by: Kelly Fitzgerald

Katie is a married woman of fourteen years. She and her husband have three beautiful children. Something feels missing in Katie’s life. She cannot quite pinpoint it, but nevertheless it is still there.

Katie and her husband’s children are still under the age of five so they are not in school. At 1:00 p.m. each day of the week the three children fall asleep for their nap. Katie gets a little housework done and then decides to chat on her computer for something to do. Katie meets all sorts of people from around the world. She befriends a guy who is single, living in another country with his girlfriend and her three children. This guy is handsome, has a great job in an office and gets on his computer to goof around and even shows his face on his webcam. Katie cannot believe he can do this at work! Once she gets to know him she worries that he will get into trouble with the boss.

She types to him:

“Aren’t you worried the computer geek will see you chatting with all of the info saved in the computer system?”

He replies and is laughing on his webcam as he types, “I am the computer geek here.”

They both chuckle. He goes on to tell her that after each day he takes a disc and swipes the system clean so there is no trace of his negligence.

As time goes on Katie and her guy from cyber world grow closer and closer. They share their weekend happenings with each other, trade pictures and even tell each other at the end of the chat conversation that they love each other.

Katie is growing more and more attached each day to the cyber guy. He shares his problems with her. The two of them can talk about anything and everything. They share so many laughs. Katie looks forward to 1:00 p.m. every day while the children nap.

Katie buys a webcam and fixes up for the guy in another country. They both have a crush on each other. Neither of them is sure if it is a crush or an escape from the every day grind they are in love with.

Mr. Cyber guy starts to cheat on his girlfriend. Actually he was seeing another woman behind his live-in girlfriend’s back before Katie met him. He finally shares this information with her. He even shows a website with the two of them together! Some of the photographs are shocking to Katie as they are downright provocative. She cannot believe he has this other life. She is happy he shared this information with her. He then tells her he misses the “lady” in the photographs. The lady is also married to a huge bodybuilder. One of the photos shows the husband with a crazy leather head piece on that shows he is into S & M. Katie warns him to be careful as this guy could kill him with his pinky! He laughs and says he will be careful. He also shares he has not seen the lady for five months.

Since Mr. Cyber guy cannot find the “lady” he chats in his home country’s chat room. The chat room is filled with people that live in his area. He is good looking and easily talks to other women. “Jackpot“, he says, as he found a woman to meet him for coffee the following day.

Katie cannot wait to see what happens with this wild guy. She is living vicariously through him while she tends to her three children and husband. She would never do such a thing but the thought of being able to watch another person’s choices feels like she is delving into a book she cannot put down.

The following afternoon Katie waits patiently to hear how the coffee “date” went. Finally, at 2:10 p.m. Mr. Cyber guy signs on. He said the lady was pretty and they are going to meet in ten minutes! This time they are going to meet at a park to get to know each other better. This park is known as a place for people to hook-up. Katie feels jealous but she knows she should not. In a way, she wishes it was she he was meeting but she would never break her wedding vows. She cannot believe she can “feel” something for someone she met on the Internet. Slowly she is starting to see how people can meet online and end up having a relationship. When she first chatted with others that said they had an online relationship she thought they were complete losers! How can you feel anything for someone you cannot see face to face and actually touch?

She starts to feel if she were single meeting someone online is the way to go. You can get to really know the person intimately before actually meeting face to face. She fells you could get to know the ‘real’ person. It was a safe feeling that no harm could come to a person because with the delete of a button, you no longer had to have contact with that person.

As time goes on, Katie and Mr. Cyber guy are telling each other they love each other more and more. Then one day it all comes to a halt. Katie’s husband sits on the computer and checks the chatting history. He is furious! He wants to know just what is going on with Katie. He forbids her to chat with Mr. Cyber guy ever again. Katie is heartbroken and she cannot contain her tears. She cries in front of her husband about another man! She feels like a complete idiot but she tells her husband this guy is only her friend and being home all day with the children she has no one else to talk to. Her husband tells her to make new online friends. Katie tries. It is harder than one thinks. She has such a connection with Mr. Cyber guy she does not want to give him up.

When Katie’s husband comes home the following day, she talks to him while they hang out the wet clothes on the clothesline. Her husband finally gives in and lets her chat with him. She is so happy. He makes her promise not to tell him she loves him–even as a friend. Katie happily agrees.

Mr. Cyber man is happy Katie came back for their afternoon chat that Friday. The two of them make a pact that they will never stop chatting with each other no matter what. He tells her he has another coffee “date” with yet another woman. She cannot believe it! She tells him to be safe and make sure he wears a condom. He laughs and thanks her for caring and says he will listen to her.

A few weeks pass by; Mr. Cyber man has gone out with countless women he met online. He shares pictures of his conquests with Katie. He tells Katie he no longer wants to be with his live-in girlfriend. They both talk and try to figure out how he should break up with her. He decides to let her know that he cheated with one lady he met online. That one lady is enough to send his live-in girlfriend reeling with anger! Understandably, she cries as he does have such a wonderful personality. (Minus the extreme amount of cheating.)

