"Well I used to like working out but I haven't done that in months."

  "Really? I'm in the gym a lot but I have to. As a fire fighter we have to take EMT training and it certifies you as a weight trainer as well."

  "Let me get this straight. You're a firefighter, an EMT, a house painter AND a weight trainer?"

  "Okay, enough about me. When Missy is not on line, or in the gym, what do you do?"

  I must have talked to Todd for 2 hours. It was after midnight when I finally begged off the phone, and you know what struck me when I was in bed? He never once asked me how I looked.

  After that, whenever I got on line I always looked for Todd or he would look for me. Even when we talked to other people we'd still talk to each other about who we were talking to.

  ***

  "Kia, call me at home. I got an idea." I'd long since fessed up to my real name. And for the last few weeks Todd and I had been talking at home as well as on the chat line.

  "Whatup, Girl?" He sang when I called.

  "Wassup, Fool?" I said trying to sound like my favorite rapper Ice Cube.

  "Fool...How you say it like that ...FOOL!" I cracked a smile.

  "Close enough, Todd. What's going on?"

  "I got 3 way-calling added to my phone today and I'm going to take you in on the men’s side so that we can tag team someone."

  "Tag team? What do you mean?"

  "You'll see. I'm putting you on hold for a sec. Hold on." Todd had turned out to be very cool. We talked everyday sometimes 2 or 3 times a day. Even when he was at the Firehouse he'd call to chit chat or get recipes when it was his turn to cook. Hell, he even gave me recipes that my boys loved.

  However, the window of opportunity for romance had expired. We'd been friends for so many weeks without actually meeting that I now just thought of Todd as a big Teddy Bear friend, and not as a perspective lover. I imagine it was the same for him since he routinely asked my opinion on the girls he asked out.

  "Okay, I’m back. Now first, you’ll note that I’ll get boxed by a bunch of gay guys and then a bunch of rednecks." No sooner had he spoke then he got his first message.

  "Hi. My name is Mandy. What are you up to, Todd?"

  "Hi, Mandy. Just seeing what's out there. How old are you?"

  "Twenty-seven. I got pretty titties, long blonde hair, big blue eyes and a nice fat ass." Todd and I burst out laughing. Mandy couldn't hear us when we talked to each other because on this particular system in order to hear a message you had to press number 5, and in order to send one you had to press 9. That's how Todd and I hold conversations online and still be involved in individual chats.

  "Mandy. What's your favorite position?" Then Todd whispered to me. "She's going to say Doggie Style."

  "Doggie Style,” came Mandy’s response.

  "How'd you know?" I asked him, surprised.

  "That's what all rednecks say. Hold on, Kia. Mandy, do you have your own place?"

  "Right now I'm staying with my sister. Do you have your own place, Todd?"

  "Yes."

  "Todd? Can I ask you a question?"

  "Sure." To me he said, "Here it comes..."

  "How big is your cock?"

  "BINGO!" He yelled. All I could do is laugh. "Six inches, Mandy."

  Six inches, huh? Nice average dick—he didn't have to sound like he was so proud...

  "Six inches?" Mandy spoke my thoughts aloud. "That's all?"

  "Thick. Six inches thick. In circumference."

  "In what?"

  "Around. If you take a measuring tape and wrap it around my cock, its six inches around."

  "That's impossible!" Mandy exclaimed.

  "By the way, Kia," He said to me. "I'm not lying."

  I was shocked into silence at the confession...Damn. Six inches around?

  Mandy's voice got husky. "You goin' to let me see it for myself?"

  "Yeah. You going to let me suck on those big titties?"

  My mouth dropped. No Todd was not trying to have phone sex with me on the line! Was that his bright idea when he said we'd do a tag team?! I'm not going to lie and say I've never tried phone sex. Sometimes it's all you want; an anonymous male voice in your ear describing what he can do to your body. And then hang up immediately afterwards. But...I sure didn't appreciate being the third wheel in Todd's phone sex fantasy.

  "You gonna come pick me up?" Many asked.

  What a Ho! She'd go home with Todd after a five minute conversation?!

  "Let me ask you a question, Mandy. Do you like threesomes?"

  Mandy paused. "Why? You got something in mind?"

  "Well, my girl's been sitting here listening to everything we're saying, and she's really getting hot. She wants to know if you'll get it on with us."

  I would have smacked Todd if we weren't over the telephone!

  "What?" Mandy asked in disbelief. "Your girl is on the line right now? You got to be shittin' me. You two are freaks! Don't box me back!"

  "Aw, Kia, we could have had her. Why didn't you say something?"

  "Todd, you are sick. I'm not getting into a threesome with you!"

