[FICTION] A Long Time Coming, Chapter II

[interesting]

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This is just an introductory post.

This is just meant as a teaser. I apologize for giving everyone too much hope. Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to post on this story until the end of July, and this story deserves all the attention I can devote to it.

I will get to it as soon as possible, and I thank you again for your patience and indulgence.

[interesting]

I was in the bath when the phone rang. I decided not to get up. By the time I would reach the phone, my answering would have picked it up. It had a been a grueling day at school and I was in no mood to entertain anyone. After four rings, the machine picked up - but the caller did not leave a message. No problem. It wasn't important.

I finished drying myself before going over to the phone to check on the caller identification. Unlisted number.

It had been over a month since I had seen Danielle at the mall. Although I had not forgotten about our encounter, I had cast it aside as the pleasant memory that it was. Life went on. For the first few days, I had hoped to hear from her again, but eventually things had happened and my mind had turned to other concerns. I had no reason to think it was her trying to reach me, and I didn't, not at the time.

Around nine in the evening, the phone rang again. This time I was able to pick up.

"Hello."
"Hi."

A simple word shattered my stability.

"Danielle..."
"Hi Frank."

I wanted to speak up, to say something clever, but I just froze. I felt like I was seventeen again. Six long years later, the sound of her voice, the idea of her existence still affected me to the same extent. I didn't like it. I wasn't really sure why.

"It's... I called earlier but you didn't answer..."
"I was... in the... I was busy."
"It's okay. How are you?"

My eyes darted to the clock. Nine. It was early in the evening. What did she want?

"I'm good... I... what can I do for you?"
"Nothing much. I just... wanted to chat a little."
"Okay. What about?"
"Nothing special. How have you been? What... what have you been doing?"
"School. Pretty much. Acting."
"Acting?"
"Well, theater. I've got a play coming up in a few months."
"Play? Acting or..."
"Directing actually. Amateur, really. I'm... the troop director."
"Wow. That's cool."

The tone in her voice made me believe that something was up, but I was too absorbed in my own mind to focus on it. Danielle was calling me. Everything else seemed irrelevant.

"And you?"
"Oh... same thing. Well, school. Really, I'm... great. Doing good."
"Glad to hear it..."

Already, the conversation was taking its toll on me. My mind was going blank. I wanted desperately to talk to her, but I ended up remaining quiet.

"So... when is the play?"
"Three months. I could... give you the details?"
"Sure, I'd like that."

I gave her the coordinates to the playhouse and the representation hours. The thing was already planned and I had the numbers memorized.

"Do you like theater?"
"I do. I'm no good at it though. I can't act if my life depends on it."
"You used to be pretty good."
"Thanks... That is a compliment, right?"
"Yes..."

There was a first moment of silence on the phone. It did not feel awkward, but it made me reflect on how much we had missed of each others' lives. A tear came to my eye, though I didn't notice it at first.

"It's so good to talk to you..."
"I'm glad... would you like to meet again?"
"Oh no!"
"I'm sorry."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Oh! I mean, not right now... tonight... I have..."

It was the first moment I noticed the uneasiness in her voice.

"Danielle?"
"Yes, Frank."
"Do you want to meet, sometime? Any time?"
"I'd like that... but... I'll call you. Okay?"
"Sure."
"I... I gotta go. I... take care."
"You too."
"Bye."

She hung up as I was saying my own goodbye. I felt the tear and I wiped it away. My heart was shaking and my stomach was in knots. Her voice had filled my entire being with hope, but her tone was that of someone in need of help.

There was so much I didn't know. I had last seen her six years prior, at her father's house, in the swimming pool area, as we lay naked beside each other. We had kissed twice. I had caressed her naked back. It hadn't gone any further than that physically, but emotionally, we had connected on so many levels it had been frightening and exhilirating. Never had I felt such a deep spiritual and psychological connection. She had led the entire event, and I was glad for it. I couldn't have handled the pressure back then. But we were six years later, I had grown more confident in matters of relationship, if not love. I had shared my existence briefly with two girls; one relationship had lasted but a week and the other had lasted a month. It had gone as far as kissing and petting; one of them had also performed manually on me. But that was three years ago. I did not meet anyone between then and now, and Danielle's emergence into my life brought back all sorts of pleasant and uneasy feelings.

I had loved Danielle. I wasn't afraid to say it anymore, given the distance that separated me from those events. I had thought of her many times after that last visit to her house. And it had been a last visit. Paul and I had parted ways: his music had taken precedence over our friendship. I was sad. We had kept in touch for three more years, and then things went silent on his end. I let him go. I regretted it once in a while.

Danielle had been completely lost to me. And now she was found. And she needed help. Or maybe I was imagining things.

I stared at the phone for a whole minute before moving elsewhere in my lonely room. In a few weeks, I would be moving out of my parents' place, and heading into my first apartment with a new friend I had met through my theater group. My life was about to change; it seemed somehow fitting that Danielle, my first real love, and the girl who had meant so much to me in a single night, should manifest herself in that hour.

That night, I didn't sleep well. My mind raced back to that swimming pool, to her naked yet too young body. But she was a woman now, and the image shifted, though it became blurry as she stepped out of the water. It had been a while since I had remembered a dream, let alone an erotic dream.

Danielle had changed my life, and somehow, I knew she would be doing it again. But what her return to my circle entailed, I could not fathom. It would be a trip into the past and into the present, that would ultimately lead me into the future. A future of endless possibilities, punctuated by moments of joy and sadness, pain and healing, but mostly change. What does not change cannot grow, and I had not finished my journey, six years ago. I was picking up where we left off, although I didn't realize it as I lay in my bed awake, thinking of her blurry form in the waters of the swimming pool.

[interesting]

Roughly two days later, I came back from school to find a message on my answering machine. I did not pick it up at first; I was tired from the walk and I was very hungry, so I set to cooking myself up some dinner. The only people whoever called and left a message were my parents (saying they would be late) and my friend Steve. I knew it wasn't Steve, because I had seen him in the afternoon, and if it was my parents, it could wait a while.

As I sat down with my bowl of spaghetti, I pressed play. Danielle's voice came up and disrupted my train of thought.

"Hi Frank, it's Danielle. You're not home so I'm leaving a message. I just wanted to talk to you..."

There was a pause.

"I'm not doing so good, to be honest, and I could really use a friend. But... well, it's complicated. If you could be at home around nine, I'll call you back."

There was another pause.

"So, I hope to talk to you. If not, another time. Bye."