His girlfriend never dreamed he would do this to her. She was just complaining to him how boring he’s been in bed lately. The two of them do so many things together including taking fun classes at the local tech college and reading the same book so they can later discuss it.

Mr. Cyber man takes off for the weekend to his mother’s house a few hours away. On Monday he tells me of the long talks he and his mother had. After speaking to his mother he learns he really does love his live-in girlfriend. He plans on going home to talk to his girlfriend that evening. Although I am surprised he wants to stay with her, I wish him luck.

The following afternoon I receive an e-mail from Mr. Cyber guy. He is back with his live-in girlfriend and has promised her he will no longer chat. He says he is getting rid of his webcam and his girlfriend even came into the office to move his desk around so if he has the temptation to go on his webcam he cannot. If he goes on his webcam everyone in the office will see him on it, including his boss. He tells Katie he enjoyed their friendship and will miss her and he will always have a special place in his heart for her.

Katie is devastated. She cannot stop crying. She has to stop crying as in a few hours her husband will be home and see she has swollen shut eyes.

Her husband does ask his wife what is wrong when he gets home. She tells him she has a bad sinus headache. It is all left at that.

After dinner and the children are all tucked in bed, Katie decides to have a glass of wine. Whenever Katie has a glass or two of wine she gets really chatty. Her husband goes to bed at 8:00 p.m. sharp as he gets up very early and works a lot of overtime. Katie calls her friend on the telephone. Her friend is not home. Katie decides to log onto her computer and head to the nearest chat room. She makes friends with a group of girls that are hilarious. They all get along like they have known each other all of their lives. Soon they travel from room to room together taking over the conversations in each chat room.

One day one of the girls makes up her own chat room and sends out invitations to her friends. Slowly we all become one big happy family enjoying each other’s company. We share our lives with each other. Of course, people share only what they want. You never know who is lying so you take everything with a grain of salt. Katie still has a piece of her heart lost from missing Mr. Cyber guy. She tries to make the best of it getting to know other people. She knows it is what is best for Mr. Cyber guy and his girlfriend. He got so out-of-control with the women to the point where it was dangerous.

Her friend Carrie tells her to peek at her guy friend’s webcam. She tells her he is really handsome and a laid back guy. This is her Mr. Cyber guy.

Katie takes a peek and Carrie is right! He is good looking. Katie keeps the webcam on and starts to instant message Carrie’s cyber guy. Every night the three of them meet to chat. Before long Carrie feels like a third wheel. Katie feels just awful but she cannot help herself. Katie even tells him she feels bad and he says it is his choice who he wants to chat with. Katie is just happy it is her.

For a few days her new guy is missing. After talking for many days in a row  he never said where he was going. She worries something happened to him. Then she thinks to herself why am I worrying? This is a grown man who is married with a family. Nevertheless, she cannot help herself.

After five days he comes back. She wonders where he has been. He never did give a good explanation. He just says he had to take a break from chatting. Katie wonders if his wife was getting upset. That thought leaves quickly and she is happy he is back to talk to her.

The two of them quickly catch up. He sends her a love song. He actually tells her he loves her and sends her a poem! Katie is on her second glass of wine and is shocked. He asks her if it is too soon to say that. She is thinking oh my God YES, but she types back “no. “He has his webcam on and blows her a kiss.

Throughout the days they chat with each other at the children’s naptime and in the late evening hours. He can chat from work and she cannot believe how many people actually get away with this behavior at work. Although she cannot believe it she is happy.

The two of them share songs, pictures, poems and laughs. They talk about their lives and their problems. Katie really does not have any problems and is happily married. He tells Katie he is happily married too–at first. The more he gets to know her the more he starts to share with Katie. He tells Katie he has cheated on his wife two times. She is stunned. She starts to wonder more and more if her husband has cheated on her! What is going on here, she thinks. He tells her his sex life is boring and that he no longer wants to be with his wife. He says he would not chat if he was happy. The only reason he is staying with his wife is because the children are not full-grown. Once the kids are out of the house he said he is getting a divorce. Wow. Katie thinks what a lot of personal information he just shared with her.

As time goes on he becomes more and more romantic with Katie. They have profound conversations. Katie loves to have her brain stimulated. Being home all day with the kids and her husband going to bed by 8:00 p.m. does not give her much adult conversation.

He starts to ask Katie if he can call her on the telephone. She tells him no as she does not want to do that to her husband. She feels he is nice enough to let her chat with anyone she wants. Especially after what had happened with Mr. Cyber guy, she wants to treat her husband with respect.

He continually asks her if he can call her. Repeatedly she says no. As the days pass by he sends more and more love poems. Katie starts to fall hard for this guy who does live in the United States. Finally, she gives in and they start to talk on the phone. Before he calls her he asks if she will be really quiet on the telephone. Neither of them are quiet. They cannot wait to talk to each other and hear each other’s voices.

The “L” word is thrown around more and more to each other. Then one day, the new Cyber guy asks Katie to online marry him. This means she will only talk to him in instant chat and they share their love for one another.

Of course Katie happily accepts and has butterflies in her stomach. The two of them go into the chat room and he makes the announcement that the two of them are getting married online. The cool part, they think, is that one of their regular friends in the chat room is an ordained minister. He is going to officially marry the two of them the following day.

