Posted by Ian on July 01, 2003 at 13:57:40:
Sub S.W.F seeks Part 4.
story copyright of Spankorama.
Bethany smiled at the waiter as he handed her a glass of orange juice. "Thank you." she said as she noted he lingered a second too long than was necessary. She tilted her head looking around him towards the entrance to the restaurant. "I'm waiting for someone." she continued brightly with another smile to just ease him on his way. Thankfully he got the message. Taking a sip, she glanced nervously at her watch. She was early by a good ten minutes. She had thought about deliberately arriving late as per a woman's prerogative but she wanted to prepare herself beforehand - just in case. Holding her glass up in front of her face, she swirled the liquid slowly wondering if she shouldn't have ordered something a little stronger. She felt she might need it if it all went pear shaped on her.
The restaurant was small and cosy with a beehive of alcoves for couples to sit and be intimate. It had been her choice. It was her favourite and she thought the atmosphere would be convivial to their first meeting. It was also safe neutral ground. If he did turn out to be some weirdo or jerk there would be plenty of people around so he wouldn't be able to try any funny business. The words "their first meeting" echoed in her head. After nearly two weeks of irregular cyber chatting through instant messenger, she realised they had arrived at the point it was either do or do not. It was either going to happen or it wasn't. There was also the fact that she was by now climbing the wall with curiosity at what he was really like. Even though their cyber chats had grown more personally intimate to some extent, she had the feeling that there was more to him than met the eye. She knew he was in "construction" but he hadn't elaborated on the details. He knew she was in "admin" but she hadn't elaborated either for she thought that made her sound boring. So they'd danced around for the first few times until they had finally broached the subject which had brought them together in the first place. She couldn't help smiling when she recalled their first instant cyber contact. Awkward and tongue-tied didn't cover it.
*
There were few things in his life that caused Luke Harkness to exclaim out loud in surprise. But as his AOL IM burst into life - this one was it. "Whoa shit " he blurted out as the program told him that someone called "Beth23" had requested a contact with him. Sub S.W.F seeks was online and wanted to chat. In the panel below the "Hi it's me - Bethany" greeting there were two options the program was offering him - Accept or Ignore. Here was another big step. Direct contact. But what was he going to say? "Be yourself. Just be yourself." he muttered as he moved the pointer over one of the buttons. There was one thing he did realise - going by her buddy name she was a good twelve years younger than he was. Normally such an age gap would matter. But this time was different for the most obvious of reasons. With a fair wind and luck this relationship would be unlike any other he had experienced - for her too he guessed. He could imagine she was sitting at her own computer thinking exactly the same thoughts and having the same fears and reservations. She knew how old he was - he had told her in his e-mail. So it didn't appear to be a problem for her. "Well, there's no fool like an older fool. " He clicked a button and watched as the program created a private room for them to talk.
*
Bethany sat waiting with baited breath as the IM window opened into three sections. The one on the right indicating who was online, the one on the bottom for to input whatever it was she wanted to say and the one top left which was now showing that "FHLuke" had entered to be with her. He was here and she suddenly felt as if her world had converged into that small space. Her mind was racing as she desperately thought of something to say by way of a greeting. But for once, he made the first move…
FHLuke: Hello Bethany.
Her eyes widened. He was talking to her. The absolute surge of adrenaline knowing that he was on the other end of the "line" was giddily intoxicating. "Don't type anything stupid." she told herself as her fingers danced carefully over her keyboard.
Beth23: Hello Luke.
She made a face as she took off her spectacles and gave them a quick clean. "Well, that was pretty pathetic." she thought with a wince. She could do better than that. She didn't want him thinking she was some insipid monosyllabic dimwit.
Beth23: How are you?
FHLuke: Doing fine. How about you?
Beth23: As of right now I'm doing much better.
Bethany bit her lip. "God, I sound like my mother!" she muttered.
Beth23: Now that I've met you that is - Luke.
Somewhere else, on the other end of this particular cyber highway, Luke smiled at the innocence and charm of her last entry. In those short few words he could sense she was something special. Someone who was warm and who had a good nature. She'd opened herself up a little and revealed a glimpse into something of her character. Something he appreciated. He responded in kind.
FHLuke: That goes for me too - Bethany.
*
Glancing at his watch, Luke saw that he had a few minutes left before he was due to arrive so he made his way to the small bar from where he could dry off a bit and look at this young woman who had reached out into the unknown looking for…. Looking for what exactly? Other than not looking for a "Knight in shining armour" or a "dom jailer" as she had wonderfully put it in her contact advert, they hadn't really gone into anything deeper other than the basics of why they had both taken this route in the first place. He'd learned that she, like him, had had her fair share of disappointment's relationship wise. How had she put it again? "I guess I always ended up feeling guilty about finishing a relationship for its not their fault they don't realise they can't give me what they don't have and that I need. I believe in a black and white fate. I want to know black but I may have to accept white. I'm a firm believer in that there's no point in going through life with one arm tied behind your back. I don't want to end up emotionally handicapped. I don't want a life of regrets. That’s why I'm here." He stared intently at the young woman sitting alone playing nervously with her menu and glancing every other second at the door where he just came in.
