only leaves you messages. Just, go through them carefully.”
“But, Charles, ten thousand emails!” Mom complained.
“Well,” I said, “Why not set it so you look at them from oldest to newest? Those would be the first ones that saw your profile and responded. Then, only read them until you find someone you’re interested in and delete the rest. None of these guys have any strings on you. You go as fast or slow as you want. This is for your enjoyment and the betterment of your life. Remember that!”
With that, I handed her phone back to her. She nodded, her expression more stalwart, and then promptly put her phone down and made a plate of food for me to eat.
“This is awesome mom, thank you,” I said gratefully while making yummy sounds.
Marcelle looked over her profile as I ate. I finished up and then said goodbye, “Love you, mom. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
“I love you too,” She replied, and then I leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek on the edge of her beautiful mouth. I tried really hard not to think about what we did just yesterday, but it was hard and it took everything in me not to accidentally kiss her full on the lips.
Then, I left.
—-(!)—-
There was still a little time before she needed to leave for work, so, tentatively, she tapped the first message. It was from a man named David, and read:
“Wow! Just wow!
I just saw your profile pics and you’re a fucking hottie!
Wanna hook up? I could drill you so hard you’ll scream!”
At the bottom, there was an accompanying pic of his erect dick!
“NOPE!” She gasped as she hit the delete icon.
The next five men she didn’t even get past the message title. The next seven were much like the first braggadocious requests to hook up and how they could satisfy her. Every one of them sent pics of their dicks. Like that was all she was interested in. Sure a fine dick was a fine dick, but if that was all she wanted she already had HAL, Ed, and Marvin. Did none of these men understand that she was looking for a companion? Someone to talk to. Someone to hang out with. Someone to share her hopes, dreams, and life with.
She almost shut down the app but instead tried one more message. The title read, “Write me and Escape…”
Marcelle immediately laughed thinking of an old eighties song about a man and woman that cheated on each other with each other by submitting a ‘Personal’ in the Magosa Escort newspaper. When they met they discovered they were both planning to cheat and leave the other, but instead of getting upset with each other, they realized that they were both bored with their lives. They learned something new about each other in their correspondence and used the opportunity to rediscover each other and their passion for one another.
“Strange,” Marcelle mumbled as she tapped the sender’s name, “He has my son’s middle name. Maybe it’s a sign.”
For the next few minutes, she checked out his profile. She was disappointed that there were no pics, but what she read had her very interested. Finally, she returned to her email and deleted all of the other messages, and then wrote a reply to Everett:
“Hello Everett,
Promising start. I like your sense of humor. You’re right though, I like taking it slow. It has been a long time since I have even considered dating, and well, what I’ve seen so far for choices in men hasn’t been promising. So, congrats!
By the way, I am in good health, and in better humor now. Thank you.
So, tell me, what brings you to this site? And, what is your goal?
To answer my own questions: First, I’m a 30-year-old single mom. I’ve raised my son to be a fine young man and fear he may be leaving me soon. I’ve done my job to the best of my ability. Now, I guess, it’s time I focus on myself. Second, I’ve realized I’m lonely. Not by myself ‘lonely’, after all, I have my son. No, I’m lonely for a companion to share my life with. A true partner. So, that is my goal; find a true companion.
So wow, that was intense. Also, maybe share something light-hearted and fun that you enjoy.
Until next time, Silvermane”
Once Marcelle finished her note, she looked at the time and cursed, “Shit!”
Jumping up from sitting at the dining table, she bolted for the door. She had to hurry, or she was going to be late for work!
—-(!)—-
I kept my head down once I got to school. I wasn’t sure how things had played out after I left, but I was pretty sure everyone knew by now that I asked Madison out and was rejected. What I didn’t expect was the complete lack of anything. No one said a thing.
I found my group of friends in the yard before the doors opened. Randy Berkshire. He stood a little shorter than me but he was broader across the shoulders and built heavier too. He wore his brown hair in a shoulder-length mullet. He was also always bragging about fucking whichever girl he was dating most recently. I tended to believe that he was full of shit.
Then there was Lana Deep, her name was actually Alaina Deep, but she preferred Lana. It kept her from punching guys’ teeth down their throats when they decided to make a pun on her name. Everyone still remembers Bryan Stenson. In the seventh grade, she sent him home with two missing teeth and a broken nose because he called her ‘I wanna’t Deep’. No one ever called her that again.
What is funny is Lana isn’t a big girl. Actually, she is rather small. She stopped growing at 4 feet 10 inches. She has also built petite. Sporting only large A-cups or small B-cup breasts on a 26-inch chest, her waist was only 18 inches around, and her hips and ass measurement was 30 inches.
She hated it. She was always complaining that she still bought her clothes in the junior’s or children’s departments. None of us ever laughed. We all remembered Bryan Stenson.
