LOVE AT FIRST CLICK

by Jessica Caryn

  “Damon, are you new here?”

  “Yes.” He gazed at me.

  “I like what the city has to offer so far.”

  “Oh and what do you do for work?”

  Her voice annoyed me.

  “I’m an architect. I have a firm in New York and one here. You and Jake should come by and check it out.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Oh I’d love too!”

  Jake pulled Trixie away from our table.

  “What? I was just being nice baby.”

  I couldn’t hear Jake’s response but it looked like there was trouble in paradise. I shook my head.

  “Merissa, do you want more?”

  “Oh yes, please.”

  We had more intimate moments and finished dessert. I knew how affectionate Damon was. We didn’t know each other well but it felt like it should. The emotional support he provided meant a lot to me. I forgot about Jake and Trixie. I wanted to tell Damon how good he made me feel. I decided to wait. I was excited and wanted more with him. I’m sure Damon felt it too. My instant crush turned into something else.

  DAMON

  Chapter Eight

  We left the bistro. I asked Merissa where the nearest market was. I listened to her directions. We walked in a few minutes later. I asked if she had food allergies. She said no. I went through the list of things I needed for dinner. She enjoyed my public displays of affection and touched me whenever I was near. It turned me on because I could tell how sexually aroused she was. I wasn’t sure but I thought she was Curious Kitty 997. The phrases she used, what she did for a living, and her personality was too similar to be a coincidence. I think she felt the same and wanted to ask but didn’t. I was about to tell her my theory when her ex walked into the bistro. I decided to hold back because I didn’t want her to be overwhelmed. I wanted to give her the support she needed. Merissa didn’t have to explain her past. We talked and decided to shop for the week. Merissa put things she needed into the cart. I threw in stuff I wanted. She told me she’ll be on the feminine aisle for a few minutes. I asked if she needed privacy for it. She laughed and said no. I shrugged and told her let’s go to the women’s place. Merissa explained it was a normal aisle. I told her I knew it was where the magic happened. She laughed more. I tried to smell the hair products but she fussed at me. We finished shopping and then had a calm disagreement at the register. Merissa refused to let me pay for her things. She whispered soft threats. I wanted to kiss her. She was so damn cute.

  The clerk couldn’t stop laughing at us. I gave in and Merissa gave the clerk cash towards our bill. I paid the balance, stacked the bags into the shopping cart, and pushed it out to the parking lot. I asked Merissa to wait inside the car where it was warm. I put the groceries in the trunk and returned the cart. The warm air hit me when I opened the car door. She waited until I fastened the seatbelt to move closer. Merissa put her hand on my thigh. I heard her soft yawn. Her eyes looked sexier when she was tired. We drove to the house in silence. I said I would carry everything inside. She tried to fuss but held back another yawn. I carried in the groceries. She helped put them away. I asked where the recycle bins were kept. I told her I’ll finish up. I wanted her to rest. She thanked me.

  “Damon I had a great time.”

  “Same here, I’ll see you later beautiful.”

  I watched Merissa leave. I liked how her butt bounced when she walked. I had a full hard on. I had to bring it down a notch. I put on my boots and made a trip out to the bins. The cold air hit me. I took a deep breath. I haven’t decided when I’ll talk to Merissa. Hell, I was a stranger on her doorstep this afternoon. I’m almost positive Merissa is Curious Kitty 997. I can feel it in my gut but if I’m wrong there are two of them. I went back in, took off my boots, and went upstairs. I walked past the sitting room. Her bedroom door was closed. I went quietly up to the third level.

  I didn’t want to wake her. I took off my clothes and put on a pair of lounge pants.

  “Damon?” Her voice was soft and unsure.

  Merissa had on a light sweater. It covered her bottom. I glanced at her thighs. I knew her skin was soft. She bit her lip and then touched her glasses.

  I tried to regulate how I felt.

  I’ll give it to her however she wanted.

  “I’m sorry. I should’ve knocked.”

  “It’s alright, what’s up.” I put on my shirt.