I listened in silence as the end of message beep cut off her voice. Her tone did not sound as distraught as our earlier conversation. I could tell she had calmed down - but about what? To know that a friend of mine needed help but to be unable to come to her rescue was unnerving.

I had made other plans for the night. The latest action movie had been out for a few weeks, and I really wanted to go see it with Steve. But Danielle's request had altered my plan. I was sad by the fact that this was my last opportunity to see the movie before it went out of the theater, but Danielle took precedence. I called Steve: he was obviously disappointed but he understood that something had come up. I promised to talk to him about it - eventually.

Steve was a friend I had carried over from my high school days, one of the few in fact. The rest of my gang had drifted away from me. Only Steve still hung out. I had found a kindred spirit in him in roleplaying games. We had done a lot, and then some. I had lost Paul; I had no intention of losing Steve. I always made sure to keep things clear and to protect my friendship. I could not have handled another breakup of that type. Steve felt the same way, so we got along splendidly. There would be other movies. There was only one Danielle.

The wait beside the phone was long. I tried to occupy myself by watching television, but my mind was elsewhere. My mother came into the house, so I went into my room. I told her I was expecting a call around nine and that I would answer the phone. My father was out of town on business, so his presence would not be troublesome. I did not want my mother prying into my business with Danielle; fortunately for me, she was a very reasonable and intelligent woman, who knew when and where to act and when and where to let go. I loved her very much for the way she had raised me (and I still do).

I worked on some of my stories, then lay down on my bed, my pillow tucked against my belly.

Then, the phone rang. I answered hurriedly.

"Hello?"
"Frank?"
"Danielle... hi. How are you?"
"Better... thanks."
"What's going on?"
"I... can't really talk."
"Are you in some kind of trouble? Because if you are..."
"No, nothing like that. I just... it's good to hear a friendly voice."
"I'm here. I just don't know what to do."

For a moment, I let silence creep in, but then I spoke up.

"Danielle, you called me. Tell me what I can do for you?"
"Honestly, you want to help me?"
"I do. I mean, if I can. If you just need an ear, I'm here..."

I heard her smile across the phone line.

"I'm glad. But it's complicated. Do you have an email adress?"
"I do."
"Can you give it to me?"

I gave her the coordinates. Her voice sounded pleased.

"Thanks. Great..."
"Let me guess. It's easier for us to chat this way..."
"Yes, well... easier, yes."
"Okay... you just email me whatever you want and I'll... reply."
"Great... I'm sorry to be so cryptic and all."
"I just need to know you're all right. If not, tell me where you are and I'll..."
"No, I'm good. Now. I'm good. It's a long story, and I don't fell like telling it on the phone. You can... read me. Okay?"
"Deal."

For a moment, we were both quiet.

"Frank?"
"Yes?"
"Would you like to play a game?"
"A game?"
"Like... remember when we played Truth or Dare?"
"I do. It was cool. You want to play it again?"
"No. Well, not exactly. I... I'll explain in my email. It'll come out better if I write it down, okay?"
"Of course."
"Great... I'll email you tomorrow, at the latest. I promise."
"Take your time. I'm just glad you're feeling better."
"Much better... do you have a picture of yourself?"
"I do. Do you want one?"
"Yes..."
"Well, there a few on my facebook page."
"Cool! You have facebook too? I'll add you."
"Okay."
"Listen, I... gotta go. But I'll be in touch. Read me?"
"I promise."
"Thanks. I.... thanks. Bye."
"Bye Danielle."

She hung up quickly. I was confused by the hesitations in her voice which contradicted her reassurances. But if anything major was wrong, she would be mature enough to do what was right, right? The deepening mystery was oddly getting on my nerves, despite my own assurances to the contrary. Why couldn't she elaborate on the phone? Why did she want to communicate via e-mail? What kind of game did she have in mind?

The uncertainty of my situation dawned on me. I felt the confusion take hold of my heart. I remembered my constant fear of doing something wrong six years ago, of going too far. This was different. The fear was for her. I didn't really know if I still loved her. I knew I had loved her. But the situation was slowly driving me into suspicion, and that could not have been good in the long run.

Still, only her email message would explain her situation, at least, I hoped it would. A mystery is always interesting, but it also needs development and eventual closure. This was the second time she had brought back the uncertainty in my life with but her voice. Her written words would hopefully shed some light on whatever was going on.

[interesting]

Originally Posted by sexyyy

I have been following this piece since day one and it is very well written. Please keep going; these stories are great

Thank you sexyyy... Just thank you.
===========================
When you look back upon things you have done, you cannot help but wonder at the different outcomes which might have emerged if you had made certain choices differently. But, if you're like me or most people, you look upon the past as a learning curve, not as something that you regret or desire to change. The past is gone, and its only purpose is to guide our future.

Six years ago, I had played a game of truth or dare with my friend Paul, his sister Danielle and another girl, and it had escalated into a private if not intimate encounter between me and Danielle, my true awakening to the power of relationships and the drives that pull us forward. Since then, I had matured and become more of a man, not a truly confident one, but a man nonetheless. I had become someone able to take charge of his life, able also to provide assistance to others. And that is mostly why the situation with Danielle was so infuriating.

She needed help. Of what kind, I could not say. It could have been as trivial as a bad hair day, or as sour as disease, or as dark as an abusive relationship. My lack of context made me bitter to no end, and I hated the fact that Danielle wanted to keep me away from whatever was troubling her. I had reasoned that much from our two phone calls. And yet, here I was, expecting an email from her, anticipating it with bated breath.

But then again, I cared for her. I had cared then and I still did. And that was the real reason I waited, hoping that eventually, she would open up just enough for me to peek into her existence and find the problem.

The email came in the very next day of our call. I came back from the university around noon, checked and found it there, waiting for me. I didn't open it. For some reason, I couldn't bear to do it just yet. I prepared myself some lunch, ate, then watched the television for about half an hour before going back to the computer. I was dreading a 'dear john' letter or something similar.

The email popped open and I read.

