How to Tell a Lie (4 page)

Allison giggled, even though she knew she couldn’t be heard. She took another sip of wine, realized she was on her third glass and thought briefly that she would probably regret anything she typed after this point.

Aeiou
: You caught me. The flamingo pen is a secret sex toy.

As soon as she’d hit “enter” and saw the text scroll up onto the screen, she knew she was in trouble.

Notmyrealname
: Aha! I knew it. Okay, more importantly, does anybody else know?

She gulped and bit her lip, knowing she should stop the line of discussion short. Knowing that, in fact, she should have stopped it quite some time ago.

Aeiou
: Of course not. But you’re an anonymous online friend who could be anyone. You have no way to know if I’m lying or not. For all you know, I could be a forty-five-year-old accountant named Fred with a beer gut and a comb-over.

There was a lengthy pause, more than long enough for a slick worm of anxiety to make its way through her midsection. Then Seth’s answer came, and she read it with heart pounding.

Notmyrealname
: Anonymous. Interesting. If you want to play it that way, I wouldn’t be averse to it. Do you? Want to play?

Aeiou
: I take it we’re no longer talking about raiding dungeons?

Notmyrealname
: Just say whether you want to. You can say no if you want, I won’t be offended.

Aeiou
: That’s probably the worst idea in the history of bad ideas. We’ve already met. Besides, I’ve never
cybered
. I don’t even know how.

Notmyrealname
: You still haven’t answered my question, Allison.

She looked at her name, sitting innocently on the screen in its line of text, doing nothing in the world except identifying her. Reminding her of her real life.

Aeiou
: Do you have to call me that?

Notmyrealname
: Princess. Play with me, princess. The flamingo can play too.

Aeiou
: The flamingo is an innocent. Let’s leave her out of this, Not.

Notmyrealname
: How much have you had to drink?

Aeiou
: Enough to do this, but not enough to blame it on the alcohol tomorrow. And how did you know I’d been drinking?

Notmyrealname
: LOL. Good answer. So you are going to do this, eh? Interesting. And I know you’ve been drinking because it’s the only possible explanation. I have also been drinking. More than usual. Possibly enough to blame this on the liquor tomorrow, but fortunately not enough that I’ll have difficulty typing.

Allison snickered at the thought that immediately arose and typed a response before she had time to censor herself.

Aeiou
: Even if you end up having to type with one hand?

Notmyrealname
: Oh. My. God.

Aeiou
: LOL.

Notmyrealname
: What are you wearing?

Aeiou
: Wow, you’re just jumping right in, aren’t you? A white terrycloth bathrobe.

Notmyrealname
: Hmm. What are you wearing underneath it?

Aeiou
: I am wearing a white terrycloth bathrobe.

Notmyrealname
: I see!

Aeiou
: I thought you might.

Notmyrealname
: I wish I really could see, actually.

Aeiou
: Imagination is always better. Reality is just disappointing.

Notmyrealname
: I’ll leave that one alone for the moment. So where are you? Computer desk?

Aeiou
: My living room. Sitting on the couch with my laptop in my lap and the mouse on a tray next to me.

Notmyrealname
: Where’s your drink?

Aeiou
: wineglass, also on the tray.

Notmyrealname
: You left off a capital. I’m reading you as nervous. Relax. Have another sip of wine. Loosen your robe a little. Get comfortable.

Allison complied, reasoning she would likely have done so anyway. It seemed an appropriate thing to do.

Notmyrealname
: Better?

Aeiou
: Some.

Notmyrealname
: I don’t want you too relaxed. Untie the sash on your robe and open it up.

Aeiou
: Okay. The laptop burns my knees though.

Notmyrealname
: Did you actually do it? I don’t think you did.

She fingered the loose knot nervously, worrying at the
nubbly
terrycloth with her fingertips. How could he know?

Aeiou
: If I take my robe off, the laptop will burn my knees.

Notmyrealname
: Nice. Do you have a coffee table? Could you put the computer on the coffee table and sit on the floor instead? Like…kneel on the floor in front of the laptop? I like that visual.

Allison shifted in her seat, suddenly aware of every nerve ending in her thighs. She eyed the coffee table in front of her suspiciously, as though it were complicit in this sudden madness between her and the sexy economics professor.

Aeiou
: You’re not married or anything, right?

She was startled to hear the speakers come to life again.

“Drew, am I married or anything?”

“Dude. You wish. You loser. What are you doing, man? Hey, is that chick still—”

“Shut up.”

“Dude!”

“I am serious, man. Shut up. I’m cutting the chat server off now.”

“No, Seth, we’re still in the game. We’re doing daily quests. Your little gold-farming buddy here is behind on his quota.”

“Fine.”

Notmyrealname
: Sorry about that. But anyway, you can hear I’m not married. Obviously, because any woman who met my family would run screaming.

Allison was still giggling at the interaction between the seemingly sophisticated economics professor and his earthier brother. She wondered what Drew did for a living, but filed the question for later.