  “I couldn’t sleep and I wanted to know if I could lay in bed with you. I don’t want to make it weird so if you say no, that’s okay but I hope you’ll say yes.”

  I smiled when I heard the phrase. I was almost certain she was Curious Kitty 997. I motioned for her to go ahead. I thought it was cute how fast she rushed to the bed. Merissa slid because of her socks but made it there safe. She put her glasses on the bedside table and settled in,

  “It’s so comfy! I need more pillows for my bed.”

  I went into the bathroom. I needed a minute to think. Maybe we should talk now. I don’t want her to feel like I manipulated her or the situation.

  “Damon, please come to bed.”

  Her soft plea did it for me. I walked into the bedroom. She was covered but I could imagine how she looked underneath the blankets. I went around the bed, got in, and turned on my side to face her.

  “Hi.” She whispered.

  “Hey.” I smiled.

  “I want to be close to you.” She said softly.

  I held up my arm. She moved the pillows and cuddled up against me. Her lips brushed my neck. Kitten what you are doing to me? I caressed her back in long slow strokes. Merissa let out a soft sigh. She went to sleep fast. I held her and thought about how I lucked up. I didn’t know who she was or how to find her. It’s been almost six weeks without her; well that was what I thought until this afternoon. She was my online dream woman. I glanced down at her. I shifted and she held onto me. I brushed her wild curls back from her face. I kissed her forehead and closed my eyes.

  MERISSA

  Chapter Nine

  I reached for Damon. His side of the bed was empty. It had to be later in the evening, the guest room was dark. I stretched and realized I hadn’t felt this rested in a while. I grabbed my glasses off the bedside table. I left the guestroom and went down a level. I smelled delicious spices. My stomach growled. Damon was a godsend. I went into my bedroom and glanced at the time. I slept for three hours. It felt much longer. I put on knit pants over my cotton shorts. The sweater was long and covered them. I wondered if Damon thought I was in my panties. I felt naughty at the idea of it but I wasn’t that bold. I went into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. I played with my curls until they sprung into shape. My eyes felt better. I cleaned my glasses. I’m glad Damon liked them. I didn’t wear my contact lenses that much. I went in the bedroom for my phone. I had missed calls. I tapped the screen and listened to the voicemail. They messages weren’t important. I’ll return the calls tomorrow. I read Gwen’s texts. She’s so funny. I sent her a text. She called.

  “Hi and no I’m not having sex.” I laughed.

  I told Gwen what happened at the bistro.

  “I can’t believe he took Trixie to your favorite place.”

  “I know he’s such a jerk.”

  “I have more explicit words for what I think Jake is but I’m glad Damon handled the situation. Are you okay?”

  “Yes but I don’t want Damon to think I have drama. I planned to talk with him before we slept together.”

  Gwen squealed.

  “You have such a dirty mind.” I teased her.

  “We didn’t have sex, we took a nap.”

  “It’s still intimate, I like it! Where’s Damon now?”

  “He’s downstairs making dinner.”

  I told her about the market.

  “Merissa, this could be the start of something great.”

  “I hope so. I like him a lot.”

  “I know and I’m happy for you but does this mean you won’t chat with Articulate Scholar anymore?”


  “Did you mention the website to Rick?”

  “No and you know we don’t gossip about our friends.”

  “I wanted to make sure.”

  “Okay but what’s this about?”

  “I think Damon is AS569.”

  “Merissa…”

  “Please hear me out.”

  I told her what I noticed about him, the things he said, and what happened with dessert.”

  “It sounded like a coincidence until you mentioned the chocolate cake. You could ask but if you’re wrong that might be awkward.”

  “I know. I chatted with AS569 every day for six weeks. It felt good to be myself. We didn’t have conversations about personal stuff but it was very intimate. He didn’t pressure me and I liked that. It was hard to date after the situation with Jake. I tried to understand what I did wrong. I was determined not to repeat past mistakes. I didn’t ask questions but maybe I should have.”