Katie is ecstatic. She cannot wait until the following day! The two of them put on their webcams and the online minister marries them. Katie’s online love makes up a chat room just for the two of them. He calls the chat room “The Honeymoon Suite.” Katie loves it.

They share loving words. He asks her if one day she will really be his wife. She says she would love to if her husband dies. He was thinking more when his kids were out of the house.

The two of them are in love and cannot stop chatting with each other. Katie’s house starts to become a huge mess. All’s she wants to do is spend time with the kids and then chat with her online love. Katie’s husband starts to get irritated that the house is so messy. Katie jumps up and angrily cleans.

Katie and her friends in real life have been e-mailing each other about taking a girl’s trip. All five of them decide they want to go to New York City. The Big Apple to see the history and of course, being women, shop! Katie is beyond excited as New York is where her online man is!

Katie cannot wait to tell her online guy that she will be coming to the city. Once she informs him, he is so thrilled and says no one has ever done this for him. She is happy it is she that is making him so happy. The two of them plan on things he can take the girls and her to see. They excitedly talk that they will finally be able to see each other and touch each other. They can actually give each other a big bear hug. When the sense of touch is taken away from a relationship you realize just how important it is.

The two of them count the days down until Katie flies to his city. The first day there he is waiting at the hotel for Katie and her friends. When the two of them see each other Katie pokes him.

“It’s really me, baby” he says with a smile on his face.

The two of them hug and smile. Katie’s girlfriends come over by the two of them and all of them head to a restaurant for lunch. The girls say he is handsome and all of them joke around. He shows them around New York and they see a massive amount of the city before the night is through. At the end of the day, all of them go for a drink in the hotel room. They toast to their day and Katie and her online man cannot wait to see each other the following day.

The next morning the girls all head for breakfast which is included in their trip package. Afterwards they shop. They go on the HBO television show “Sex in the City” tour. The girls laugh and they reminisce which “Sex in the City” character is closest to them. Katie says Carrie is her bosom buddy since she, too, loves to write.

The girls all decide to split up and do their own thing. This is exactly what Katie’s mother and husband warned her not to do. Katie meets up with her online man. He takes her on a wonderful tour of Times Square. Then he treats her to a romantic carriage ride around Central Park. Katie wishes deep in her heart that her husband was this romantic. The two of them sigh and her online guy explains to her what each of the large city buildings represent. He again asks Katie if one day she will be his wife in real life. She answers lovingly “yes.” He asks if she will take his last name. Of course she will she tells him.

On the way back from the carriage ride, the two of them get on the subway for a ride. Katie is scared to death! After all, she is from the country and it was only one year after 9/11 in New York City. Of course she gets onto the subway and sitting right next to her is a man of Arab decent. Her online guy takes a picture of her and you can see the fright in Katie’s eyes.

The two of them make it safely off of the subway. They share a hug and hate to say “goodbye.” They know they only have one more day left to see each other live in person. They decide to make plans to go to a spa the next day. Both of them are looking forward to some relaxation and more talking and sharing.

When Katie arrives at the hotel room all of her friends are in bed sleeping. She quietly slips into bed and dreams under the New York stars of her lovely evening.

The girls wake up at 8:30 a.m. and share what they did the day before. One of the girls went to see a Broadway show. She got discount tickets from someone on the street. She thought that was pretty cool and wanted to go to another show as a group. Another one of the girls went down to Fifth Avenue and shopped all day. She showed us the endless bags in the corner of the room. We all giggled wondering how she will jam all of her items in her luggage to take on the airplane. One of the girls had her profile drawn in Times Square and it amazingly looked like her. The heaviest friend shared how she went and sampled a little bit of food from all different styles of restaurants including the hot dog vendors along the street. She told us of a deli we must go to before we leave. We may want to even stash some of these sandwiches in our carry-on bags as they are to die for.

The girls share what their plans are for the day. Their eyebrows rise when Katie tells her plans to meet her online guy at the spa. She assures them they are just friends.

Katie shaves her legs so they are sleek and smooth at the spa. She slips on her sexiest clingy dress and heels. She is ready to meet her man and let her cares slip away at the spa.

When her man sees her he cannot resist and gives Katie a kiss in the center of Times Square. She is taken aback and resists at first, but finally gives in. The two of them walk arm in arm into the spa. They get a couple’s massage. The two of them find a co-ed hot tub and snuggle in the warm soothing bubbles. Katie dreams that this is her life. She is living in New York City with her man. The fantasy is just too much to grasp. She snaps out of it and remembers she is flying home the following morning. Tears start to form in her eyes. Her online guy asks her what is wrong although he knows full well. He has tears in his eyes, too. Their grand time is almost over. They know they must go back to their real lives very soon. Daggers are in both of their heavy hearts. They try to enjoy the last few hours they have together.

The two of them kiss and hug for the remainder of the time they have together. They tell each other that someday they will be together. Once they are together it will be forever.

Someday.

1 Comment »

1. Well Done! I Like it!

   Comment by glasnost — March 20, 2010 @ 12:18 am

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