Dear Frank,
I know this must be awkward for you and I apologize. It is awkward for me for many reasons, some I will get into here, some I may get into at another time.
Let me first say that I am glad to have you as a friend, but also so near to me. It warms my heart to think that someone I used to care about, and still do, I think, is living near my apartment. It may not make sense, but yours was the first friendly face I had seen in a long time, when we met at the mall, and it got me thinking to simpler times. I want those times back, and I may not get them, but thinking of you - and our time by the pool - makes it okay.
I need to share something with you. I am in a relationship right now, and it's not going too well. I shouldn't burden you with this, especially since you'll be thinking that I'm just using you as a rebound or something. I'm not. I don't think it's going to work out between me and him, but I don't want it to be because of you. If we do get together... well, I want it to be because we want to, not because I dumped him for you. I hope this makes sense. If not, I apologize.
That's why I need the distance right now. I know it's silly, but it's the way I feel. Having you too close would just stir things up, but at the same time I don't want to keep you apart. I do like you, a lot. I used to, back then, and I still do.
Six years ago, you told me not to rush into things. I listened to you back then, and I'll listen to you now. I won't rush into anything with you, nor will I rush out of my relationship with Stan. But I need to know that you are thinking of me... it's selfish and stupid, but it is how I feel. So I want us to play a game. A simple game of truth or dare, online. I want us to play together but apart. That's how we got close last time, taking our time back and forth, playing around.
So I ask: do you want to play truth or dare, with me?
Take all the time you need to answer.
Danielle.

I was tempted to reply instantly, but then I listened to her advice. I stepped away from the computer a moment, and reread the entire message. I was rather calm for such a revealing message. I was surprised. I had imagined something like this to stir all sorts of reactions in me. But all I could feel were contentment and worry. I was happy that she had shared the reason for her unease with me but stressed that it was making her unhappy. But I couldn't live her life.

Many questions came to me. Could I let her string me along like this? A few years before, I had a crush on this girl, Melanie, who was going out with another guy in one of my classes. She seemed friendly enough with me, we chatted a lot and despite the fact that she was in a relationship, she led me on that there might be something for us in the long run. In the end, she had dumped him... for another person. I had been hurt. But Danielle's intent, I could sense, was different. Still, could I really handle it?

I wanted to play badly. I wanted to spend some time with her, and if online was the only thing I had, if the game was all we could do to link up, then I wanted to partake of it. But how to cope with the distance and the feeling of being used? She was right in that this was selfish of her. How much selfishness could I allow her before this became too much to bear?

I went out for a walk in the park, to clear my head, and headed into the wooded areas, walking slowly along the trails. I could distinctly remember my feelings as we had played the game in the backwoods of her house, so long ago it seemed. The trepidation was still there, and there was no way around it. I wanted to play with her. The connection was still there, even through the virtual medium.

When I got back to my apartment, I returned to the computer and started typing an answer, before sending it as a reply.

It's good to hear from you Danielle, and your words are a breath of fresh air. They have also helped me better understand where you are coming from, and I'm sorry if my presence has stirred some memories in you. Yours did stir memories in me, it was to be expected.
Yes, I will play with you. There are a lot more things that I'd like to do with you, but as you said, we'll go slow. I don't blame you for 'using' me: in truth, I'll be 'using' you too to some extent.
I like you too. You've always had a special place in me, and I'm glad you're here to fill it, in a manner of speaking. I don't mean to be so candid, but I feel you can handle my honesty, just as I can handle yours. If you need to chat, unload or unwind, just drop me a line or call me, anytime.
Now, if we are going to play, we need to set some guidelines. I haven't played much since that time, but I do know that limits were set. What are ours, now, in this game? I'll state mine. I'll do almost anything except anything painful or that might get me into trouble with the law. Nothing... too extreme. And I'll answer any question truthfully, no subject is taboo.
If you still want to play, we'll play.
Your friend,
Frank.
P.S. Do you have a recent photo of yourself? I would enjoy one. And I could send you a recent photo of me, if you want.

And with that, I set the wheels in motion, unaware how involved our little game would turn out to be, and how much it would alter our perceptions of each other in the long run.

[interesting]

That night, I dreamt of Danielle.

I was on a ship, its first mate, and Danielle was a prisoner in the hold. The captain's face was hidden, and Danielle was his captive, but we were secretly in love, and I was planning to have her freed. But then a storm came, and we all drowned.

I awoke to a dizzy feeling. Grabbing a bite to eat after a quick shower, I headed off to school, only coming back late in the afternoon. I immediately logged on and checked my email. There was an answer for me.

Hi Frank,
It was great to hear from you. I'm glad you're well... and I'm glad you agreed to play. I'm feeling giddy right now. There are lots of things going on through my mind, but I'll start with the obvious one.
My limits, for the time being, will be truths only. I will not be able to perform dares until some time, so I do apologize. If we want to make this fair, we can play with only truths on your end. As with you, no subject is taboo. I'll tell you everything.
You asked for a picture... so I'm sending one as an attachment. However, there is a catch to it... if you're game. And it would be the only dare I would be willing to do at this point. Since we'll be doing dares apart from each other, it would be nice if you could take some pictures and send them to me as confirmation. It's not mandatory, of course, but if you do, I'll keep sending you pictures of myself... and I'll remove articles of clothing each time. Would that be interesting to you?
Now then, a few words about me. I'm doing good, and I'm currently studying human sciences to possibly become a grade school teacher, once I get to university, next year. I'm not very involved in anything since I moved in with Stan, and I'm dying to do something bold, something new. Hopefully, our game can provide me with that... I don't mean to keep bringing him up but he's here for the moment so you might as well be aware of his existence.
So... if we're going to play, then I'll start. Truth me.
Sincerely,
Danielle

I reread her email before setting it aside to ponder what I was going to ask her. I didn't mind doing dares while she did truths. In fact, I wouldn't have minded doing things on my own while she enjoyed the luxury of knowing I did them.

I downloaded the attached picture and stared at it. She was wearing a beautiful green dress, with a white short-sleeved blouse. Her hair was tied behind her head. She smiled on the picture. It had obviously been taken by a webcam. She stood a few feet from the edge of a desk, her posture almost defiant. I printed the image immediately and set it against the wall with blue gum. I stared at it for a moment, my senses tingling, my mind wanting to explore the image further.

I got back on the keyboard, clicked reply and started typing.

Hi again,
It's lovely to hear from you, and I know you're eager to get started. I know I am. I just want to say that I don't care about Stan, or that you mention him. Whom I care about is you, and if you need to chat, complain, rant or just talk, about anything, I'm here.
You want the truth? You can't handle the truth! Aha. Just kidding.
Seriously, here it is:
- Under what circumstances did you get to come by Sherbrooke? Or, what made you decide to come study here instead of elsewhere?
I'll be asking for a truth as well. But I don't mind doing dares... and I'll definitely look into having some pictures taken, eventually. Would you mind if I involved a friend of mine, but only in taking the pictures?
Thanks,
Frank

I didn't know how long it would take her to answer me, so I decided to go do something else. Supper rolled around, and I went back to the university to chat with some friends, although in truth, my mind was mostly on the eventual mail that might be waiting for me at home. It was a pleasant evening, and we played card games for a while. For a long while, I kept thinking of playing strip poker, even though we were all guys there. It made me smile, and my friend Robert said something about it.

