Being Jim Ch. 02: Barbra's Reawakening

Life is a tapestry, a cloth woven of many different threads that create the whole. This story is a thread, a part of Barbra's story, contributing to the waft and weave that is the Whole cloth, being Jim.

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This story is based entirely on true experiences from my past, names and a few details have been changed to provide anonymity for those involved. Discretion is a precious commodity and is becoming rarer and rarer every day. I reached a ways back to relive this story for everyone, I was the ripe old age of twenty eight years old at the time. Bear in mind that Cell phones were barely a novel idea at that time. The internet was taking its first baby steps and people were discovering the likes of A0L and to a lesser extent local messaging or electronic "bulletin boards". How many of you out there remember dial-up modems? Cable TV was still mostly commercial free. Ah, good times. So in that frame of mind enjoy the memory. ***

I stretched my aching back while sitting in my office chair at my desk in front of my computer. The trilling warble of the dial up modem as it made the connection to my favorite bulletin board Night Friends. I leaned my elbows on the desk and rubbed my tired eyes with the palms of my hands as I waited for the log in screen to pop up on my monitor. I was tired and about ready for bed. I'd just got out of the shower after getting home from work that morning. It had been the last night of nine days, or rather nights of work, finally over. It's hell when I have to cover for people out on vacation, working my three shifts then covering for someone else's three shifts, then pulling my own shifts again. Nine days... er... nights is bad enough but at twelve hours long it makes for a really long stretch. At least the overtime pays good. Still though, I was definitely ready for three days off. Over the last nine days I've not had much time to spend online or catch up with my "friends" on the bulletin board. Hell, I've not had time to spend with any friends, on or off line. Looking at the clock on my computer I see that it's already going on nine o'clock in the morning. I really should be crawling into bed to sleep rather than goofing off online. Oh well, if no one is online I'll just read my email and call it a night, or day, whatever.

After logging on I checked my credits, "Yeah... getting low." I grumble. I'm going to have to go buy some more time later today. I pull up my messages next and see the expected questioning snippets from my usual contacts wondering where I've been and how come I've not been online to play trivia, or Trade Wars. Todd had left a couple, and there was one from Anne. Both asking how I was doing and that they missed seeing me online that week or so. They asked when I'd get a chance to come down to dinner and to give them a call sometime if I could get away from work. I leaned back in my chair to pop my back again and to adjust my crotch as my sweatpants felt a little tight from my junk swelling a little at the thought of Anne. A tired smile spreading on my face as I thought back a few weeks ago to the big snow that fell and the fun she and I had when she spent the night, I mean day at my apartment. I noticed that neither she nor Todd was online this morning but I made a mental note to call them this afternoon when I got back up from sleeping. I was just about to log off when I saw that a girl that goes by the nickname "Wildone" had just logged on. Deciding I could stay up a little longer I sent an invite for her to join me in trivia for a few minutes if she felt like it.

Wildone: "Hi there"

Fro: "Good morning"

Wildone: "How are you today?"

Fro: "I'm exhausted, just got home from work, I am SO glad for a day off finally!"

Wildone: "I've wondered where you've been. You're usually in here playing trivia with everyone in the evenings."

Fro: "Yeah, been working a lot of overtime. Last night was the ninth shift in a row. "

Wildone: "Oh you poor thing. I'll bet you're tired then. Why don't you go to bed?"

Fro: "I am, here in just a moment really. I was just logging off when I saw you getting online so I thought I'd at least say hello and talk with you a few minutes."

Wildone: "Well that's sweet. Thank you. I was just going to check my messages myself, I need to run to the store to get something for dinner tonight."

Fro: "Big plans?"

Wildone: "No, not really. My son is coming over to keep his old mom company. I missed his birthday two days ago because we both had to work. At least he had dinner with his fiancé. But momma is making dinner for him tonight. I took the day off from work to make his favorite dinner."

Fro: "Lucky guy. Is his father going to be there too?"

Wildone: "You mean his step father, fuck no. That asshole isn't coming home this weekend, again. He's probably screwing his mistress."

Fro: "Mistress? And you're okay with that?"

Wildone: "Frankly? No, he's her problem if she wants him. She certainly sees him more than I do. I told him he should just stay there in Indianapolis and do whatever the fuck he wants. All he does is bitch when he comes home anyway."