  “Merissa you weren’t to blame. You chose the person you thought Jake was. It sounds like you had a crazy good time with Damon this afternoon. You’ve had alot of chats with Articulate Scholar. I know you like them both and it’s okay not to make a choice right now. You don’t have to feel guilty about it. I hope you’re right and Damon is your online dream guy. If he isn’t then you’ll figure it out. I’m here if you need to talk.”

  “Gwen you’re an awesome friend.”

  “Thanks now go enjoy your houseguest.” She teased.

  “Your mind is still filthy.” I laughed.

  “The dirtiest, have fun.”

  She ended the call.

  I went downstairs. Damon was in the kitchen at the stove. The image of him without a shirt was still in my head. Damon glanced at me. His eyes sparked and I could’ve sworn I saw forever in them. I asked if I could help. He said the food was almost finished. I went to the fridge for a bottle of water. I watched him cook. He turned the thin sliced sirloin inside the pan. He added a dash of spice to the vegetables and then adjusted the heat underneath.

  “Did you sleep well?” He asked.

  “Yes. What about you?”

  “I took a quick nap.”

  “Oh, was it because I was there?”

  Damon gave me an intense stare.

  “Beautiful I enjoyed our time in bed. I didn’t sleep long because I had to answer the door. The hotel had my luggage delivered.”

  “Oh okay, I wanted to make sure.”

  He smiled. “What’s on your mind?”

  I bit my lip. I didn’t know where to start.

  “Merissa, you can be honest.”

  He said the phrase. I wanted to ask if he was AS569 but I needed to talk about something else first.

  “Damon I’d like to talk about what happened.”

  DAMON

  Chapter Ten

  Her soft voice shook. It bothered me to see her upset. I didn’t want Merissa to feel pressured to tell me about her life. She wasn’t to blame for what happened.

  “Damon is it alright if I talk?”

  I smiled. “Sure, I’m listening.”

  “Okay, I was worried because we just met.”

  “We’ve slept together; we’re passed it.”

  “Stop it!” She blushed.

  “I was in the guest suite I rented.”

  I winked at her. “You asked to sleep with me.”

  “I’ll sneak up there tonight.”

  There was a hint of naughtiness in her voice.

  “Please bring more pillows if you do.”

  “Why, you have a lot.”

  “We need more woman. I’m all about comfort.”

  She laughed. “It’s a deal.”

  I mixed the stir- fry. I think whatever Merissa wanted to say would be difficult. She didn’t need to make eye contact with me to talk about what was on her heart.

  I wanted to make sure she was comfortable.

  I heard her take a breath.

  “I didn’t expect to see Jake. I think it was awful timing on his part but thank you.”

  I smiled. “I hope you aren’t about to apologize.”

  “I won’t. I’m glad you were there.” She sighed.

  “I was in a relationship with Jake for three years. He surprised me with dinner reservations at an expensive restaurant. It wasn’t like him to want a romantic night out. I didn’t question it. I was shocked when I saw our family and friends. Jake made a toast to the future at dinner. He kneeled. Everyone was so excited. I saw the ring but couldn’t hear because the whistles and screams were loud. They thought I said yes but Jake heard me. I said we should wait. He slid the ring onto my finger. Everyone clapped for us. I felt blind-sided but didn’t want to make a scene in front of everyone. I tried to process what I felt. I didn’t know if my fear of marriage came from mom’s constant need to swap husbands or Jake. I felt like we should’ve talked about it before he proposed.”

  Merissa stopped talking.

  I asked her to grab the silverware.

  I continued to put food on the plates.

  She opened the fridge.

  “Do you want soda, ice tea, juice or…”

  I told her my choice. She poured iced tea into a glass for me. I thanked her. We sat at the kitchen island to eat. Merissa took a forkful of food.

  “It tastes so good.” She sighed.

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  Damon will you let me know if this is too much?”

  “Beautiful you can talk about whatever you need to.”