"I'm just happy, I guess."
"Whacha got to be happy about?"

I didn't answer. The night rolled on until I got home, a little before midnight. Before retiring to bed, I checked my email. There was a reply. Again, it took me a moment to open the file.

Hi again again,
Thanks for a quick answer. I was somewhat bored and hoping your mail would come in, and it did, so I'm all giddy.
No, I don't mind someone else taking the pictures. In fact, it's good that I know because I'll remember it when I'm giving you dares. Of course, don't mention me by name, but I think that was a given. And you didn't tell me what you wanted, so since I started out with a truth, I'll return the favor and ask you something in return. So:
- When was the first time you had sex, and who was it with?
As for my answer... there's no simple explanation. I came to Sherbrooke for two different reasons. The first one was that I was looking for some place removed from my family. I still love them but I needed to be out on my own. But I didn't want some place too remote. Sherbrooke seemed an acceptable solution, and I had visited it in the previous year (I had actually tried to look you up at the same time but that's another story). The second reason was that Stan, who was not my boyfriend at the time, was studying there (he's one year older) and we became roommates. I didn't have to go apartment hunting. So, that's about it.
I can't wait until I hear from you again.
Thanks,
Danielle

What to do? Answer now, while it was still fresh, or let things simmer a little... I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't answer, and yet, I wouldn't be able to sleep waiting for her reply. The irony made me smile. But why wait then?

I don't know what it is but I feel as you do - I'm so looking forward to each email.... but maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves. I was glad to read your answer. It's true. Sherbrooke has all the commodities of a larger city and the feel of a large village. It feels homely. I love it here. I want to spend the rest of my life here, if I can. It's nice and quiet, and there's not much going on, which suits me fine. I'm interested to hear your story about the time you came to Sherbrooke and tried to look me up, but there are other questions in my mind.
I'll answer yours first. The first time I had sex was two years ago. And I wouldn't call it sex. I've never had full intercourse (sorry, that sounds strange). I've done a lot with a former girlfriend, we played with each other. Her name was Vicky. She had long black hair, brown eyes, and the perkiest breasts. I used to enjoy kissing her. We dated for several months before she broke it off. I haven't been with anyone since then.
Btw, I'm ready for a dare.
Here's my truth question, and it's a two-parter: Where is your friend Rita now, and how far did you ever get with her?
Sleep tight, read you in the morning (I hope)
Frank

And with that, I went to bed, and fell asleep instantly, assailled by dreams as incoherent as the one that had spawned this wonderful day.

[interesting]

Morning came around too soon for me, even if I was expecting a message from Danielle. I seemed to lay in bed quite a long time, unable to stir myself into moving out of the comfortable linen. I dragged my limp body to the bathroom, where I relieved myself before heading in front of the computer. I was sad that no new message had come in, but I guess it wasn't that exceptional. I had written mine past midnight, and it was no later than seven in the morning. I had hoped to get a message before I went to class, but apparently it would not be the case. Feeling somewhat upset, I ate breakfast quickly, grabbed my gear and headed to university.

That morning, I crossed paths with Gilbert.

"Hey, Franky, wassup?"
"Wassup yoself?"
"Man, you look beat!"

I didn't want to tell him about Danielle. I lied.

"Had a hard getting to sleep last night."
"Too much fapping?"

Gilbert had a way of making everything about sex. Not enough or too much of it was the only explanation for every single problem in the world. It seemed odd for a guy who had never had a girlfriend in his life, but then again, I wasn't much better off in that department, at least lately.

"No, not enough..."

We both laughed. Class was boring and my mind was elsewhere. I doodled across the pages, barely paying attention to the lecture. At break, Gilbert walked with me to the water dispenser.

"So what's on your mind, kimosabe?"
"Stuff."
"Really helpful, Franky... I bet it's a girl. It's always a girl... or a boy? Is it a boy? Are you coming out and telling me?"
"Man, shut up!"
"Serious, Franky, I wanna help. What is it?"

Sometimes, Gilbert could be a real pain, but I knew that he meant well. I had met him several years prior in a role-playing session. He was cracking jokes all the time and stepping out-of-character, but it had been one of the best games I had ever played. We had hung out ever since, and even shared a few classes when joining university. Gilbert never took anything too seriously, except when it came to the well-being of his friends. Despite his happy-go-lucky attitude, he really did care about me. Still, he could be a pain, but I suppose that's one of the reasons why I enjoyed his wit. I liked being challenged.

"If you must know... I'm sorta doing something new."
"New... like what?"
"...ever played Truth or Dare?"
"Sure... well... no."

He laughed before continuing.

"Well, one time, with my cousins, but it doesn't really count if there isn't a girl getting naked or giving me a blowjob, right?"
"Have you ever played?"
"Not really, no... you?"
"Once... long time ago. I'm... in a game, right now."
"Cool. Can I play?"
"It's one-on-one."

He remained silent, then his eyes lit open.

"With a girl? oooh..."
"Stop that..."
"You gonna get to see her naked."
"Maybe... that's not the point. I'm going to have to do dares for her... and she wants pictures..."
"Fancy that... she wants to see your wang..."
"Gil!"
"Sorry... anyway, she wants pictures of you doing the dares..."
"Yeah... I don't know how I'm going to fancy that..."

By the time I said that, I knew what was going to happen. It was all too obvious.

"Well, just ask me... I'll take the pics for you."
"What's in it for you?"
"I'm gonna do this for you."
"You don't get to see her naked."
"Ah! man..."
"She's a person I respect very much, and I care for her..."
"You love her?"

I didn't want to answer.

"I'm not at that bridge yet."
"But you could."
"I could... but it's just a game, so far... I need you to understand that if..."
"Relax, Franky... just get a camera and I'll take those pictures for her... well, as long as they're not, you know... too gay or anything!"
"Shut up!"

I had found a photographer, and someone I could trust. The problem now was what Danielle would have me do, and would Gilbert be willing to not only take the pictures, but keep his mouth shut about them.

[To be continued...]