Other than her temper and short stature, Lana was really very pretty. Not my type, but still, very attractive. She had this untamable curly black hair that seemed to make her seem larger than she really was. It fell all the way to her knees. She had once said that her parents had never cut her hair, and I believe it. Usually, though, she kept her hair in a large, kind of wild, braid that looked like it might break loose at any moment. Also, I don’t know what her heritage is, but she had these amazing, startling, iceberg-blue eyes, and skin the color of white marble.
Actually, now that I thought about it, Lana was actually very–very attractive. The guy that did finally catch her would be lucky indeed.
“Morning Charles,” Lana greeted as I walked up.
“Morning Lana. Morning Randy,” I returned.
“What happened to you yesterday?” Lana asked, “We missed you.”
“I wasn’t feeling it,” I said, “So, I went home.”
Lana looked perplexed but didn’t say anything else. Randy though, gave me a knowing smirk before cutting his eyes to Lana.
“You asked her out didn’t you?” Randy said.
“What?” Lana gasped.
“Is that what’s going around,” I asked.
Lana and Randy both returned perplexed expressions.
“I didn’t know anything until just now,” Lana said, “Though if I had I would have told you not to. She doesn’t date. Something about her folks. Some religious thing. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.”
“I didn’t hear anything either,” Randy said, “I just assumed by your gloomy expression this morning.”
“Huh,” I mumbled, then nodded as I admitted, Kıbrıs Escort “Yeah, I asked her out. Sure wish I knew about the whole not dating thing. Thanks, Lana, for that…”
“Hey, don’t blame me that you got shot down,” Lana replied, “It’s a well-known fact that Madison Fairchild doesn’t date.”
I had to admit that I should have known. Still, surprisingly, it seemed that Madison hadn’t said anything to anyone about my confession. That was nice.
“Anyways,” I said, changing the subject, “Are you two coming over this afternoon?”
“Sure,” Lana replied instantly.
Randy was a little slower as he cut his eyes to Lana and then back to me. He seemed to smirk a lot. Had he always smirked so much?
“Sure,” He confirmed, then asked, “What are we doing tonight?”
“Homework first,” I said as I turned my pleading eyes on Lana, “And maybe, if Lana is especially sweet, she will help me catch up on what we covered yesterday in the classes I missed.”
“Skipped, you mean,” Lana corrected.
“Please,” I begged.
Lana rolled her eyes and acted put upon, but she couldn’t hold it for long before she smiled and sighed, “I guess.”
Randy just watched, and smirked!
—-(!)—-
The day went better now that I knew that there were no circulating rumors of my confessing to Madison. During a break, I pulled out my phone and on a whim checked the App Store to see if there was an app for the dating site mom and I had signed up for, and there was. So, I downloaded the app and signed in.
There were about fifteen bot-account messages in my mailbox. Then, I found the one I was hoping for. A response from Silvermane.
I read her message, and then, I read it three more times. My first impulse, filled with all of my excitement of having gotten a response so quickly from Silvermane, was to snap off another message. However, as I read mom’s message the fourth time, I realized that a quick response would have been a mistake.
“Whatcha doin’?” Lana asked from behind my shoulder.
I was sitting on a half retaining wall, and Lana had come up behind me on the grounds above and was looking over my shoulder.
“Who’s Silvermane?” She asked.
“Oh! Um…” I mumbled as I quickly hit the side button to put my phone in sleep mode. My mind raced to come up with a convincing story, “Just a friend I met online last night.”
“Boy,” Lana said, her tone laden with sarcasm, “It didn’t take you long to move on from Madison, did it?”
“It’s not like that,” I said, my tone and posture defensive, “We’re only corresponding.”
“On a dating app,” Lana deadpanned.
“Yeah, so,” I mumbled.
“Nothing,” Lana said as she straightened up and started to walk off, “I just expected more from you.”
“Wait, what?” I said, “What do you mean, you expected more from me?”
Lana turned back, and for some reason, she looked angry, “How long have you been pining for Madison? Since the sixth grade, right? Well, it seems your love for her was a lot more trivial than I thought. I mean, you finally confess your feelings to her and ask her out. Yes, she said no, but then you go and find another girl to pursue the same day! I don’t know about you, but if I were pining for a boy as you did for that girl, I think I wouldn’t have just gone looking for another boy the same day.”
“I didn’t go looking for another girl,” I retorted defensively as Lana started walking off again, “Lana! It’s not what you think!”
She turned back and approached. Once she was close enough so that we could speak in a hushed volume, she asked, “Then what is it?”
I thought feverishly for a story or excuse, but nothing came to me, so I said, “I can’t explain it yet. But, I can say that I am not dating anyone. Mom won’t let me…”
Lana’s expression darkened at first when I wouldn’t tell her what my relationship with Silverman was, but it quickly changed to an amazed smile and a ridiculing laugh when I mentioned that mom wouldn’t let me date.
“Oh my god!” Lana hissed through her laughing, “Don’t tell me you told your mom about Madison?!”
I just stood there and endured Lana’s ridicule and nodded while grinding my teeth.