  “Thanks, we had a heated argument that night. Jake said he didn’t feel right about our relationship before because I made more money than he did. His salary doubled and Jake was convinced he would make Vice President of Sales in the next promotion. He needed to be in Saint Louis for it to happen. He didn’t mention his transfer before then. I told him we should’ve talked before he invited everyone to the proposal. His career was important but his decision to transfer was another reason we should wait. I felt overwhelmed. Jake said he wanted me to be his wife but I insisted on being his girlfriend. He didn’t understand my problem. I tried to talk with my mom about it. She said I wanted to be in control. She thought Jake was great. It was tradition for the guy to propose. It wasn’t about how or why, all that mattered is that he did. Jake started his new job here. I had three months left on my lease. We talked every night on the phone and he came to visit most weekends. I cared about him, we were in a committed relationship, but I didn’t feel emotional. I wanted to be madly in love. I was honest about it. Jake laughed. He said it was unrealistic to think it would feel like that all the time. I loved him. He was crazy about me. We should let the rest happen naturally. Jake proposed again. We were alone and it felt better. I said yes. I had six weeks left before my lease was done. Jake lived in a corporate residence. We planned to stay there, purchase a house, and move after the wedding. I put my furniture in storage and did my best to handle the emotional and physical process. We moved often when I was a child. It would be a new house, step-dad, and school whenever my mom remarried. I didn’t ever get used to it. I wanted a stable life so I decided this move was the last. Jake promised Saint Louis would be permanent. I settled in with him. We looked for a house. I fell in love with this place when the realtor showed it to us. Jake didn’t like the house but wanted to put in an offer. He said my comfort was important. I wanted to wait until we found a house we both liked. Jake hired a wedding planner. I was upset and stressed. It was an awful experience. I fired her. I saw Gwen’s flower shop. I went inside to ask some questions. She was a huge help. We became friends. I wanted to announce the wedding date at a dinner party. Jake said it was a great idea. I asked Gwen if she’d help. I reserved a beautiful place with a great venue. Gwen did the floral arrangements and I made custom invitations for the guests. Our family and close friends came. It was the perfect setting. Trixie came in. I knew she worked with Jake. He told me it was a work-related issue. I watched Jake follow her out and it didn’t seem right. I decided to ask them what was so import
ant. I walked out into the hall. I heard noise. I went to the stairwell exit. I couldn’t see but heard their argument. Jake said he cared about her but he was in love with me. Trixie said he promised to cancel the wedding. Jake wanted her to accept that I would be his wife. He promised to be with her too. I listened until I couldn’t stand to hear it anymore. I went inside. Jake returned minutes later. He apologized and then kissed my cheek. Trixie stood outside the entrance. I asked Jake to invite her to the table. He didn’t want to. I motioned for Trixie. I stood up and told everyone there wouldn’t be a wedding date. Jake and I wouldn’t be married but I wanted to toast to the love of his life Trixie. I wished them the best and told Jake he was responsible for the bill. There was a hush around the table. Gwen clapped and then everyone else joined in. I finished my champagne, thanked everyone, and left. I called our realtor the next day. Jake’s name was removed from all of the paperwork. I put an offer in to purchase this house. It was accepted. I moved in a month later and renovated.”

  “I’m sorry for your disappointment love.”

  “Please don’t apologize.” She smiled

  “I love it here and... I’m in great company.”

  I liked that she was still shy.

  “Damon can I ask you a question?”

  “Yes, and no I haven’t ever been engaged.”

  She stared at me

  “I know how curious you are.” I winked at her.

  I watched her blush.

  She sipped her iced tea.

  “Have you ever been in love?”

  “I think I would have been if I wasn’t so determined to be successful. I think it was more like infatuation for me. I want the kind of love my parents have. They’re passionate about one another after all these years.”

  We finished dinner and talked while we cleaned the kitchen. I was about to asked about the website when Merissa glanced at her phone. She realized what time it was and said goodnight. I asked her to stay and talk with me. She apologized and said she had something important to do. She did something on her phone and then stared at mine. I smiled because I knew for sure. I noticed how sad she was. Merissa promised to cook breakfast. I watched her leave the kitchen. I picked up my phone. I tapped the screen. Curious Kitty 997 was online. I saw the message.