[interesting]

It was noon when I popped back into my place. As usual, I checked in the fridge for something to eat, but finding nothing readily available, I skipped that and headed for the computer. My email account was open, but there were no replies. I refreshed twice. Nothing. I sighed then went back to the kitchen to fix myself a snack. Grilled cheese sandwiches would do.

I hadn't said much more to Gilbert about the dares. I'd only mentioned that they would come at irregular intervals, and that they might be of any type. Truth be told, I didn't know what Danielle had in store for me. It had been over six years, and in that time, we had both evolved very much. I had no idea how far she would take me this time. She had challenged me quite a bit back then, but I was far more confident in my own person and my own ideas than I had been. I had a feeling I would cope with most of the things she would have me do. And I was also confident that I could say no, if I really didn't want to do something.

Besides, the pictures were only there to get me to see more of her... that thought made me a little bit horny. I went back to the computer but found no mail. Somewhat impatient, I stared at the screen. My mind turned to sexual fancy. I dropped my pants down to my ankles, and popping up a porn site on my computer, I started to look for something stimulating. I slid my hand into my underwear as my eyes found what I was looking for. I clicked on the video and it started to load and play. I watched the two actresses kiss and make out, then eventually moving on to more intimate actions. I pulled down my underwear and kept stroking myself. I had time to watch the entire video, so I clicked on another one, with the same theme. It didn't take very long for me after that. I cleaned up, pulled my pants and underwear up, closed the program windows, and checked my mail again.

There was an answer. I felt awkward. She had been typing her message while I had been masturbating. Or perhaps there had been a delay in delivery. Regardless, it felt weird. It took me a moment to refocus and click on the mail.

Hello,
Hope is well on your end.

I stopped reading and I laughed. I felt relaxed. It seemed so silly.

Before I get on, I will be away from the computer for a few days over the weekend. I'll be visiting my parents - alone. Stan is not coming with me. Why did I feel the need to tell you that? I don't know. Anyway, I won't be able to get back to you until Monday. Apologies.
I'll of course be answering whatever truth you ask of me at that point.
As for your first dare, I decided to go with an easy one. I want you to start a petition for a cause. Whatever cause, I don't mind, but it has to be silly. It's better if it's fake. I want you to get people to sign your petition. If you can get five people to sign it, I'll send another pic of me, as agreed (I'll need the proof on your end, but you can always scan the petition and send it thru the email). If you manage to get more than twenty-five signatures, I'll throw in a little extra...

I paused my reading. A cause? Something silly. I'd have to think about it. It was quite unexpected, and a little surreal, but it played right down my alley. I had performed in theater groups for several years, so playacting this one would be a cinch. She was right. It was an easy dare, at least from my standpoint. Getting the signatures would take some pretty convincing arguments, but I felt five was reasonable. Twenty-five?... well, it couldn't hurt to try.

Now, you asked about Rita. She is fine. She is living in Montreal now, with her boyfriend Jacques. She is pregnant, believe it or not, with his baby, and it's expected next February. I'll tell her you asked about her when I see her during the holidays. We usually meet up for a party with some friends.
You wanted to know about me and her. That could take a while... so I'll talk about our first 'encounter' and our last one. As you know, we met in grade school. I was ten, so was she, of course. We both had a big crush on this guy, Brian. Anyway, we both decided separetely we were going to be his girlfriend, so we each made our move. As it turned, he already had one, Cindy. So, being the little bitches we were back then, we turned on her and together, locked her in her school locker... just for a few minutes, but that's the first time we actually clicked.
About two years later, I was visiting her home and we were looking at photographs. She had stolen a dirty magazine from her older brother and we were looking at the nude models, and what they were doing. We were curious, being early bloomers and somewhat unshy about our bodies, so we got naked and posed for each other, assuming the positions of the models. It was pretty innocent at that time, but we did see this picture of two girls kissing and hugging, so we did that too. It didn't feel too weird, but we were too young to fully... appreciate what was going on.
Three years ago, I was... sixteen. We went to a party at a friend's house. Let's just say there was a lot of alcohol, and we ended playing truth or truth. So a lot of questions rolled around, and with all the alcohol going around, I admitted to fancying having sex with Rita. She admitted the same thing, but it remained like that for roughly two weeks. Then, one night I went to her place, and her parents were out. We were lying on her bed, and she asked me if I had meant it. I said yes. She got on top of me, and kissed me... and I'll let you imagine the rest.
I know, I'm evil.
I'll just say this. I love men, but there's something about a woman... well, it's different, special. Especially if it's with someone you trust.
I have feeling you're going to have nice dreams tonight.
Hope to hear from you soon.
With love - Danielle.

My hard-on was back. I had gently been stroking myself as I was reading, somewhat absent-mindedly. I stopped what I was doing. I was definitely turned on.

My impulse was to write back immediately... so I hit reply:

Dear Danielle,
How dare you tease me like that! Haha! Joke.
I can't say I'm surprised, given how close you two seemed. I'm... a bit jealous. Well, not really, but you get my drift. Ah! Why do we men have to be so predictable?
I'll attempt to do the dare over the weekend. I'm all excited now. I hope I get enough signatures for the surprise... I haven't decided what my cause will be. Perhaps something to do with stuffed animals. Just an idea that popped into my head. Violence against stuffed animals. I like that. I'll use that.
Tell Rita she's a lucky girl, for everything, you and her boyfriend, and her baby. Boy or girl? Tell her I wouldn't mind seeing her again, eventually, or even hearing from her if she wants to chat.
I need to hit you with another truth? This goes by fast...
Here it is: Do you have any body modifications? Tattoos, piercings, others?
I'll wish you a great weekend and catch you on the flip side.
Best,
Frank.

I was hoping if I answered quickly, she might answer me back before leaving, but I decided not to build up any hope.

I had some planning to do, if I wanted to get my fake cause up. I would probably have to involve Gilbert in this one; a two-man operation would probably wield a better success, if I could only get Gilbert to behave.

As I went to work on that, my mind was filled with the images of the girls I had just seen in the videos, but the faces were altered to belong to Rita and Danielle.

I would sleep very well that night indeed.

[interesting]

It was a cheat. I knew it. She would know it.

Still, my petition was complete. Fifty-nine names in less than twenty hours in a petition against violence against stuffed animals. I was both proud and somewhat ashamed of my situation. I wondered if she would hold it against me, or if it would pass her judgement. The idea had spawned the next night, as I was working on the computer. It had been so simple, I just had to have it done. It was so obvious that I was sure she would not think of it.