I sat back and rubbed my eyes again as I recounted what I knew about this gal. She and her husband lived on the other side of town. She worked for a medical billing company transcribing doctors' notes and orders so that patients could be billed. Her husband, (second or third?) worked for an IT services company and traveled around the country staying away from home for months at a time. I can't recall his name but I know she's told me what it was before. She goes by the nick name "Wildone" online but her real name is Barbra. Barbra is in her forties, ten years older than myself but still interesting. We play in trivia whenever we are both online or with other friends online. I know she flirts with several of the guys on Night Friends because both she has told me that, and so have some of my friends, like Todd. I get the impression she's neglected and lonely. I know the feeling on that count. Realizing I've been sitting there for a few moments and not typing any replies, I lean back and send some more text.

Fro: "Sorry, had to go see a man about a horse."

Wildone: "Haha, had to pee huh?"

Fro: "Uh, yeah. I'm lucky I didn't fall asleep standing there at the toilet. I'm dead on my feet."

Wildone: "Well why don't you go on to bed. We can chat later after you've slept. I have to go get groceries anyway. Goodnight Fro."

Fro: "Okay, I'm smiling, Goodnight, or morning or whatever. Talk to you later girl."

I watch as she vanishes from the screen and I myself log off as well. I don't even remember getting up and walking over to my bed.

I awoke later to the sound of a door slamming upstairs and heavy foot falls tromping down the stairs to the building's entrance door. Oh the joys of living in an apartment building when you work the night shift. Noisy bastard! I groaned and rubbed my eyes. I looked at my wrist and tried to focus on my watch to see what time it was. Of course I couldn't see it as it was pitch black dark in my bedroom thanks to my black out curtains over my window and hanging across the doorway. I reached up and switched on the lamp on my bookcase headboard blinding myself with the suddenly bright light. Squinting finally I was able to make out that it was after four in the afternoon. I laid there for a moment or so thinking that I had no plans so I might just go back to sleep. Then two things occurred to me, I had told myself I was going to call Todd and Anne this evening and that my stomach was demanding to be fed.

After stumbling out of bed and emptying my bladder I washed my face and brushed my teeth before making my way to my kitchen to see what was in the fridge. Reaching for the milk I unscrewed the cap and took a sniff before I took a drink, I nearly gagged when I got a whiff. "UGH!" I grunted as I looked at the expiration date and saw that it was four days past. I poured it down the kitchen sink and looked for something else. One lone can of Coke and two slices of baloney. "Yeah, time to go to the grocery." I muttered and then remembered that Barbra had said the same thing earlier in the morning. I couldn't help but to wonder how her dinner for her son was taking shape. I reached for the phone and dialed up Todd and Anne's number as I ate one of the slices of baloney and leaned against my kitchen counter while the phone rang.

"Hello?" Todd grunted on the other end

"Hey man! What's up?" I asked.

"Fro! Hey bud! Where the hell ya been pard? I've not seen you online in ages! I thought I's gonna have ta send out a search party to find yuh ass. Haha"

"Yeah... don't bother... but of course you could send Anne looking for me if you wanted." I chuckled as I opened the can of coke. "How are you guys doing?"

"Ah could complain but it don' do me no good. You know how it is, same ol shit different day." Todd lamented.

"How are Anne and the kids?" I asked as I peeled off another piece of baloney.

"Kids are good, Anne is tired as hell, she's been working extra shifts because one' the gals at work is off havin' a baby. Ah'drutha her be home of course, but at least the overtime money is good."

"Don't mention overtime, Fuck! I've been doing too much of that myself. Last night was nine days strait without a day off."

"Yeah that sucks man. Yuh workin t'night?" Todd asked.

"Nah, I'm not doing shit tonight." I paused and looked at my last slice of baloney in my hand and added, "Well, except go to the grocery maybe. I'm high and dry and the cupboard is empty."

"Well I don't know about yuh cubbuds but I know someone that would be willing to help out yuh high and dry situation." Todd chuckled. "Well if she wasn't working that is."

"She working again tonight?" I asked after swallowing the last of my baloney.

"Yup, she's finishing up with her hair right now... I'm standing here playing with her ass and she's squirmin'." He chuckled again.