“And she asked for Madison’s stated reason for not dating you?”
I nodded again. Lana’s laughter heightened.
“And she said it was a good reason,” Lana finished her laughter now doubling her over.
“I don’t see what’s so funny,” I mumbled.
“You wouldn’t,” Lana chortled as she wiped tears from her long, incredibly thick, black eyelashes, “Oh god, I needed a good laugh. Thank you, Charles!”
The bell rang and there seemed to be a new hop in Lana’s step as she left for her next class.
I watched her go and found myself thinking that, after some careful consideration, Lana actually had some nice hips and, though small because she was small, she had a rather lush, very well-rounded, ass. Her disappearing around a corner was the only reason I stopped staring at her.
“What am I doing?” I asked the air as I started toward my next class.
—-(!)—-
It Lefkoşa Escort was lunchtime before I got to bring up the dating app again. It had given me time to think about mom and her message. I hadn’t ever really thought about it much, but she never had dated–ever. Why was that?
I remember asking her about my dad once and she simply said it was something she didn’t want to talk about. Further prodding on the subject later on as I grew up usually resulted in the same answer. It made me wonder if it was tied to the trauma that turned her hair silver, and if it was, what did that mean for me?
Of course, what 11-year-old girl wants to get pregnant and have a baby when she’s 12?!
By the end of her message, mom must have realized she had let some pretty heavy facts slip out that only an idiot wouldn’t discern. So, what was her goal here?
Then it hit me!
Mom had already told me her goal!
It was right there in black and white. She is lonely. She is looking for a companion. A life partner. Someone to share her life with and by extension her secrets with. She wanted someone who would love her despite what they may learn about her past.
I would have to handle this very carefully.
“Hello Silvermane,” I began tentatively as I thought carefully about what to say, “I am glad I made the grade. I do so like it when I impress a beautiful woman. I must say, I am not disheartened by your lack of choice in us of the masculine persuasion. It just increases my chances of winning your favor. Though I will admit, I do understand your dilemma. So far, you are the only real woman I have spoken to, my choices seem to be bot accounts designed to entice me into spending money on additional features, but I digress.
As for your questions. Let me take them one at a time.
First, I am a little younger than you, which I imagine you know if you looked at my profile. I don’t go out much at all, and my job consumes much of my day. I admit I have thought about dating someone at the office, but the only girl I liked is unavailable. So, with no way to meet new people, I figured why not give this a try? After all, the commercials make it seem like everyone is doing it now.
Second, my goal is what I hope yours is as well. To find the one. A companion. A best friend. A lover. Someone that I want to marry. Though I know some people date like it’s some kind of sport, that isn’t me. I’m not looking for many girls. I just want one. The right one.
Wow, you’re right, that is kind of heavy!
Third, something lighthearted and fun. I like the idea of romance. I like spending time with someone special, or, at least, to a lesser extent, spending time with close friends in intimate settings. Other than that, I don’t really have hobbies.
Now, in response to what you shared. Wow! You’re a 30-year-old mom of a grown child. That’s something! If it’s by societal standards does that mean he is at least 18? If so, that means you were 12 when you had him. There must be an interesting story there. Would you mind sharing it sometime?
I completely understand loneliness. I think we are both riding in that boat together. I too have friends and family, but it isn’t the same. I’m glad I’ve sort of met you. This has been really nice.
Until next time, Everett”
I hit send and for better or worse my message was off to mom.
—-(!)—-
Marcelle verily floated through her day at work. Everything seemed brighter and greener. She made coffee, performed her duties, ran errands, and then lunch came. She was almost giddy as she sat down at the lunchroom table, but she controlled herself. She was a grown woman after all!
Just to make a point to herself she opened up her lunch, set the table before her, and took a bite out of her sandwich before even looking at her phone. Then, she sat her sandwich down and keyed open her phone. She brought up the app and gave the latest batch of emails she had received a cursory glance, until, finally, she came upon the one she was hoping to see.
An email from Everett.
Every time she saw the name she thought of her son, then banished the thought. The last person in the world she should want romantic notes from, be building romantic feelings for, was her son. Even if he was the best man she knew.
‘No no!’ She chastised herself adamantly, ‘That doesn’t matter at all! He is my son, that is all that matters!’
Still, another part of her argued persuasively, hadn’t she spent the last eighteen years of her life raising him into the wonderful young man he was now?
That wasn’t so she could keep him all to herself, she argued back.
No, her other self rationalized in a honeyed purr, it was so that some other woman–some other girl–could capitalize off of her hard work! And, most likely, not even appreciate Charles or his qualities.
No, she thought as her inner argument subsided, Charles should never date. He was better off with her. She had given birth to him. She appreciated him. She loved him!
She gave herself a shake and chided herself for being silly. Looking back at her phone she read Everett’s message. She smiled at the beginning, then her eyebrows furrowed in interest as he answered her questions, and then she reached the end and realized that he had picked up on how young she had been when she got pregnant to have a son that was almost grown.