Of course, I wouldn't know until she read my mail. I was in front of the computer, rereading what I was about to send her.

Hi Danielle,
I hope this will be to your liking. I did the dare as you asked. I created an artificial cause, humourous, for the ethical treatment of stuffed animals. Now, I must admit that I bended the rules slightly. I got the names of up to fifty-nine people within the first twenty-four hours.
You might say I cheated. I'll accept your judgement in any event. But just so you know, here's the link.

I had searched for it online too. I had just created my own version.


And for your comparison, here's another link I found.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gi....3290619926..1

Now, I'll accept whatever decision you take in regards to the conditions of the dare. If it's not acceptable, I'll simply forfeit.
I can't wait to get more news from you. Read you soon.
Frank

It would be a while (not until tomorrow) until I got an answer, so I decided to go out that night. I hooked with Gilbert and two others friends, Jacob and Laurie. We ended up playing card games. As we were well into the game, Gilbert spoke up.

"So, how did the cause go?"
"So far, 59 names."
"That memo you sent us thru facebook?" inquired Jacob.
"That one. Yeah."
"Some idea. What gave you that idea?"

I didn't answer. I should have because Gilbert picked up for me.

"He was dared into it."
"Dared? By whom."
"Gil!"
"What? It was a secret?"

As if he didn't know. I should have been more precise when I told him to be quiet about the details. He had understood very clearly that I didn't want him talking about the pictures he would be taking for me, but I had left everything else to his judgement. I shouldn't have.

"Who dared you to do that?"
"A friend... someone from my old stomping grounds."
"Old stomping grounds?"

It was Laurie's turn to become interested. I felt I had to provide them with a satisfactory answer so they would leave me be. I looked at Gilbert to tell him not to add anymore, then took center stage.

"I met this girl a few weeks ago... a friend whom I hadn't seen in several years."
"A girl? Oooh..."
"Laurie, please."
"Sorry. Go on."
"Anyway, we got to talking about where we were, what we'd done, etc. We swapped emails, because we decided we might want to get together at another time. So, a few days ago, she contacted me. She said... she was bored. Out of her mind. Now, back then... six years ago?... yeah, we had dared each other to do stuff."
"Like what?"

I looked at Jacob.

"Nothing much. Silly stuff. Kid stuff. She's younger than me by several years."
"Oh!"
"Anyway, she said she was really bored and wanted to do something. So we decided we'd dare each other to do stuff, you know..."
"Like create a new group against violence for stuffed animals?"
"Yeah. Well, she said she wanted me to create a petition, or a movement against something funny... a made-up cause... that's what popped into my head."
"And you did on facebook?"
"Well, I needed to get in touch with as many people as possible as quickly as I could. So I just... created the group and sent an invite to everyone in my friend list. And it worked!"

Laurie laughed.

"That seems a bit like cheating, but it's a cool idea."
"Yeah, you didn't tell us you were into daring stuff like that."
"I'm not. Well, I only did it twice... this is the second time for me."
"Really. Because I did quite a lot in my day..."

I looked at Jacob. When I had met him several years back, he had a meanstreak in him. Laurie, his girlfriend, had settled him down.

"It was before we hooked up" she added.

I wanted to inquire more but I didn't want to ask any question. Lucky for me, Jacob was in the talkative mood.

"I did all sorts of stunts back in high school, stuff you wouldn't believe. Dangerous shit, seriously... I wouldn't do them anymore, I was careless and sorta stupid back then."
"Back then?" commented Gilbert.
"Shut up! No, we did some pretty radical stunts and dares, I mean, we did the regular stuff like mooning people and streaking. We stopped when one of our friends broke both his feet doing a stunt."
"Ouch!"
"Yeah. I figured I got lucky. Worst thing I ever got was a sprain."

Laurie was staring intently at me. She popped the question that was rummaging through her mind.

"Do you like that girl?"
"Yeah. I do. But she has someone already."
"Oh! Bummer."
"But I don't really care about that. I mean, I do like her, and if I don't hook up... I mean, I have very little expectation other than... well, having fun staying in touch and acting silly."
"That's nice."

Jacob turned to me after looking away for a while.

"We should do dares together."
"Come again?"
"I miss it. I mean, if you're game. Your friend, she gives you dares?"
"Yeah."
"And you give her back some?"
"Well... yeah. I mean, not really, but... it's..."
"It's a one-way thing? You're her slave or something?"
"No. It's not like that. She's just not that able to do stunts like I am."
"Oh!"

Laurie didn't seem to believe me, and I must admit that I was also somewhat skeptical, but I didn't want to pressure Danielle in any way. Jacob insisted.

"Seriously man, we should do stuff together."
"I'm not sure she wants anyone else involved."
"Well, I'm involved" said Gilbert.

I wanted to hit him, but he was right. Still, I didn't want him to tell them he would be taking pictures. It felt awkward and it felt silly. It also seemed, as Laurie had hinted, that there was an element of manipulation behind Danielle's plan. But it had been clearly stated in her first mail. And I had reasoned the same thing on my end. In any event, I certainly didn't want to tell any of them that Danielle would (or might) be sending me pictures in return.

"I'll tell you what, Jacob. I'll talk to her about it, and if she's game, I'm game too. But I want to clear it with her first. And if she says no, then that's the end of it."
"All right, man, I respect that."

It's not that I didn't want to include Jacob or Laurie into the game: in fact, I would welcome their insight and participation. But this thing had started between Danielle and me, and before it went anywhere else, I needed to know if she would agree to it. But I decided to wait until her reply came in before talking to her about it.

First Gilbert. Now Jacob and Laurie. I needed to make sure this did not spread any further.

"Now, I love you guys, but I need your secrecy on this."
"Why?" inquired Jacob.
"Because this is about her and me. That's how it started. I only involved Gilbert because I needed a partner to watch my back. I trust you both, but this has to remain between the four of us. Well, five, if you count Danielle."

There was a moment of silence. Laurie spoke first.

"I think we're all in agreement here. I mean, we can keep our mouths shut. Right Jacob?"
"Sure."
"Right Gil?"
"Yeah... I guess I can."
"Say it?"
"I'll keep my mouth shut."

Laurie smiled at all of us. She had a way of making the guys behave. She would be helpful in keeping this to our small group. She would hold the reins on Jacob, and more importantly Gilbert would also keep in line. He did have a small crush on her (despite the fact that she was with Jacob for the time-being) after all.

