chapter 1

Katie was enamored with George. Maybe she was even in love with him, even though they had never met, not face to face anyway. It was a brand new feeling for Katie, since she hadn’t really had any romances before. She wasn’t bad looking, but just maybe a little plain. She was 28 years old, five foot five and had weighed about 140 pounds her entire adult life. Her breasts were smallish, and she had a long torso and short legs. Her hips had always been a little big, and with small breasts she looked bottom heavy. Medium brown hair and brown eyes gave her a mousy look. But it wasn’t her looks that kept her from finding romance.

Katie was very much a computer geek. She had discovered an affinity for computers at a young age. She was really good at programming, which was how she ended up making her living. She also found herself much more comfortable communicating on-line than face to face. So, as she went from high school to college and work, she socialized little except on-line. She also had learned a lot about hacking. She didn’t do anything destructive, just a little mischievous. When she found out a guy was cheating on one of her on-line girlfriends, she hacked into his phone and downloaded all of the texts that he’d made to his side piece. Katie then posted them on his Facebook and Snapchat accounts. He was exposed for the cheater that he was. It was a fitting punishment that could never be traced back to Katie. She was too good for that.

Her online travels included talking to guys, and some of them became good friends. But they didn’t show any interest in actually meeting, and neither did she. Until she met George. She had found him in a chat room for singles and they struck up a virtual conversation. He managed to be witty and charming even in chat, and she went back repeatedly to chat more with him. He told her that he was 33 and an environmental engineer, specializing in water purification projects. Eventually they set up their own private chat, and then the big step, at least for Katie, a video chat.

Katie wasn’t sure of what to expect and wouldn’t have been surprised to find him to be a nerdy looking guy with thick glasses. When she saw him the first time, he took her breath away. He was a great looking guy. Dark wavy hair, deep soulful brown eyes, high cheekbones and a strong chin. When he leaned back in his chair, she could see that he was lean and fit. Katie felt inadequate looking at him. He was as charming as ever though, complementing her on her looks in a way that sounded like he really meant it.

They exchanged some personal information. He told her his last name, Parker, and she told him hers, Morgan. She lived in St. Louis, he lived in Chicago, but he traveled a lot for his work. She liked online gaming and wasn’t much for outdoor sports. He played tennis and ran but liked gaming too. Both single, of course, and never engaged. They had video chats a couple of times a week, learning more about each other. Although he seemed to be learning more about Katie than she learned about him. He was just good at getting her to talk about herself. He even asked her what she was looking for in men, which she had a hard time answering. She wasn’t ready to tell him that he was what she was looking for, so she stumbled around some generalities about kindness and intelligence. Since he had asked her, Katie felt it was okay to ask him what he wanted in a woman. He echoed her about kindness and intelligence, and then he surprised her.

“One thing, and you may think this is weird, but I want a woman who isn’t afraid to eat. I’ve taken out women to a nice restaurant, and they order a salad. Life is too short to live on rabbit food. I hope to find a woman some day who doesn’t hide her appetite.” Katie responded that she didn’t live on salads, but she wasn’t a big eater. George surprised her again by telling her that even though she was very attractive, she should enjoy eating. Have the pasta when she feels like it, and don’t be afraid to have dessert. Katie said she might get fat if she didn’t watch what she ate. That’s when George surprised her again. “I think a little bit of weight would look good on you, Katie. But then, I prefer a woman with a fuller figure.”