You know, I was thinking the same thing when I came across your profile. And I have to say, you’re gorgeous.
I found myself smiling as I messaged back.
So, what do you like to do in your spare time? You know, when you’re not crunching numbers and hating your brain for the headache it can’t kick.
Those little dots bounced up and down on the screen before his message appeared.
I’m pretty much a homebody outside of work. I do a lot of reading in my spare time, when I don’t bring work home with me. I love a good movie marathon. I’m practically a professional at binge-watching television shows as well.
I was already bored with the conversation, but I figured I’d give him the benefit of the doubt.
Do you like traveling at all? Did you grow up in town, or are you a transplant like me?
I barely read his answer as my mind started gravitating to other things. I fixated on work while he flooded our chat box with things about his life I didn’t care about, like where he was from and what nationality his parents were. He spilled the beans on where his passion for numbers came from and how that led him to one of the most prominent cities in the world for accountants, and I legitimately yawned while reading all of it.
Sure, this guy seemed about as intimidating as a guinea pig, but that also meant there was nothing dangerous about him. He wouldn’t tease me or call me names. He wouldn’t steamroll me for his own pleasure or push me around simply because he felt he could.
Some of that resonated with me.
But the more we continued to talk, the more I missed JoJo’s presence.
“Jesus, how fucked up am I?” I murmured to myself.
While he kept word-vomiting in our chat, I moved to his profile. I scrolled through his pictures and found him posing with a hairless cat and it made me wrinkle my nose. Of course, he was a cat person. Why was every accountant on the face of the planet a fucking cat person?
I hated cats.
“At least JoJo doesn’t have a cat,” I whispered.
His profile had everything from how tall he stood to his religious views, and every new piece of information I came across only prompted me to compare him to my boss. I knew I shouldn’t have done it. I knew this man deserved better than to be compared with someone who wasn’t even in his league. But, as I flipped back to the conversation, I found myself not wanting to bother with the wall of text he had sent me.
My apologies, I get on tangents sometimes.
“No kidding,” I murmured as I typed back.
It’s okay, and while I’d love to keep talking, I really need to get back to work. My job is pretty new, and I don’t want to piss off the wrong person.
Every time he responded, he seemed to be typing quicker and quicker. Which only became more off-putting when he started sending new messages every four or five words.
Oh, I totally know how that goes.
You do what you need to.
I’ll be here when you’re done with work.
Or, if you’re not busy tonight, we could get drinks and food after you’re done?
I rolled my eyes as I answered.
Maybe, we’ll see how much work I have to take home. Take care.
I didn’t even bother checking the message he shot back. Instead, I tossed my phone into my purse and regretted ever setting up the account in the first fucking place. It reminded me too much of Tommy. The way he was much too eager to talk. The way he wanted to go out tonight instead of getting to know me a bit better. I mean, I only had one picture up on my profile. I didn’t have any information filled out except for a couple of sentences written in my bio.
“Better luck next time,” I said breathlessly.
I heard my phone vibrate a few more times before it silenced altogether, and I blazed a trail through my workday. I ate my protein bar for lunch while walking around to the other departments and getting updates on the work JoJo had expected me to do. I felt more powerful than I’d felt in my entire life. I felt stable, like I could take on the world, or even whatever bullshit JoJo conjured up for me.
It was an intoxicating feeling.