I relaxed in the knowledge that my secret relationship with Danielle was contained and that her judgement, whatever it was, would fall upon me in due time.

[interesting]

[No comments? Okay. I'll just keep going]
=================================
Things were far from being as simple as I wanted them to be, but at least I had some control over them. What had started out as a simple chat with an old friend was turning into a convoluted relationship of which some of my friends were now linked. Gilbert, Jacob and Laurie were in on part of the secret, and hopefully it wouldn't go any farther than them. I knew that Danielle had told me that it wasn't a problem to get other people involved, but I still felt somewhat uneasy at the attention my plight was drawing.

The tension was obvious when I sat down at my computer, Monday around noon, to read Danielle's reply, which had just come in. I gulped and hoped for the best.

You evil, evil man
I must admit that I am somewhat miffed that you found a way around my dare. I might have been willing to let this one slide, but for a little something. I reread my email and highlighted a section for your benefit.
I want you to get people to sign your petition.
Now, we could argue that a facebook group is not a petition, or that no one actually signed the document, which is sort of the case. I don't want to be too mean, so I will let this one slide, but you forfeit the extra I promised you. In the future, I will attempt to be more specific when I dare you to do something.

Reading her email, it was hard to know if her tone was intended to be severe or humorous, but given the nature of our relationship, I opted for the latter.

Since I'm not entirely satisfied with the way you handled that dare (but I am impressed by the solution you came up, don't get me wrong), I'm going to issue a new dare for you.
-- I want you to go to a Salvation Army store where they have a booth where you can try on clothes. I want you to find ugliest clothes you can and try them on - you can have your friend take a picture of you.
-- You can get the extra I promised in the first dare if you buy the clothes and have pictures taken of you in three different public places: the university grounds, a city park and at the bus depot.

I could already picture myself doing this. It would be fun!

Now, do I have any body modifications?
Yes I do. Several in fact. My ears are pierced of course, I do have a small tattoo somewhere on my body, but I'll let you discover for yourself... eventually. I have a belly button piercing as well. I did consider once getting my nipple pierced but I wisely chickened out. I did have a nose piercing a few years back but I forgot about it for a while and it closed off on me.
So, that's it for me. I had a great weekend. Paul says 'hi' and so do my parents.
Take care, have a great day.
Danielle.

I decided not to answer right away. Danielle's dare was ringing in my head. I was glad that my cheat had been accepted, but I knew that I had to be more in line with the mood of the dare for next time. I didn't mind. I had thought myself clever, and I had been, but she would get me next time. I felt giddy.

I got up and called Gilbert. We decided to meet at the local Salvation Army that afternoon, and I explained to him the details of the dare. He thought it was a cool idea. We decided to use his camera phone for the pictures. It looked like we were going shopping after all!

Finding the ugliest clothes I could find was no real issue. Some of the stuff at the Salvation Army stores is actually decent, but some of it is plain.... wrong! From an aesthetic point of view only, of course. After all, as the proverb stated, 'beggars can't be choosers'. I found a pair of brown corduroy pants and a rainbow wool sweater which together spoke volumes in matters of ugliness. The wool was stretched beyond its capacity to retain its full shape, and the pants just had a dirty look to them.

Trying them on proved to be the most challenging part of the dare. I stepped into the booth, removing my own clothing and putting them on. The pants were a little snug for my taste but they still fit; the sweater hung loosely over my body, itching because of the wool. If that didn't qualify as the ugliest set of clothing I had ever seen, nothing would. I got a little shy before stepping back out. Gilbert was ready with his camera phone.

"What do you think, Gil?"
"Nice... but you're missing something."

While I was changing, he had walked over to the hat section. He had put his hand on a wide brim hat covered with flowers on top. He handed it to me and laughed. I reluctantly put it on and posed.

"Perfect!"

I knew I must have been extremely ugly-looking in those clothes, or just peculiar, because I was drawing attention to myself. I returned to the booth, took everything off and put my clothes back on before stepping out.

"I'm done. Let's pay for these."

Three dollars later, we were on the sidewalk.

"Want to do the next part of the dare now?"
"Not yet. I want to wash these clothes. I feel icky."

We went back to my place and I put the clothes into the washing machine. We ate something; when they were clean, I put the clothes in the dryer.

"You shouldn't put wool in the dryer!" Gilbert told me.
"Gil, this is my ugly suit. It goes in the dryer!"

He laughed. We decided to spend part of the afternoon playing video games on my old PS2. He beat me several times at one of the Soul Calibur games, then I managed to clean his clock with a Dragonball-Z title. By then, the clothes were dry, so we decided to head out.

"Should we call the others?" he inquired.
"No. We'll just show them the pictures instead."

I realized I had not yet told Danielle about Laurie and Jacob. I would have to mention it in my next email.

We decided to start with the closest location: the bus depot. Since we would be taking the bus to the next locations (the park and the university), it seemed the logical choice. On the way, dressed as I was, I drew a lot of stares, but no one commented openly. As shy as I could be, I believed the people staring back at me (or more often looking away) were scared off. Only a younger girl, a teenager possibly in the first years of high school, managed to utter something like: "Nice suit." I smiled back and thanked her. Gilbert took one or two pictures there, then we boarded the bus (the driver barely glanced at me) and rode on across the city.

The park was our second destination, since it was closest. In this fall season, there weren't that many people around. I sat on a bench while Gilbert took some pictures. Again, no one said anything. People were avoiding me, which I found somewhat astonishing. The fact that Gilbert was taking pictures was probably as intriguing as what I was wearing.

Getting to university was the hardest part of this for me. I knew people there. I studied there. I went to stand in front of the library, clad in the ridiculous clothes, while Gilbert took several pictures. Once they were done, he told me he would load them into his computer and send them to me through the email. I told him to do it as quickly as possible. Since he lived near university, he went home on foot. I took the bus back downtown, aware of the stares I drew the whole ride back. I couldn't wait to get out of these clothes, and not just because the wool was extremely itchy.

I was tempted to throw the clothes away, but I decided to keep them, as further proof of my purchase. Then, I waited. I had some reading to do for one of my classes, so I stripped naked, taking a quick shower and setting down for reading with a small supper. I went over to the computer several times, to see if Gilbert had sent me the pictures. When night finally came and I still had no picture, I dropped him a line, asking about them. I didn't to answer Danielle without sending the pictures as attachment. Midnight came, but there were still no pictures. I was pissed at Gilbert: I had told him to send me the pictures as soon as he came home.

