5. April 12th

APRIL 12TH

TB

Come on.Where are you? In two minutes, I'll have to log out because you're not showing up.

The arrangement they had made for their computer chats was that they logged in at ten p.m. If one of them didn't show up by ten minutes after, they wouldn't be available that night. That way, neither of them was waiting and wondering. She was always here when he logged in. He assumed that was because she was on her computer most of the day writing. Today was the first time he had been first online.

TB was known for his unfailing people-reading skills. It was what made him a superior interrogator.

Correction. Information Specialist. What a nice way to title someone whose specialty was torture techniques.

Had he read her wrong? It wasn't impossible, as no one was perfect. But he'd been so certain. Had he gone too far, too fast last night? Had he scared her away?

All day today, he'd found himself consciously willing time to pass so that he could get home to talk to her. He knew they were both already emotionally invested at some level. Him? He'd be… uncomfortable… when it was over. He was used to people leaving, even when it was unavoidable. But her? She was going to get hurt in the end, and the truth was, he didn't know how to avoid it.

He grunted. Since when did he care if someone got hurt?

Since Waters fell in love with Kubrick, that's when. You went from total bastard to total pussy with the first swear word that came out of her mouth. Each and every member of the team is a little in love with her, too. Jealousy sucks.

The computer dinged, and in the upper left corner of the chat box, a flame avatar appeared.

LOBO: Good evening, little Flame. Thought I was going to get stood up tonight.

LOBO:Did your writing go better today? Was I suitably inspiring?

FLAME: Sorry. Time got away from me.

FLAME:Yes… and no.

LOBO:Yes, your writing went better today, and no I wasn't inspiring?

LOBO:I'm going to have to try harder.

FLAME:You certainly gave me a lot to think about.

LOBO: Ah. So I distracted you.

FLAME:Yes. I spent a lot of time staring off into space.

FLAME: I sat at my computer for seventeen hours. Only managed six pages.

LOBO:You've been sitting at your computer since five o'clock this morning?

LOBO: We got offline before eleven. Even if you went to sleep right away, that's not enough rest.

LOBO: You should have been more relaxed after we chatted. I failed you last night.

FLAME: I couldn't shut my mind off.

LOBO:Tell me why.

The screen remained blank.

LOBO:You can tell me anything, princess. That's the beauty of online chat. Anonymity.

FLAME:This is kind of personal.

FLAME: Embarrassing, actually.

LOBO:Consider me intrigued.

FLAME: I've never done anything like that before.

Oh, fuck. And now I'm hard again.

LOBO: You've never pleasured yourself? Or you've never had cyber-sex?

FLAME: No matter which I answer, it feels awkward. But I meant the second.

LOBO:Did you do what I described?

FLAME: I thought I was supposed to.

LOBO: Oh, yes, little Flame, you were.

LOBO: Did you enjoy it?

"Come on, say yes," he whispered.

LOBO: It's a simple question, princess.

LOBO: Don't overthink it.

LOBO:Did you enjoy it?

LOBO: Use your words, little Flame.

FLAME:I don't know.

LOBO:You don't know?

LOBO: Then I definitely didn't do it right.

FLAME: No, it's not that!

FLAME:That came out wrong. I didn't mean it like that.

FLAME:At the time, it was very enjoyable.

FLAME: But all day today, I second-guessed myself.

FLAME:Should I have done that?

FLAME:Were you laughing at me, knowing what I was likely doing?

LOBO: I would never laugh at you, little Flame.

LOBO:I wanted to make you feel good.

LOBO: It was also a lesson in Dominance/submission.

LOBO: If I can command you online, imagine what I could do if we were in person.

Neither of them typed for a few minutes.

LOBO: Do you trust me?

FLAME:No.

LOBO:That's a very good girl. I appreciate the honesty. But in this, you can.

LOBO: My job was to teach you about BDSM.

LOBO:However, I've done about as much of that as I can over chat.

FLAME: Does that mean we don"t talk anymore?

LOBO:Would you miss me, little Flame? I'm flattered.

LOBO: No, it doesn't mean we don"t talk anymore.

LOBO:I would miss talking with you, too, if we stopped.

LOBO: Last night was a practical lesson. That was the next logical step.

LOBO:Are you ready for the next step? As in an in person, practical lesson?

There was no reply. He waited a few minutes, feeling like he was holding his breath.

LOBO: Flame?

LOBO:Answer me.

Finally, an answer came.

FLAME: I don't know.

LOBO:Why don't you know if you're ready?

FLAME: I don't know you.

FLAME:But meeting you feels too intimate to not know you.

LOBO: Meeting someone physically doesn't necessarily mean you know them.

FLAME:Logically, I know that.

LOBO:I bet I know you better than anyone else does.

FLAME: It's difficult.

FLAME: I don't trust people.

LOBO:You mean men.

FLAME: No, I mean people. People are cruel. They rarely worry about anyone but themselves. They rarely truly care about others.

Somebody has done a number on this girl.

LOBO:That's the whole crux of a D/s relationship, sweetheart. The Master cares about the sub.

LOBO:Because a good Dom gets his or her pleasure knowing that their submissive is taken care of and happy.

FLAME: I don't think I'm ready. I'd make a fool out of myself.

LOBO:Not possible.

LOBO: But that's why you'd go to the club with me as my guest.

LOBO: Think about it.

Another pause.

LOBO: Goodnight, princess.