Flash Fiction Challenge – Terribleminds

Persia Silverblade:     Welcome Ms Preston, it’s good to have you here this afternoon.

(Time zones you’ve gotta love them)

Lexi Preston:  Thank you Persia, it great to be here.

I strike up a sashay, and meander towards the bar at the back of the club.  It’s a good place to observe people from.  And by observation I mean profile perving, but hey, that’s what they are there for.

DJ Metastar was playing mellow love songs and was taking requests.

DJ Metastar: Up next is a request going out to Lexi Preston from an admirer – Chris de Burgh’s Lady in Red.  Drop me an IM with your requests.  Lexi for you, enjoy.

My IM pings.

Calum MacFarlane: Come dance with me?

Lexi Preston:  *Laughs* Hello you.

Calum MacFarlane: *Grins* Hello, so?

Lexi Preston: I didn’t see you log in.

Calum MacFarlane: Come on, stop prevaricating beautiful, and dance with me.

Lexi Preston: *Smiles* If you insist.

Calum MacFarlane:  I do.

The dance animation balls materialised and were summarily clicked on by the two of us.  Calum chose a dance animation suitable for Lady in Red.

Calum MacFarlane: I’ve never seen you looking so lovely as you do tonight.

Lexi Preston: *Chuckles* Cheesy much? Not seen you here before.

Calum MacFarlane: The lady in red is dancing with me, cheek to cheek.

Calum MacFarlane: And I have never had such a feeling.

Calum MacFarlane:  I mean it Lexi.

Lexi Preston:  Wow Cal, that came from nowhere.

Calum MacFarlane: No it didn’t, you’ve just been ignoring the signs.

Lexi Preston: Really?

Calum MacFarlane:  Yes really.

My computer screen was full of avatars dressed to the nines. All there to have a virtual good time in a relaxed atmosphere.  I wondered how many others had just been told that they were loved by their dance partner.  It was surreal. It felt like I was having some sort of an out of body experience.  Fantasy meeting reality.

Calum MacFarlane: Lexi?

Lexi Preston: Cal, are you for real?

Calum MacFarlane: More real than I’ve been in a long time.  Look I know that in real life terms we haven’t known one another that long.  And yes there are a million little things we still have to learn about one another.  But Lexi, this is the real deal.

Lexi Preston:  Phew, I thought that the connection I feel for you was just in my mind.  Wishful thinking.

Calum MacFarlane runs a finger down the centre of Lexi’s back, stopping at the base of her helluva dress.

Lexi Preston tingles with anticipation.

Calum MacFarlane:  Come, let’s go back to my place.

Lexi Preston: *nods* Let’s.

Calum MacFarlane:  I’ll send the limo

Lexi Preston: *Smiles* Thanks.

The Teleport link arrived.  I clicked on it and rezzed into his home.  His Mediterranean style house was built into the rocks overlooking a sparkling bay.  Add to that, palm trees and glistening white sand and you had perfection.

Calum MacFarlane:  Hello sexy.

Lexi Preston: *Smiles* hey gorgeous.

Calum MacFarlane: Let’s go down to the beach.

Lexi Preston: I’ll quickly change into a bikini.

Calum MacFarlane: Now there’s a fine idea.

I rootle through my inventory to find my favourite one.  It’s a wisp of candy floss masquerading as bikini.

I walked my avatar out of the house and down the flagstones to the beach where Calum was waiting for me.

Calum MacFarlane:  God your avatar is breathtakingly beautiful.

Lexi Preston: *Grins* well thank you fine sir, yours is not half bad either.

Calum MacFarlane: Join me.

I clicked on the pink pose ball next to him on the shoreline where the water breaks.  His avatar struck a pose, lying on his back against the sand and my avatar was lying on top of him in an adoring gaze.

Calum MacFarlane: What more could a man ask for, a beautiful woman in his arms, basking in the sun, the sea lapping at his feet.
My IM pinged.

Audrey Charbonneau:  So you’re the one he’s been out “dancing” with.

Lexi Preston: I beg your pardon?

Audrey Charbonneau: Calum has repeatedly blown me off recently.  He keeps telling me he’s out dancing with a friend.

Lexi Preston:  And?

Audrey Charbonneau: He’s mine.  We’ve been seeing one another for six months now.

I closed my eyes, it felt like I had been sucker punched.  I guess this is what it felt like to be gutted.  I’d thought that Calum was different, damn.

Lexi Preston:  He told me he wasn’t involved with anyone.

Audrey Charbonneau: He would wouldn’t he.

Calum MacFarlane: Lexi, why so quiet?

Lexi Preston: Who’s Audrey Charbonneau?

Calum MacFarlane: An ex, why?

Lexi Preston:  She’s just IM’d me.

Calum MacFarlane: I see.

I couldn’t deal with this.  I stood from the pose and logged off from Second Life.

Lexi Preston is offline

It appeared to be drizzling on my keyboard.  I found a tissue and blew hard.   My neighbour will no doubt complain about the use of a trumpet at this time of the night.  Were all men two timing bastards?

My cell phone chirped: Lexi, talk to me, what the hell did that woman say to you? 

I volley a reply:  Apparently you two are an item!

WERE an item.  She just doesn’t want to let go.  Come back in, you can’t let someone you don’t know destroy what we have or are you going to use this as an excuse to run away?

Do we have something?

You know we do.  Come back in.

Lexi Preston is online

I rezzed my avatar back onto Calum’s beach.  He was swayed to a dance animation, the pink ball waited for me.  I clicked on it and he wrapped his arms around me.  My head rested on his shoulder.

Calum MacFarlane:  To quote the modern poet, Jennifer Lopez – I wanna dance, and love, and dance again. Dance, yes. Love, next.  What do you say?

Lexi Preston: *Smiles* I’m gonna take a chance on you and we can dance all night.