Aeiou
: Okay, so I’m sitting in front of my coffee table. What now?

Notmyrealname
: Now I wait, because I don’t think you actually are sitting in front of your coffee table. My sixth sense tells me you’re still on your couch, waiting to see what I’ll type next.

Aeiou
: How are you doing that? Do you have a secret camera rigged in my apartment or something?

Notmyrealname
: That would be a different game.

She slid the laptop from her lap to the table and knelt in front of it, remembering after a second to move her cordless mouse as well. The mouse was, she noted for the first time, exactly the same shade of pink as her flamingo pen.

Aeiou
: I’m in front of the coffee table now. Do you believe me?

Notmyrealname
: Without a webcam, I suppose I’ll have to. I remain skeptical, however. Now, untie your robe and push it off your shoulders.

Fingers shaking again, Allison undid her sash and slid her robe down her shoulders. The heavy fabric pooled at her elbows. Her nipples peaked instantly from the sudden exposure to the air-conditioned chill in the room. She slugged back another swig of wine before typing again.

Aeiou
: All right. I’ve done that. Shouldn’t it be your turn now?

Notmyrealname
: I’m already naked.

Aeiou
: Bullshit.

Notmyrealname
: I’ve been naked the whole time. I took a shower right before I got into the game, I just never bothered to get dressed. I’m actually sitting in front of my computer in the buff. With my glasses on, of course. My towel is still over the seat.

Aeiou
: Okay. Wow. Interesting visual. And you always tell the truth, you said. So I suppose I believe you. It seems a guy-
ish
sort of thing to do.

Notmyrealname
: That’s me. Guy-
ish
. So, speaking of naked, we were talking about your robe being off. Which means, if I were there, I would probably be sucking on your nipples right about now.

Allison’s nipples responded as if he had done just that, tightening into stiff, tingling buds. She squirmed on her feet, recognizing a growing need that would have to be addressed soon before it drove her crazy.

Notmyrealname
: Speechless. I like that. Since I’m not there, you’ll need to do the hard work yourself. Use just your fingertips. Tease. If I were there I would just tease.

Aeiou
: ok

Notmyrealname
: one hand?

Aeiou
: yes

Notmyrealname
: Does it feel good? Do you want more?

Aeiou
: y

Notmyrealname
: Allison? Do you want to use the voice chat?

Aeiou
: NO.

Notmyrealname
: Okay, just asking. It’s okay. Don’t panic.

Aeiou
: I’m not.

Notmyrealname
: You were. But it’s okay. Take your robe off the rest of the way. I feel underdressed, princess.

Aeiou
:
ur
using both hands again

Notmyrealname
: And I gather you’re not. I like that. I won’t be using both of mine for long.

Her mind supplied an image, from nowhere, of Seth sitting at a slightly ratty computer desk, lit only by a flat-panel monitor, leaning forward on a wheeled task chair while a half-erect penis rose from his lap. Sliding her robe off, she let it puddle around her hips and started typing again.

Aeiou
: I never do things like this.

Notmyrealname
: Get that hand off the keyboard, princess. You should be playing with yourself, not worrying about the shift key and things like punctuation.

Aeiou
:
im
so
gonna
regret this crap cant
tttype
w just left hand

Notmyrealname
: Hmm. So you’re using your right hand for the other stuff? Thank you for the detail. I think you should probably slide that hand south now. Is your hair up or down?

Aeiou
: down

Notmyrealname
: How long is it when you don’t have it up? Is it past your shoulders?

Aeiou
: y

Notmyrealname
: I’d like to bury my face in it and nibble on your neck. I wanted to do that at dinner, actually. Take your hair down and run my hands through it. And whisper sweet nothings in your ear. Is your hand between your legs?

Aeiou
: n

Notmyrealname
: It should be. Imagine it’s my hand. If I get back on the voice chat will you at least just listen? So I can use both hands?

Aeiou
: not a good idea

Notmyrealname
: none of this is a good idea

Aeiou
:
i’m
imagining yr hand

Notmyrealname
: please get back on voice

Notmyrealname
: u have a great voice

Aeiou
: Not safe. Isn’t your brother still on?

Notmyrealname
: It’ll just be us. A different channel. You’ll see when you log into it. I don’t know why I want this, I never do shit like this, but since we’re doing it I really, really want to hear you. I want to hear you when you come. Please?

She didn’t know what possessed her to agree. Later, she would see it as the first in a long line of fateful decisions, decisions that were unlike her. But as if her hands were hypnotized, she found herself typing her consent, and then logging off the voice chat program and re-logging into the channel where she saw only Seth’s screen name. She flicked on the microphone and cleared her throat nervously.

“Are you there?” she asked softly, not sure why she was almost whispering.

“Yeah. Are you sure you’re okay with this?” His voice sounded rougher, huskier. She wondered if it was the beer or the lust. She wondered whether she would ever find out.