James Cyber Nothing

1. Auflage 2021
ISBN: 978-1-0983-9609-1
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 188 Seiten

'Cyber Nothing' is a romantic novel about a marriage and family therapist who falls in love with an online Scrabble player. Complicating everything, he is married and lives 1700 miles away. Balancing work and a house full of adult children, the therapist finds herself exhausted by life's struggle and desperate for a diversion. Of all things, playing Scrabble online is her outlet, and an innocent chat line becomes her lifeline.

Autoren/Hrsg.

James, Mary

Leseproben

Chapter Two

My mom taught me how to play Scrabble. I love to play and when I learned that Word with Friends (WWF) was an online Scrabble game that I could play 24 hours a day, I was hooked. I played anyone who would play me. I went from being thrilled at achieving 20-point words to striving for 120-point words. I saw my average word play go from 16 to 28 points a play. Absolutely addictive.

Then I met Berry. Berry had been playing WWF for 3 years. His average word score was higher by an average of 50 points. He won me game after game until one day I won. He wrote in a chat box something like congrats. I responded something gracious like what a great challenge he was.

His WWF picture was attractive – movie star looks – salt and pepper facial hair and temples, a true Colonel Sanders Kentucky Fried Chicken’s doppelganger! Yummy. I have a type – ever since age 5 or so. Berry was my type – dark hair, brown eyes, broad shoulders, tall, very masculine. After 50 + years I had barely evolved from my crush on Batman aka Adam West. Berry looked like an older, sophisticated Batman. Be still, my beating heart (quote from William Mountfort’s Zelmane, 1705).

We evolved from pleasantries to sharing more. I began to check all day long for a message from him. If he wrote, I would glow inside and whatever hideously boring thing I was doing suddenly wasn’t so bad. I could literally dance through the laundry of 11 adults and 2 grandchildren, their endless dishes and meal prep became less discouraging.

My anti-marriage militant stance was slightly softened. (Yep. I am an anti-marriage Marriage Therapist.) Suddenly my stance changed to “Oh, this is why people marry”. They become in love with another person’s good traits. As a therapist I seldom see this part. I only see the fallout from Hiroshima-type fights and Nagasaki size disagreements. It was tough not to be disillusioned. And that is before my own two forays into self-less, unrequited servitude enslavements…i.e., marriage #1 and #2. More on these uncivil wars later if we really have to rehash the nightmares.

Yes, Berry was a bridge to excitement, fun, the piece of my soul that was encased in scar tissue so thick to protect the layers of injury underneath. Add to this his complimentary nature and I became a swooning female under his charming flirtations. I will not oversell and under deliver. Here are some of the witty repartee’s we shared.

Read these text messages please. Is the feeling of fun and romance mutual or have I been completely deluded? Do you detect a potential for love?

Berry: Naughty girl. Let’s say your word selection is provocative.

Me: A little ribald vocabulary never hurt anyone.

Berry: Spiced up my Sunday. “Moob” (a word I just played) –
Thanks, I do what I can to avoid that look.

Me: How are you doing, besides relishing your smack down win?

Berry: I have learned that celebrating a win too heartily can come back
to haunt one! So, taking a tempered approach to celebration.

Me: Are you an even keeled person in general?

Berry: Are you psychoanalyzing me? Answer is yes.

Me: Nope. I don’t analyze without a request. Do you need anything?

Berry: Nope, just pulling your chain.

Me: I like having my chain pulled.

Berry: (Sent an emoji of a smiley face)

Was that not scintillating? Gosh, I still smile at the exchange. That is either how desperate I am or how wickedly we were emotionally connecting! Other text messages just massaged my faltering ego as I massaged his probably massive one:

Me: You are most deserving of my best efforts oh Master of WWF.

Berry: You’re so suave, so smooth!

Me: What a sweet thang to say.

