1x: To Fool a Nerd and a Geek

To Fool a Nerd and a Geek

This is a stand alone story.

This story is fiction, and you are welcome to imagine the characters as you wish but all characters are 18 years old or older . Events, are not intended to be accurate or diagnostic so please don't flame me on that account. Again: This story is fiction.

There is an intro, 'Who Am I?' and a concluding 'For those who like closure.' But you can skip those if you are in a hurry.

This is my entry for the April Fools Day Story Contest 2024 competition, and I went from not really being aware of the competition on the 13 ^th , when I suddenly got the idea for a 1x story, to the first draft complete on the 17 ^th . Please vote and comment.

Who Am I?

My name is Jenine and the first thing people seem to notice about me is my glasses, large with a dark frame, and that's the way I like it, they are my shield against the slings and arrows that others, particularly other young adults, women and men, like to fire at me if I come to their attention.

My sin is that I like mathematics, not arithmetic, which is just sums, but equations and theorems and the beauty that flows from them. Actually, I don't like mathematics, I love mathematics, I live for and through mathematics. I see beauty in the natural world in the flow of the curves and forces and gradations of colours and forms of clouds and fall or rain and in the human form. It's the human mind that gives me grief and makes me weep with its chaos and conflict. And they call me a Nerd, even those on the same course.

I am in the final year of University, I won't say which one, but have only just turned eighteen as I was given early entry having passed my earlier exams two years early. I have not had any boyfriends as I can't relate to the things that interest most people. Also, despite being rather good at arithmetic, being two years younger than my peers adds extra strain to my workload as apparently 'being gifted' at a subject means you have to excel at it, with no room for error. Even the lecturers expect me to outperform them, and the Professors are little better. But I try to be reserved as I get too much attention for my liking.

But it appears that someone has seen beyond the glasses, plain clothing, and quiet manners... Unless it is a cruel hoax.

It started with a Valentines' Card with a cryptic message requiring the solution of equations to reveal the simple message. "To someone who understands real beauty from one who appreciates it." It asked that I put a picture of a red rose in my bedroom window.

I received another letter with another encrypted message the next week and this asked me to put an orange flower in my window. Each week afterwards there was a message and the request for a flower, but I knew that yellow would be right colour. The messages were increasingly erotic in their description of me and the suitor's desire for my mind, and in later ones, also my body, and then what they would like to share body to body. I found it all very stimulating, more so because I had to solve the equations to reveal what was hidden and it implied a great respect for my mind and passions.

I would scan my fellow students, both male and female, for any signs that they were the origin of the messages, but I couldn't see any clues.

On Tuesday 28^th March 2023 I received the sixth message inviting me for a meal at a local French restaurant at eight pm on the next Saturday and all I had to do was put a flower in my window. I noticed that this asked for an actual flower, and it took some time to find someone selling violets at that time of year.

To Fool a Nerd and a Geek

So, this was going to be my first date and I may be socially reserved, but I am not stupid or naïve. I have always taken care with my appearance as I didn't want to give scope for unwelcome comments, not that it stopped them, but if someone said 'what drab clothes', I knew they were right and that didn't hurt. Is someone said 'what dirty clothes', I knew they were wrong and could pity their petty insult.

Now, I didn't follow fashion, but trusted that shops would have the popular styles and all I had to do was pick what I liked the look of those that fitted me, but first to the lingerie department to buy nicer underwear than my normal functional ones. Now I didn't expect that it would be seen by anyone but me, but I knew that if I wore my normal fare, I would worry in case things went that far as I didn't know what was expected in this liberal day and age.

I settled on purple lace and needed fitting guidance as D cup seemed a bit tight, which was apparently because I was a size bigger than that. Having got a colour theme, choosing a wraparound dress to go with it was easier to get the right fit and I liked the way the full skirt settled in a series of waves that rippled as I moved.

The other thing I did was to pick up my order for contact lenses and then buy some new foundation and purple eyeshadow and suitable toned lipstick to match.