I grinned and told him to give her a kiss for me. Todd laughed and asked me where I wanted him to kiss her. I laughed and said he was there, I'd let him decide. We both had a good laugh and hung up the phone. One hand scratching my ass and one scratching my head I walked back to my bedroom to get dressed.

Later that evening I was sitting at my computer logging on to Night Friends again. It was after eight in the evening and there was usually a good crowd online by then. Maybe some trivia and some chat would be in order. No new messages waiting since that morning and there were a few folks online. I noticed that Wildone was online so I sent her a private message asking how her son's birthday dinner had went.

Wildone: "Hi there. Get enough sleep?"

Fro: "No, never enough. I can't wait to get on day shift, working nights is killing me." I answered. "So how did dinner go?"

Wildone: "Too fast. Bear couldn't stay long, he was meeting his fiancé after she got off work. I'm not his number one woman anymore."

Fro: "Oh I'm sure you still are, you ARE his mother after all." I sent.

Wildone: "Huh yeah... but he's hot after pussy and she's the one offering it so I'm not as important anymore."

Fro: "Oh... yeah I guess there is that. I can't say I blame him as far as that goes, I tend to have that same weakness."

Wildone: "Yeah, you men are all the same when pussy is involved, you lose your minds."

Fro: "I guess we sort of do don't we? I wish I could lose my mind a little more often than once in a blue moon though." I typed and sent a wink.

Wildone: "Well you're still probably getting more action than I am. I can't remember the last time I got laid." She sent a frown.

I sat back and re-read her last few lines and wondered if I were missing something here. Is she dropping hints to me or just complaining? I've been chatting with Barbra off and on for a couple of months here on Night Friends but I'd never met her. Hell, I'd only met a handful of people on here in the real world, like Todd and Anne. Some of us would get together and have dinner or lunch at area restaurants or meet to go bowling or take in a movie. Having been online here at Night Friends for a little over a year now I was pretty well known as a regular so people were pretty open to talking with me. Especially the women, they knew I wasn't a stalker or a creep, even if I was a flirt.

Fro: "Oh I don't know about that, I work too much to be able to get out and try to date much. I am lucky if I get the time of day from anyone other than in chat here online and even then it's just fun and games."

Wildone: "That's not what I heard. I heard you entertain pretty well in person too." She sent me a wink.

Fro: "Oh? And who have you been talking to and what have they been saying about me?" I asked curiously even though I had a pretty good idea who it might have been.

Wildone: "I can't say but I do know that you made a good impression." She typed.

Fro: "Well impressions are good I guess. It's nice to know that I'm liked in any case." I admitted lamely.

Wildone: "So what are you doing home on a Friday night?" She asked.

Fro: "I work nights, and my schedule floats so it's hard to plan ahead for things like normal dates... nothing on for tonight." I sent a shrug.

Wildone: "So you're sitting at home alone, like me."

Fro: "At home, sure but I'm not alone, I'm online with friends... like you." I sent with a smile.

Wildone: "Thank you, but it's still not the same is it? Still kind of lonely."

Fro: "Yeah, honestly it does get kind of lonely at times... only when I think about it too much."

Wildone: "That's all I seem to do lately... think... sometimes it just sucks."

Fro: "How come you never come out to the get togethers we have here on Night Friends?"

Wildone: "I don't know, just don't feel comfortable meeting so many people at once."

Fro: "Have you met anyone from here online or just talk to them while you're online?" I asked.

After a few ticks she answered back with.

Wildone: "Only a couple of people, but yes."

Fro: "So you're not a social recluse, just shy." I sent a grin to lighten the accusation to just a friendly jab.

Wildone: "Well! I've been called a lot of things but not shy! Hahaha."

Fro: "You're just picky then." I said with another grin.

Wildone: "Yeah I'm picky I guess, or just cautious. There are so many fake people online, lots of jerks and creeps."

Fro: "Whoa! How do you know I'm not a jerk or a creep for that matter?" I winked.

Wildone: "Honestly, I don't, but I know someone that knows you and they say you're not."

Sitting up and paying closer attention to this line of chat, maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was something else but I was a little intrigued. I wondered if I could get this woman to meet me in person.

Fro: "So you're saying that if I were to ask you to meet me somewhere you might come out? Not like a date or anything, just as friends to get to know one another?"

She paused again, and my hopes began to fade thinking that she was going to decline. It wouldn't be the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last time I got turned down... wonder if she will be at least polite about it.