"That’s why I'm here too Beth23" he whispered to himself.
"Can I get you anything Sir?" asked the bartender as he came over cleaning a glass.
Luke shook his head. "No." he smiled. "I'm just sitting here for a moment. I'm due to meet someone for a meal soon. I'll order something then."
The waiter nodded and went to serve another customer. He had a clear view of her now and he liked very much what he saw. Very much indeed. She had wonderful rusty hair that was full and lustrous and curled around her like waves rolling upon the shore to her shoulders. Despite the low light, he could make out her features, which were understated, in a classical sort of way. Thin dark eyebrows and what appeared to be blue green eyes. Her nose was fine and tapered into a perky point where a pair of small though full lips were now slightly apart as he watched her licking them in a way that made him smile. He could imagine what she was feeling right now sitting there waiting - he felt exactly the same. She was dressed to compliment her hair in a swan neck dress of darker red with billowing sleeves rounded off by buttoned cuffs from where a pair of very feminine hands were toying with her glass. He was seriously impressed. They had resolved not to exchange photos - more on her inclination, so he only had her description of herself to go on when imagining what she looked like. She had definitely underplayed herself when she had said, "I'm not exactly Miss America." No she wasn't. For him she didn't have to be. But seeing her now, for the first time, he had a sudden twinge of doubt. She looked younger than her 23 years.
There was a soft chime from his watch that broke into his musings. He realised that if her age had really mattered to him he wouldn't be standing here right now not 20 feet away from her. He could see she was looking at her own watch probably wondering if he was going to turn up. Taking a deep breath - he was more nervous now than he had ever been at any board meeting he could remember - he stepped down from the raised platform and made his way to where his most unusual contact was sitting.
*
Bethany sat back looking at the word onscreen.
FHLuke: "Why?"
Slipping off her spectacles, she chewed the ends for the umpteenth time that evening. She was chatting to him again. This was the third time they had got together in just over a week. She had explained to him that she wouldn't always be online every night for she often had to work late and that she couldn't get away. She didn't tell him that the extra overtime came in handy when having to pay off that quarters bills. They'd gone past the awkward introduction phase and had settled into that time in a "relationship" where curiosity and gentle probing were the order of the day. One of the tricks of on-line chat was interpreting what the other person was trying to convey. A tricky situation if the person didn't feel comfortable around a keyboard or able to type out their thoughts in a way that made their true feelings or opinions come through. But thankfully, he seemed pretty adept and was always able to get straight to the point. She wondered if he too felt they were going through a kind of ritual - a dance - as they chatted. She imagined them both swirling around the eye of a hurricane wary of saying or revealing too much about themselves knowing that at its centre was where they truly wanted to be. Whilst interesting - it was also frustrating. At least for her. For all she knew he could have done this thing a million times before. His last message brought her mind back from its wanderings. "Why?" she said puzzled sitting back in her chair. She sat forward again.
Beth23: "Why what?"
There was a pause that seemed to her to go on forever and ever.
FHLuke: "Why - spanking?"
Bethany gasped as the message appeared on the screen. He'd finally done it. There it was - out into the open. That word that was always, had always, lurked at the back of her mind. Spanking. A delicious word that whenever she heard it, or said it to herself, always quickened her breath. It was her magic word. The one that rang every bell. And he was asking her why? That was easy. There were a million and one reasons why. But as her fingers hovered over the keyboard she couldn't for the life of her think of a single one. At least one that would explain everything. Did she honestly truly know why herself? It just was, is, whatever!! How do you explain something you've never questioned? Something that’s always just been, well, there. "Why am I as I am?" she thought to herself. "I am what I am." And then it came to her. One word. It was perfect. She carefully typed it in:
Beth23: Because…
*
Bethany raised the glass to her lips feeling a sense of inevitable disappointment beginning to settle over her. Her date was either a master of precision timing or he was going to be late. Or, of course, he wasn't going to turn up at all. After everything, after a totally unbearable day at work living on a cocktail of high expectation and anticipation, it could end up being the worst of days. The thought was unbearable. Surely he wouldn't be that cruel? "Oh God, please don't let this be a joke." she whispered as a tall dark shadow fell over her. She blinked and sat back thinking that the waiter had returned. It took a moment for her to realise it wasn't the waiter at all. It was a man in silhouette, an attractive man with dark hair greying slightly at the temples. He was looking down at her with a curious smile on his lips. For a second she thought it was someone hitting on her but then he spoke and everything, every single doubt and every flush of hesitation she'd ever had disappeared when he said simply.
"Hi Beth23, I'm Firm Hand Luke…."
*
Part 5 to follow.
Ian
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