---

So there I was at the restaurant at ten to eight and having been dropped off by the taxi I had to enter the foyer as it was too cold, with a bit of rain in the air, to hand around outside. As I took off my coat a member of staff, the Maître-De?, came over to me. "Evening mademoiselle, have you a reservation, or the name of the charming man who's expecting you?"

I blushed and said apologetically. "I'm sorry, I'm here on a blind date and hopefully not a prank, so I will have to wait until claimed like a lost parcel, or leave feeling rather silly for my trusting nature."

He looked me up and down and shook his head. "Well, I hope you will not be left unclaimed as someone as enchanting as yourself would be a welcome guest and I am sure I could find you a table to save you from starvation."

I smiled and felt better, but I suppose flattery is part of his job, as is selling food to people at otherwise empty tables. "Thank you, do you have any reservations for eight, as that is when I was told to be here?"

He went to his pedestal desk and checked. His brow furrowed. "I must say, regretfully, that I cannot see an obvious table for two at eight, but possibly I am mistaken, possibly it's a double date. If you would like to sit at the bar I will see if I can get you seated if nothing else occurs. By the way, you may call me Louis, and you are?"

"Jenine, thank you Louis, I think I will wait to see what happens."

I went and sat at the bar and ordered an orange juice. To say I felt wretched, taken for a fool on All Fool's day, would be understating it. The bar tender, a glamourous looking middle aged woman, didn't pry, but I noticed the Maître-De have a quick quiet word with her as I was hanging up my coat. I was conflicted between leaving the restaurant, looking foolish, or remaining for the offered table and at least enjoying the atmosphere.

I was analysing the setup and if this was to humiliate me, then my leaving after a few minutes would give the opportunity for me to be observed, giving up the prank player or players the payoff they wanted.

Ten past eight, it appeared that all of the booked tables had arrived and that I had been taken for a fool. But, having finished my drink, I was resolved to take the Maître-De up on his offer of a table for one, though it would not be the evening I had hoped for and whenever I left there was a chance I would be seen going out alone. I got up and was approaching the Maître-De's desk when the door burst open and a gent's umbrella surged in followed by a pair of suited legs and black formal shoes. From the state of the umbrella the rain had increased to a downpour and the wind a gale.

I was frozen in place wondering what the closing of the umbrella would reveal, my mind already tracing the shadows and the flow of the rain drops as it fell and collapsed. The first thing I noticed was the curly mid-brown hair, the fractal nature of the swirls covering the head, caught under a spotlight, then the metal framed spectacles, casting light and shadows on the cheeks. Then the shape of the eyes, the cheek bones, the nose the upper lip, chin, of a young man I had never seen before in my life but immediately found fascinating. It might have been because he saw me, but his lips went into a smile and the geometry of it was perfect.

The collapse of the umbrella meant it was now of no importance and my eyes reviewed the shape of the body supporting the head, the proportions of shoulders, arms, torso, hips and legs were so in keeping with what I had already noticed, and Leonardo da Vinci would have applauded the perfection of ratios. It appeared that the suit was new, as was the white shirt, open at the collar.

He approached the Maître-De, who didn't know I was standing behind him, and spoke in a soft Welsh accent, similar to, but younger than Rob Brydon's. "I'm sorry... I'm a bit late for my date, I hope the young lady hasn't given up... assuming she turned up?" The cadence and rhythm had a fascinating pattern of their own. I noticed Louis glance at the bar area and noticed I was gone, but then turned a bit further and spotted me. He raised an eyebrow and I shook my head.

"You may call me Louis, and you are?"

"Dafydd, Dafydd Williams," I knew the f is sounded like a v, and the dd like a soft th "my fellow students said they had set me up with a blind date, but it seems they were joshing about and making me look a fool." He looked crestfallen. "I suppose I had better leave with my tail between my legs." And with that he started to turn towards the door with his hands ready to open the umbrella. I stepped forward and tapped Louis on the shoulder, hoping he might intervene.

"Actually Davith," He didn't get the pronunciation quite right. "the fates may have intervened and it seems this lovely young woman stood behind me has been subject to a similar mischief, and possibly you could join her at her table to keep her company?"

