3. Cas
Chapter three
Cas
T he day has warmed significantly from late summer sunshine, but the leaves will be changing any time now. I’m still outside and not yet in my house when my phone dings again. Ahh, PP. You might not like your username, but I find it entertaining—as much as I find you.
Purple Puppy: I should’ve asked how your day was earlier.
Purple Puppy: So, how has your day been?
And a smiley. How sweet.
Orchid Mantis: I’ve had better.
Orchid Mantis: You’re right. Talking to guys is hard. Except maybe you. Less hard.
Purple Puppy: I make you less hard?
Orchid Mantis: That’s yet to be determined.
Purple Puppy: Oh my gosh, I need to know how you imagine me.
Purple Puppy: Or a guess, at least. As vague or specific as you want to get.
Hmm. Time to cheat. The app lets you list as much or as little about yourself as you want. Mine’s blank. I prefer making people work for their tidbits. It builds trust and makes them feel special when I do share. As for him, I’ve checked his user profile before and not much of what he has on his page is helpful. I’m hoping to find something I may have missed last time. Never know when something may jump out at you.
He’s near me. Doesn’t say exactly where, but within the closest search radius. No age. Average height and weight. No pictures. Not much of anything, really. Well, I do like a challenge.
Orchid Mantis: You converse like you’re young, like in your twenties, but the things you talk about aren’t school or hookups but work and friends. You’re fun, but you want to be responsible. Like you don’t think of yourself as a real adult yet. Closer to thirty than twenty, most likely.
Purple Puppy: …
Purple Puppy: I was expecting something a lot more pervy.
Purple Puppy: And not quite that spot on.
Orchid Mantis: You don’t like pervy.
Purple Puppy: Says who?
Orchid Mantis: Pervy isn’t what you came here looking for.
Purple Puppy: Well, you got me there.
Purple Puppy: Do you want to know how I picture you?
Orchid Mantis: Actually, I really do.
Purple Puppy: Not old… but older. Maybe forty or fifty. And I bet you’re super fit and health conscious, which means you’re in better shape than me even though you’re older than me. Stone-cold fox with abs and starting to gray but it looks great on you. Total silver fox.
Orchid Mantis: It’s cute how you’re still convinced I’m older.
Purple Puppy: Oh, come on. Don’t be so modest about it. You’re hot still and you know it.
Ah, that gets me to chuckle.
Purple Puppy: So, how close was I? 100%? 110%??
Orchid Mantis: Way off. Way, way off.
Orchid Mantis: Much younger, for starters. Not what I would consider super fit, but still okay? Average, I guess?
Purple Puppy: Dad bod?
Orchid Mantis: No, haha. Maybe like one step up from that. Ahhh… brother’s best friend, who’s nothing extraordinary but always there. Started off as the boy next door.
Purple Puppy: Somehow, this has gotten much better than I ever imagined.
And the blushing emoji.
Purple Puppy: Okay, so maybe I was way off on the rest, but I know this much will be right, so here goes. You’re most definitely a classic gentleman. The type who wants to go on dates and appreciates someone holding the door for you. And if you sent me flowers, I would not at all take offense since I’m a sap, too. I’d write you a handwritten letter in exchange, saying how much I appreciate your gesture and our relationship. Then include two more pages about my unbridled passions and yearning. And you’d be so moved by the gesture, you’d tell me how sweet I am all over again.
I was right. He’s the one. Sigh.
Orchid Mantis: Forget how far off the first guess was. That one was perfect.
Orchid Mantis: You know what? I want you to call sometime.
Purple Puppy: I’m not so sure I want to pony up for a premium account.
Purple Puppy: Not that I’m broke.
Purple Puppy: Okay, I am broke. But I’m also not trying to be flaky, nor am I attempting to weasel any money out of you.
Orchid Mantis: No video-chatting nonsense. Normal, over the phone conversation. I think it would be nice to hear your voice sometime. And audio calls in the app are free, so you have no excuse.
Purple Puppy: …
Purple Puppy: … okay
Purple Puppy: For some reason I’m still waiting for you to turn out like other guys. Like you say that you want to talk, but really you mean sex.
Orchid Mantis: Well, certainly not the first time we talk. You need to court me a bit more if you want that out of me.
Purple Puppy: Ahaha. Okay.
Purple Puppy: This is why I like talking to you so much. You have a great personality and you’re not afraid to use it.
Thanks, babe. I made this one just for you. I smile to myself and sigh while staring at the screen. He’s a romantic, and he wants a fellow romantic.
Lucky for him, this is my favorite part. The gaps between men have always been about holding out for that special someone and refusing to settle for availability or convenience. I can and have waited much longer before, since I refuse to quit once I set my sights on someone.
What I won’t do is spend all my time and energy trying to get him to hook up with me because I don’t need to. I’m going to make him want me. To come to me. To go out of his mind trying to figure out what I’m thinking and what his next move should be. He is going to pursue me like mad, and I’m going to love every minute of it.
Orchid Mantis: I like talking to you, too. Which is why I expect you to message me again soon. Not right now, though. I need to take care of the animals.
Purple Puppy: You said you didn’t have pets!
Orchid Mantis: I don’t. It’s, well… essentially a farm. They’re working animals. But I do care about them, which is why I care for them.
Purple Puppy: Oh! That’s another thing we have in common. I work for a farm, too. Not on the farm, though. Mostly stocking and running a register. But my boss is a great guy and I like his goats.
Purple Puppy: Anyway, don’t mean to keep you! Until next time.
And a smiley.
Now that is a helpful kernel. Sure, we’re in a rural area, but there are only so many farms around me. Even less with farm stands or stores. And goats. Chickens and cows are pretty common around here, not so much goats. Hmm. He made it sound like a mom-and-pop general store, but goats can mean a shop with artisan crafts like soap.
Well, as much as I want to spend more time on this, I have other responsibilities.