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 |  A short story about two people who think they know each other |
| [Introduction] |
| Chance marched into his office and threw the presentation at the garbage can, scattering papers across the floor of the small room. Why did Nikita always have to snub all of his ideas? She always thought her ideas were better, and everyone else seemed too intimidated by her to voice a different opinion. He needed the help of the whole marketing department to get this client signed and it would be impossible with her so dead set against every idea he could come up with. “I can’t stand that chick anymore! She’s ruining my career!” He flopped down at his desk and leaned back in his chair. He stared at the ceiling, swiveling his chair back and forth. His instant messaging program sounded and it brightened his face immediately. He knew it was 21s1lens. Chance met her through a photography forum. He loved her wit and sense of humor, and their mutual love of photography made them fast friends. Her avatar sprang up on his computer next to the messaging box. It always made him laugh: a girl with an elephant standing on a beach wearing fur-lined long winter coat, rollerblades and a snorkel, strumming an acoustic guitar looked back at him as he read the words. “Hey, Buddy! Happy Valentine’s Day!” Chance put his wireless keyboard in his lap as he swung his feet onto his desk. “Back at ya!” “How’s your day?” “Brutal! Yours?” “About as good. Crappy meetings all morning. Find a date for the big day yet?” He blinked just like the cursor that he stared blankly at on his monitor. He hadn’t dated in the two years since he and Debbie broke up. Most of his friends were the people he played games against online. He sighed. He really had no social life. “No. You?” |
| “No, Life’s been too busy lately to be with any one”, came the reply with a sad faced emoticon, which surprised Chance. From the time he had come to know 2Is1lens he had really liked her attitude towards life. Though they hardly shared any personal details about each other, chance was sure she was one person people would love to be with. “Oh too bad for both of us” Jack typed back. “Anyway, tomorrow is also pretty packed with meetings and stuff.” “Same here. Ok I got to go now. Will catch ya later” “Ok have a nice evening, bye” Chance logged out, in a lot better mood than before, talking to his online buddy always made him feel good. He looked at his calendar for the next day. He had two meetings scheduled one in morning and another in afternoon and Nikita was part of both of them. Determined to beat her this time he opened his file to prepare for his meetings. It was late in the night; Nikita had hardly looked at the time since evening, busy with her official work. She loathed meetings with Chance. She felt he was concentrating more on defeating her than thinking what is good for the company and she wanted to get every thing right for the two meetings she had with him next day. Her thoughts were interrupted by the buzz from her computer. She smiled knowing very it was clicks4all, her online buddy “hi Buddy, Still awake?” “Ya, preparing some things for tomorrow. What about you?” “Well am all set to sleep” ”Oh cool, good night then. Sleep tight” “Back to you buddy” Nikita looked at the calendar at the desktop and saw it was already 14th. She sighed and remembered her last Valentines Day with Chris. |
| Chance slapped the buzzing alarm clock and grunted. They were putting together the proposal for Jameson Manufacturing this morning. He prepared as much as he could last night, but he knew Nikita would find fault in it somewhere. He knew Mr. Jameson much better than she did, and he knew what Jameson wanted. But Nikita had her own agenda, and Chance was sure it didn’t involve him. He grabbed a cup of coffee and logged in to PictureThis, his favorite photography group. He hoped 2Is1lens would be on, but expected to be reviewing the newly posted photos by himself at this time of the morning. A soft “buzz” came from his instant messaging program. He clicked the flashing box. “Morning!” “Wow! You’re up early,” he typed back to 2Is1lens. “Yeah. I’ve got that meeting this morning with that jerk,” the message came back. “Saw you were on PictureThis, so I thought I’d say hi. You’ll definitely be the highlight of my day!” “I feel the same way. You wouldn’t believe this chick at work. She is just brutal… not to mention ignorant!” “LOL. Sounds like a guy I work with! Guess we’ve both got a great day ahead, hey?” Chance smiled. “Yeah. Oh well. At least we’ve got PictureThis, right?” “You’re not seriously going to sit home on Valentine’s Day night and review people’s photographic talents, are you?” “Of course! I’m just as lame as you are, remember?” Chance chided. A smiley emoticon appeared. “Well, seeing as how we’re both so lame, want to meet somewhere for a drink or something? I mean, nothing says we have to be out on a date or anything to celebrate Valentine’s Day, does it?”be Chance’s breathe caught. He didn’t know where the words came from, “How about Zitto’s. 8 pm?” “See you there!” |