He stopped, frozen for a moment, and then turned as if on a pivot and looked at me and I noticed he only looked at my face and didn't scan my body. I smiled at him and with that he unfroze, straightened up, and smiled back. "I would be pleased to keep..."

Louis supplied. "Jenine."

"keep Jenine company if she wouldn't mind."

I stepped forward, standing beside Louis. "Actually Dafydd, I would be pleased to make your acquaintance and, if my suspicions are correct, there are people in the Burger King across the road waiting to see us leave early and alone. If I am right, then us enjoying a meal together will fool them."

With that Louis said. "If you would like to go to the bar and buy the lady a drink, I will get your table ready and seat you shortly."

So we sat and chatted about ourselves. We were studying at different Universities in the city and so the chances that those who had set Dafydd up knew anything about each other were limited. As Louis had said, the fates were smiling on us, not that I believed in any such thing. However, we agreed that possibly at restaurants across the city similar pranks were being played and we were fortunate that we had mutually benefited. At that time Louis came over and told us our table was ready and seated us in a quiet corner and we perused the menu and wine list, though we both settled on sparking water.

I considered the next step, for after we had finished our meal, and got out my phone and found the budget hotel across the road and booked a room, without telling Dafydd, with the idea that we could disappear overnight, thus further confusing our tormentors if they were still around. Our meals turned up and we continued to get to know each other.

It turned out that Dafydd was doing a course of computational analysis, in many ways an application of the mathematics I was both studying and enthralled with. He was equally fascinated by my understanding of, and insights into, the equations relating to the transformation of data. I confessed that I was considered to be a Nerd, even by my fellow students, he laughed, a beautiful sound. "Well I am considered a Geek by my fellows, and they are called Geeks by everyone else!"

As desert arrived, I teased. "So, what do you do you do with my equations?" He had previously, occasionally called them that.

He looked serious. "I apply machine learning to statistical analysis to generate synthetic output." Now I understood the words, but not what they meant in the real world. "You know you look so sweet when you are puzzled." And he put his hand on mine and surprisingly for me, I didn't find the contact uncomfortable. "Sorry to tease you, most people call it AI, but whilst it is artificial, there is no intelligence involved, except that put in by programmers and users, and that isn't artificial. Well, at least I don't think you are."

I smiled at the veiled compliment and thought, for the first time in my life, that the man I was talking to was not artificial either. "Is there any way you can show me any of your work?"

"Well not here, the data input would be too noisy and the labs at the University are closed."

"Well... how about a hotel room?"

His brow creased. "A hotel room, where would we get one at this time? And how would we get there?"

I lowered my eyes. "Well, earlier I booked a room at the Travelodge across the road, with the idea of confusing anyone after we left."

He sounded confused. "Er, you were thinking we would sleep together?"

"Oh, no! Just go there and hang out, watch TV and you could leave whenever you wanted. I just thought other people would assume we had done things, er, you know, not just sleeping."

He laughed. "When I said 'sleep together' I meant doing things rather than just sleeping, but yes, let's do things, such as image capture and virtual modelling." And with that he squeezed my hand, and it was the first I realised we were still holding hands, it seemed so natural.

We paid our bills and I got my coat and him his umbrella, but the weather had changed again and there was a clear sky and no wind such that it actually felt slightly warm. We crossed the road, walked past the Burger King, where there were faces watching us, but the rain splattered glass prevented us from recognising anyone, but, out of mischief, I pulled Daf into a hug and a kiss on the lips.

We passed a little Tesco supermarket and I said to Daf, I'll just get some biscuits, teabags and milk and I left him at the magazine stand, browsing the latest editions of the ones he had already got. As I passed the makeup isle to pick up some shower gel, perfume and tissues. I noticed the family planning section and, out of impulse, put a box of Durex condoms and lube in my basket, though I hadn't a good reason to do so, I suppose the erotic messages that fooled me to going to the restaurant were still in the back of my mind. I went to the self-checkout and, buying a long-life-bag decorated with flowers, I put my purchases in it before Daf could see what I had bought.