There were also pictures sent via Messenger and one of my favorites was a picture of Berry after gardening. He was shirtless, sweaty but smiling with teeth – teeth showing which means happy to me. I started teasing him about gardening naked which made him send laughing emojis. This joke became our private thing.

Me: Happy Friday! Any weekend plans for naked gardening
and skinny dipping?

Berry: I told you, the gardening is SHIRTLESS. LOL

Me: A girl can dream.

Did you know that Scrabble words can be risqué? That is my specialty, and Berry never missed the lack of subtlety. What a genius he was. Spoken by a 13-year old’s heart trapped in an old women’s body.

Berry: Your wordplay is naughty once more.

Me: Cuz I know you like it.

The best days in this past year started at 5:30 Minnesota time, which was 6:30 am in Georgia.

Me: 89 points! How did you score that? Good Morning!

Berry: Wanted to make sure I had your attention.

Me: You got it for sure!

Berry: Playing with you is hard work

Me: But pleasurable, yes?

Berry: Moments but reaching them takes know how. To make matters worse, your game photo is absolutely angelic

Me: I like your know-how!

Berry: So, when you make a big play and I want to call you bad names.
I feel guilty.

Me: Ditto…kids know you as Scrabble Berry because I get frustrated at times!

Berry: But then you take pleasure, too, right? (rose emoji)

Me: Don’t get the big head, but it is the best part of my day.

Berry: No big head here and thanks. I enjoy it as well. Cuba Libre time?

Is this man absolutely charming or what? Or because my comparison is to the vacuum cleaner which refuses to scoop up Legos and Barbie Doll hair, I just don’t have any perspective?

Here is another thrilling text on what Berry liked on NETFLIX. Is this not a show of emotional intimacy?

Berry: The Ranch is a favorite. Tudor’s. Last Kingdom

Me: Thanks! I am happy to explore new shows.

Side note – I had Sam Elliott’s doppelganger for a client. Absolutely disarming. Plus, this client was extremely horny/charming, and he was 74. On our last session he kissed me with the speed of a cheetah…he was incorrigible. I think his depression had clearly resolved!

Berry: That is a unique combination, horny, and charming. I’m sure you brought out the best in him, good looking therapist that you are.

Deep sigh. Do you know that in 62 years, I had never, ever been told I was good looking? Neither husband. No boyfriends. No mom or dad. Yet when I turned 50 and had a Glamour Shot picture taken, they asked to hang a 20 x 24 copy in their shop for advertisement. Would a national chain want a picture of a hound dog, jowls, and all, with make-up on? Just to show their make-up artists can work magic? Wait…wait a minute. Was my picture showing that any haggard, heavy weight, horse-faced woman could be beautified…oh no. Another glimmer of positive self-esteem shattered. Thanks a lot.

If Berry did not have an attraction to me, there was the competitive component that added fun:

Me: 165 points? All time high!

Berry: happy to know you had a hand in helping me reach
that climatic number

Me: Hate being helpful…

Berry: “Blypse”, give me a break

Me: Mr. 165+ point word is schooling me?

Berry: No Doctor, Mr. 165 is beating you! Rack ‘em!

Me: That was a close game. You are on my list now.

Berry: Close is not necessarily bad, raises excitement level. Think of it like that

Me: Being on my list is like being brushed by a butterfly…I’ll be gentle.

Berry: Happy shall I be to occupy such a gifted position…
Brushed by a butterfly

Fingers flying, we play a few more exchanges.

Berry: Losing gives you a potty mouth I see.

Me: Oh, my apologies, I thought that was a Jewish term…

Berry: Old English, to the best of my knowledge. Ha-ha

Me: Vulgarity, oh dear.

Berry: At least I’m not really offended.

Me: Perhaps you have uttered a bit o profanity over the years?
Episcopalian style?

Berry: Alas. It is so. But never for higher score.

Me: Brutal blow

Berry: I tried to think of a tender way to say it

Me: Operative...