Wildone: "I might... What did you have in mind?"

WOW! She isn't turning me down flat anyway. I wonder if this might go somewhere. So I took another chance.

Fro: "I don't know. We could meet somewhere public so you would feel safe, and check me out before revealing yourself if you like. I really am not a creep, but you don't know that for sure no matter what someone might have said about me. How about the mall, at the food court. I can tell you what I will be wearing so you can spot me. You wouldn't have to tell me what you'll be wearing so I wouldn't know you until you approached me. That sound fair?"

Again she paused. Thinking it over I guessed. My heart was beating a little faster and I realized that I was a little excited at the prospect of meeting this girl, well, woman. A "married" woman I told myself with a twinge of regret. "Oh well, it's just as friends, right?" I asked myself. Then saw her response.

Wildone: "Okay, the mall on your side of town? I used to live near there actually. I even worked in that mall for a while, I know it pretty well. What time would you like to meet?"

I was almost stunned. Cool! I felt the level of excitement just go up another notch.

Fro: "How about tomorrow around noon. We can get some lunch in the food court or go somewhere else if you like. That is if you decide to take a chance on me."

Wildone: "Saturday at noon in the food court. Okay. Maybe at the Juice shack, they have bistro tables and chairs outside the shop where we can sit and talk."

Fro: "That works for me. Would you like me to get you something to drink?"

Wildone: "No, not yet anyway. What will you be wearing?"

"Dummy" I thought... offering to get something to drink. A perv or a creep might put something in a drink, I hadn't thought of that until I'd offered. Shooting myself in the foot and I've not even met her yet.

Fro: "Well I started to say I'd wear my Kentucky Wildcat's Sweatshirt but then the mall will be full of those... so probably not a good choice. Hmmm... what to wear?" I sent a giggle.

Fro: "How about a bright red Ohio State Sweatshirt, that'll stand out like a sore thumb." I laughed.

Wildone: "Are you sure you want to wear that in Wildcat country? You might become a target!" She laughed.

Fro: "I'll chance it I guess. I'm not adverse to a little risk in order to meet a lovely lady." I added with a smile.

Wildone: "How do you know I'm not some hideous old hag or something? Might be more than you bargained for."

Fro: "Somehow I don't think you are but I'll take the risk, if the outside matches the inside I think I will like whatever you look like." Again I sent a smile.

Wildone: "Flattery will get you... well... it's nice anyway. Thank you. Noon tomorrow then?"

Fro: "I'd say I'd see you there, but that's kind of up to you. I'll be there."

Wildone: "Goodnight then, until tomorrow."

Fro: "Goodnight."

I sat back and smiled. Trying to imagine what Barbra looked like. I had her description from her profile but who's to say that that is even true let alone accurate. Five foot five, dark red hair, brown eyes... that's all I knew, or rather all that was on her profile. I knew she was in her forties but she hadn't told me exactly how old she was. That really didn't bother me at all. We were both adults and I had no mommy issues so it was just a matter of personalities, if we liked each other and if there was any chemistry. Glancing at the clock on my computer I noted it was after ten. "Fourteen hours to go" I thought. I played trivia till midnight and decided I could go to bed and get some sleep.

I woke up the next morning around nine, about the time I'd normally be going to bed. Ironic I thought. I turned the light on and got up to make my bed and pick up a little bit. I needed to do some laundry today or tomorrow but it wasn't a pressing matter. Instead of raiding the fridge after I shaved and showered I got dressed and grabbed my Ohio State sweatshirt and headed out to get a bite to eat. Something light maybe because I was actually feeling some butterflies whenever I thought about meeting Barbra later. I drove down the street to Frische's and sat and read the paper over some scrambled eggs and toast. Time seemed to be dragging, it was as if the hands on my watch weren't even moving. Finally the clock rolled around to eleven AM and I figured I could head towards the mall and wait there.

The mall wasn't too busy for a Saturday morning, the usual geriatric mall walkers were making their rounds of course, and there was a scattering of people coming and going shopping. The food court was a little busy since it was almost lunch time. I got myself an orange, pineapple and banana juice and took a seat in front of the juice shop. I watched people as they moved about, looking for any woman with long dark red hair. And the butterflies multiplied. I sipped at my juice trying not to look too eager. "Be cool man, act casual." I told myself.