I checked into the hotel and we went up to the room. I hung up my coat and nipped into the bathroom, to fill the kettle and also get comfortable, whilst he was fussing around the TV that was attached to a long desk on the wall facing the bed, with a bucket chair just off to one side, presumably for writing letters.

I came out and noticed the TV was showing a picture of a woman, who looked in many ways, totally unlike me. She had red hair with green eyes and I am blonde with blue eyes. Her face was round, mine is almond, she seemed quite, how shall I put it, quite cuddly, but not curvy, when I am a bit gangly, but hour glass, not that I normally show that. I also sensed she would be petite, where I am five-foot-eight, one-point-seven-three metres, in flat heels, which I always wear. Not being jealous, much, I though she looked a bit plain.

"Who's that?" I asked a bit aggressively.

"Er, it's a synthetic image of the woman I thought I would be meeting tonight."

"Synthetic?"

"Yes, it's not a photo but a rendition of what Erica was supposed to look like, based on what, for want of a simple term, VR rendered from a description of her."

"So, that is what your ideal woman would look like?" I was wondering if I would be unattractive to Daf, as I strangely felt I was attracted to him.

"Oh, no, far from it, but if I had been sent an image anything like you I wouldn't have turned up."

Now I was feeling upset. "Oh, sorry to disappoint, I suppose we had better leave."

Daf looked at me wide eyed! "No! Oh, I'm such an idiot! I meant if I had been sent an image of someone as beautiful and sexy as you I wouldn't have believed it and never turned up!"

I felt immediately relieved and closed the gap between us and gave him a hug in apology, and another kiss for saying I was beautiful and sexy, a first in my life. "So this is on your phone?"

"Oh no, fantastic as it is, this is on the lab server, I have VPN'd to it and logged in so I can show you how this works. All I want to do right now is to have you up against the wall."

I shook my head, did he just say what I think he said. "Pardon, it sounded like you wanted to have sex against the wall?!"

He looked shocked. "Oh, idiot again, I want you to stand by the blank wall so I can grab you. Er, I mean capture, oh bugger, getting worse... take your photo from lots of angles... sorry." He looked deflated and looked at his shoes. "If you still want to talk to me, fool that I am."

I put my fingers on his jaw and lifted his face to look at me. "Daf, you sound like I think. Now which wall do you want to have me up against?" And I gave him a big wink. There then was a series of photos, about eight positions around, but also taken from ground looking up, I wondered if he was trying to upskirt me, waist height and head height looking down. Then he took a series of just my face with different expressions. We then gathered by the TV whilst a picture of me was showing with a ring of dots pulsing around.

Daf seemed excited. "Actually, this is quite impressive, we should have you rendered in a minute or so, just last year it would have taken hours and not have been half as good."

Then suddenly the image sort of popped and you could tell it wasn't the photo as it was both somehow more refined but less detailed, a bit like the original image he had shown me. "So what do you think?"

"Well it seems a lot of effort to get a photoshopped image of me."

"It's not a photoshopped image, it's a model, let me show you." He typed 'Jen sits in a wicker chair.' And the chair appeared, and the figure sat down, it wasn't just shown in the sitting position, but moved from standing to sitting. He then typed 'Jen looks to the left, smiles and waves before standing up.' And the figure on the screen did just that. I must say I was impressed, but also wondered what my model might do when I wasn't in the room.

"Impressive, so you can get my model to do anything as long as it's in that dress?"

"Oh, no I could change the dress." And he typed. 'Dress <> Blue jeans.' Suddenly I was topless wearing jeans. The rendition gave me prominent nipples. Daf blushed. "Oh fuck!" And frantically typed. 'Jen > Red sweater.' And the red sweater appeared, but the jeans disappeared, so I was now naked below the waist, and not only naked but shaved and looking aroused.

Daf, swore some more. "Fuck fuck fuck!" And typed. 'Jen reset.' And then the sweater disappeared, and the model sat back in the chair in a very unladylike pose with knees apart. Daf put his head in his hands. "Sorry, Jen, I didn't mean to embarrass you, but I think there is too much adult content into the system and it doesn't know better."