On or Off

She was a huge Prince fan, or whatever he was calling himself now, also she worked for the ministry of health as a clerk and as a coat check girl at a nightclub. Thus the name Coat B*tch. He found out certain little things that either hadn't come up in conversation or that he had overlooked.

Aha Pictures. Now to put a face to the name. He smiled.

He clicked onto a page with some pictures of Coat B*tch. There were several pictures on the page. One below the other, with a sentence or two description between them, for a total of four pictures.

He watched the pictures load not believing what he was seeing. Each of the four pictures had her face. The same bright dark brown eyes, the same cute puffy cheeks. He just couldn't believe it. There she was smiling, another with her posing in a doorway, even one with her sticking out her tongue. Coat B*tch! It all clicked now. She was the girl from the night club he had seen earlier.

The next day they met again in the chatplace. Soon they were again chatting exclusively with each other. Hours passed as they chatted yet neither was eager to leave. They exchanged icq numbers and after a lengthy good-bye promised to talk to each other the next day.

They continued to meet every day on-line. They talked about this and that. No subject was taboo, no emotion too personal to be expressed. They spoke of past relationships and present. She found out about his present "on-line" girlfriend and he found out about her "cyber" guy. They kept nothing back, even exchanging photos. It was if they had each found that someone they could share their whole selves with without the fear of being hurt or rejected because of it. Yet Clarence never mentioned that he had seen her in the nightclub that night.

Day after day they talked on-line. Each day they felt closer and closer. It was hard for them to believe it had only been a week since they had first met. Yet neither one suggested taking it to the next level. They enjoyed having cyber sex a few times but they didn't want to be more than friends, at least that's what they told each other.

He sat there and looked at the screen. No message was visible, no images flashed across the screen. It was a blank screen with just icons on a blue pattern; still he sat and stared at it.

What am I going to do?

He had just finished chatting with Coat B*tch. She had left to go to work or they'd still be chatting now. She was working at the nightclub, the same nightclub he had seen her a week earlier.

What am I going to do? She's going to find out that I know her. We live too close not to meet. And then she'll dump me. Do I want to meet her? Of course, I've wanted to meet her since I first saw her. I've been waiting my whole life to meet someone like her.

The screen sat blank before him.

He walked into the club around midnight, his eyes easily adjusted to the dim interior. He walked up to the third floor and stood in line to check his coat.

I wish I had brought a mirror.

He tried to check his reflection in the compact of the girl standing in front of him but she gave him a look and snapped the compact shut. He smoothed his hair again and looked towards the counter searching for her. The line moved forward and he approached the counter. He handed the girl his coat.

She's not here!

"Can I help you?" asked the girl.

"Wha ..? Uh, no. No thanks," Clarence took his ticket and walked down the stairs.

The music blared and lights flashed around the dance floor as he stood against the wall. He watched as couples danced on the floor, their bodies moving and gyrating together. His glance would continuously go to the bar hoping to see Christine, just as he had that first night.

Instead all he saw were people ordering drinks and moving on. Occasionally he would see some guy swim out of the crowd and try to talk to some girl at the bar hoping to get her on the dance floor and possibly more. They often failed and went back into the crowd alone. He even saw a few girls come out and try the same thing with some guy, though with much more success.

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