That night, I didn't sleep well. I was angry at Gilbert's lack of news, and I took it out on my sleep cycle and my pillow. He was holding back my answer to Danielle. I wanted to punch him. When I finally drifted off, it was only because the emotions of the day got the better of me. Hopefully, I would have the pictures by morning. If not, someone would get a spanking.

[interesting]

The phone rang. I let the answering machine pick it up. I knew who it was. He didn't leave a message. He had already left four.

I had gotten up that morning with the hope of finding the pictures in my email account. I found them all right, but not on my email. I found them on Gilbert's facebook page. He had listed them as: Franky's Ugly Suit.

There was no story behind the images. They were just there. Me in the Salvationg Army store. Me at the bus station. In the park. On campus, in front of the library.

That morning, I watched television. I had class but I didn't go. It was noon now, and I hadn't done a single productive thing all day. I had not even eaten.

Some time later, there was a buzz at the door. I ignored it. It became insistent. I got up and buzzed the person in. I knew who it was. I waited the normal time for someone to make it from the building door to my own through the elevator. There was no knock. I had unlocked the door. I waited. I heard a faint voice, then a gentle knock. I said nothing. The door pushed open. I wanted to be mad at him, and I didn't want to face him, but in truth, I just wanted to smack him. How could he be so stupid?

"Can I come in?"

I didn't answer. He made his way in, closing the door gently, walking up the hallway. From my seat on the couch, I could see him.

"Hmmm... I called you but..."
"Gil! The next words out of your mouth had better be I'm sorry or I'm going to kill you."

My tone was soft but decided. I had given him quite enough leeway. He didn't answer.

"What?"

I stood up and he backed. I didn't want to get angry at him, but how could I not?

"What the fuck were you thinking last night, dumbass?"

I regretted the name calling. I looked away, angry at him, angrier at myself for trusting him. He had never done this sort of thing before.

"Look, man, it's just pictures of you in a funny suit."
"Pîctures made in part of a dare that is secret. What part of 'secret' don't you get? Gil, dammit, how can you be so...?"

I let the words trail off. I didn't have the energy to fight with him. I was just so disappointed.

"I thought you wanted people to see the pictures."
"No! I wanted Danielle to see them! You. No one else. Dammit, Gil, you really hurt me here."

I was almost sobbing. Gil had done some pretty insensitive things in the past, but this was the most awful thing I had seen him do. I now stood in judgement of him and I knew it made him feel uneasy.

"I'm sorry, Gil. I just... forget about everything."

He sat down, ashamed. I hated being angry at him, but how else could I feel. He had betrayed my trust.

"I'm sorry, man...."

Was he that short-sighted? Could he not actually envision how putting the pictures on a public page where all of our common friends could see them would not affect me? It felt sad at his lack of foresight. He just felt shame. I didn't want to stop him.

"I thought... I could trust you. First, you blurt it out to Laurie and... then this. I mean, Gil, come on."

I sat down on my couch.

"I'm so sorry, man. I just... I wanted to surprise you and... it was pretty dumb on my part... and..."

His own voice trailed off. I hated hearing him like this. I did like him: he was a good friend most of the time, but once in a while, he really acted only on impulse.

"It's done now, so, I don't know what we can do about it."

His guilt was making me feel better, which made me fell worse in return. I didn't want to stay mad. I wanted to defuse the situation. But I had nothing to say.

"Well, you could do it to me... I mean..."
"It wouldn't change a thing, Gil..."
"Well, can I pull them off my account, then? I mean, from here."
"Don't need to. It's not like these pictures are compromising or anything. I mean, it might just be a halloween costume early... I guess I can always just send the link to Danielle."
"That's her name?"
"It's her name."
"It's a nice name."

Gilbert's comment made me smile. He was so apologetic about the whole thing, and I knew it was sincere. A whim had pulled his brain in that direction. He wanted to surprise me. Dumb, wonderful Gil.

"Look, I'm sorry I yelled, but..."
"No man... you're right, I screwed up. I... apologize."

I smiled at him.

"There's no point staying angry. I don't wanna fight. But we need a solution."
"I can pull the pics off..."
"Too late. People already commented. I checked."
"Bummer..."
"We can salvage this. You're gonna help."
"Tell... tell me what to do."

To be honest, I didn't know. All I wanted to do was write that email to Danielle - but one crisis at a time. First, figure out how Gil could help me salvage those pictures into something palatable that wouldn't bring up too many questions. Then, I'd contact Danielle to tell her how incredibly convoluted our little adventure was becoming.

[interesting]

Dear Danielle,
I'm sorry for not getting back to you sooner. Let's just say I ran into problems and leave it at that - for the moment.
How are you? I'm doing well. I have a bit of the sniffles, but other than that I'm feeling good.
I don't exactly know how to say this, so I'll just state it as plainly as I can: my friend who was taking the pictures did something with them - he posted them on facebook. Now, it's just me in the suit you dared me to purchase, but still, he didi it. He won't be taking pictures any time soon. However, the pictures are available for your viewing, on his facebook page, so here's the link. You should be able to see them. I also noticed that you added me as a friend on there. Thanks. I didn't know you had an account.
Anyway, you'll see I did the dare, and the extra.
The same friend who was taking the pictures also blurted out to some other people that I was doing dares, and I didn't want to lie so I told the truth, or enough of it to keep them satisfied. I didn't talk to them about you. One of them asked if he could join in on the fun, but I don't want him to. Anyway, it's been one hell of a weekend, and I'm just glad I'm finally catching up with you.
Paul says 'hi'. I say 'hi' back. I haven't been in touch with him for years. I hope he's well. Last I heard, he had moved in with his girlfriend and she was expecting. What about your younger brother? Is he good too?
It's funny, in a way. I'm writing this to you, but my mind is elsewhere. I don't know how to feel at the moment. I know, I'm being moody. I just wanted this to be simple, like it was last time. Things aren't simple anymore, are they? I'm glad you had fun at your parents' place. I keep thinking of your swimming pool...
Thanks for the truth. I'll look for that tattoo sometime soon, I hope. Here's another one: What is your biggest phobia?
I'll ask for a truth instead of a dare, just to get back in the beat of things.
Take care,
Frank
P.S. I really hope I see you soon. I feel like I could use a hug.

I clicked on the icon to send the message, then got up. It was early Wednesday morning, and I was still tired. I had managed to resolve the crisis with the pictures and Gilbert last evening. I logged off my email account and went back to bed.

[to be continued...]