| Chance for some reason was feeling very excited from the time his online buddy had said they would meet. He was glad he would not spend the evening in front of a monitor. Humming his favorite tune he entered the office and headed straight for the meeting room, only to find Nikita already there. Throwing a fake smile at Nikita he sat right across her, ready take on what ever she had to throw at him. The meeting went on till late afternoon with no conclusion and they canceled their next meeting so they could finish this one. Again Nikita and Chance were at loggerheads, arguing at every possible point. But by evening, they were forced to come to a conclusion. Both stormed out of the room, tempers flaring. Chance threw the presentations on the table “If it hadn’t been for the shortage of time, would have taught her few lessons on marketing today” Slopping on the seat he opened his computer, there was no mail or message form his buddy. He smiled to himself thinking about meeting her later in the day and looked at the time. It was already 5:00P.M. He decided to leave office, so that he could get ready and pick up some flowers for his buddy, and just as he got up his messenger buzzed. “Hi buddy, how did the day go?” “Lets not even talk about it, how about yours ?“ “No better. Buddy, how are we going to recognize each other?” That’s when it struck chance; he had never actually seen her face. There was no way he would recognize her. “How about sending across a pic to each other right now?” “No too boring. Tell me what would you be wearing? I would be in a blue jeans a gray tank top” |
| Chance looked down at what he was wearing. His business wear seemed too formal. He searched his closet at home in his mind. He cursed himself for not keeping up on his laundry, wondering what he had clean to wear. “I’ll be in jeans and a blue Ford t-shirt,” he typed back. He had a few of those. One was sure to be clean. He wondered if his dress would be appropriate, but it was too late to change it now. “So, you drive a Ford, then? There’s so much we don’t know about one another.” “Goes to show you, you can live in the same city with someone all your life and never get to meet them.” “I guess you’re right. I just realized… I don’t even know where you work or what you do for a living.” The words appeared on his computer screen. “Let’s talk about all that over a drink, okay?” “Sounds great. I’ll see you soon… for real this time!” Chance shut down his computer and grabbed some files he needed to bring home, but then had second thoughts. He threw the files back on the floor. He hoped to be out late enough that he wouldn’t have time to work on them tonight. He tried to remind himself that this wasn’t date. Yet he was more nervous than he’d been in years. Chance made it to Zitto’s just before eight. The weekday clientele was fairly light. He scanned the bar quickly, but saw only two women, and neither matched the description his online friend had given. He ordered a beer and waited. Shortly, he saw Nikita walk in the door at the end of the bar. Why did she have to be here tonight? Did she have to ruin every part of his life? |
| Not wanting to spoil his mood Chance turned away from her. From the corner of his eye he saw her walking to the other end of the bar. Relieved, he looked at the time. It was 8:15. Chance was getting restless waiting; he had already had two beers. Thinking he might have missed her entering, he scanned the place again, and spotted Nikita sitting alone at the other end of the bar. Just when he was about to turn back to order one more beer some thing stuck him, he turned to Nikita. He could not believe his eyes, Nikita was wearing a blue jeans and a gray tank top. Chance turned away, puzzled, shocked. He knew it could not be a coincidence, Nikita was 2Is1lens. Chance began thinking to himself, His biggest enemy, some one whose sight he disliked, had turned out to be his best pal online. Should he really continue the friendship? If he just left now, there was no way Nikita was ever going to come to know about it. But other than the official issues he had nothing against Nikita and he had really liked her online. Why shouldn’t he just leave the office issues in office and enjoy the friendship they share? He was still toiling with these thoughts when, “Hi Chance” He turned around, Nikita his enemy, 2Is1lens his best pal, was standing in front of him. “Hi” was all he could manage. They stood in silence for some time “Nikita this is so strange, I don’t know ...” “Yes it is chance. I would say bizarre is more suitable” “Can’t we agree for once?” Chance smiled. Nikita put her hand out “Want to be buddies in real world too?” Chance looked at her, smiled and shook hands “Agree with you this time” |
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