  "I'm just messin' with you. Hold on, let me get off line." He put me on hold. I shook my head. I couldn't believe him! We joke around a lot. We even talk about sex. For instance, Todd knows I've been celibate for 2 years. I know he's a perfectionist. But listening to Todd trying to pick up on a woman -- even if it was just in fun felt...invasive. "Okay, I'm back. What did you think of Mandy?"

  I sucked my teeth. "She's a Ho. Fat ass? I bet girlie has a fat EVERTYTHING. And what's up with you and the phone sex; pervert!"

  "What?" He asked innocently. "Don't act like you've never done it."

  "I've...faked it." I replied, lying through my teeth.

  "Why fake it?"

  "Because...sometimes it takes too much concentration to get off. Besides it's a bigger turn on listening to a guy get off then trying to let a guy get me off. I think I prefer the control of manipulating him." I paused. "Too much information?"

  "No, tell me more."

  "Well, when I was married, I think I was sexually—stunted. My sex life existed in romance novels. When I started getting on the chat line it taught me to be more outgoing. So to me phone sex is more telling an erotic story then just...you know...masturbation. And I think I'm pretty good at telling an erotic story."

  "Hmmm. Then let's hear it."

  "Get out of here! I'm not going to have phone sex with you!"

  "You just said that you fake it. Come on, I want to hear how good you are. Besides, remember the time I told you about going to the strip club and buying a lap dance? You wanted to know every juicy detail—and I didn't leave out a thing. I even told you about driving home in my wet underwear."

  There was definitely no shame in Todd's game. If he could talk freely then I could, too. "Okay, okay. Let's see... I always start of describing what I'm wearing." I laughed embarrassed. I can't believe I'm about to do this...

  "What are you wearing?" He prompted.

  "I'm lying on my couch wearing black panties, a t-shirt and no bra."

  "Wow, are you really?" He interrupted.

  "No, stupid. I'm faking, remember?"

  "Okay, okay."

  "Anyway. I'm lying on my couch. I have the longest legs in the city, silky and chocolate. My pussy is shaved. Do you like shaved pussies, Todd?"

  I could hear him swallow. "Uh-huh."

  "I like how soft it feels when my fingers stroke it. I'm stroking it now... my panties are in the way. Hold on, I'm going to take them off." I pulled the phone away from my ear and swung it by the cord two or three times. "Uhmmm." I murmured. "My pussy is so wet, you know it's been so long since someone's touched it. When I touch my pussy I like to start at my clit and tease it with my finger tip...Ohhh, yeah..." I moaned huskily. Todd sucked his breath in sharply. I almost giggled but wanted to stay in character.

  "After I tease my clit I stroke down, down and push my finger inside of me." I moaned. "One finger..
.Oh yeah. Two fingers. In and out where it's so hot and sooo wet." I moved the phone arms length away. "Listen to how wet I am." Then I put my fingers in my mouth and rapidly moved it around simulating a wet pussy sound. I pulled the phone back to my ear in time to hear Todd groaning softly. It thrilled me to know that in just a few moments I had Todd deep in my fantasy.

  "Kia..."

  "What?"

  "What's this?" Then I heard a solid thumping on the telephone.

  "I don't know. What is that?"

  "That's how hard my cock is."

  "Todd!" I screeched at him, shocked—even still, I couldn't help but to laugh at his raunchy ass.

  "Okay, what's next?"

  "I think that you've had enough."

  "Awww. Okay then. But you were just alright, not fabulous. But alright." I didn't believe a word he was saying.

  "Don't Hate, Todd. I know you were about 2 seconds from having to change your drawers."

  "Kia, don't make me take you there." He said nonchalantly.

  I huffed. "Bring it on." I sounded brave but the cautious part of my mind wondered what the hell was I talking about?

  We were going too far. This was much further then we'd ever gone before...I was just getting ready to laugh it off and change the conversation when he murmured my name.

  "Kia..." His voice was so low I had to strain to hear him.

  "What?"

  "It's not my hand squeezing my cock right now. It's yours. I'm going to help you reach your fingers around it. Now my hand is covering yours. Do you feel it?" I was so surprised that I nodded, my eyes seeing what his voice was describing, my mouth going dry.

  "Squeeze it a little harder, Baby. Yeah, like that. Ahhh, Kia..." He groaned.

  Instantly my coochie grew wet and started pounding. His voice sounded so sexy groaning my name. My muscles turned to liquid as I lay back on the couch.

  "Since you're touching me, I'm going to suck on you. I think I'll start with your nipples. What do they look like?"

  I hesitated.

  "Come on, Kia. Talk to me."

  "Brown-dark."

  "Damn..." He sighed. "Are they hard? I want them hard so that I can suck on them hard."

  I sharply inhaled, fingers moving to explore my hardening nipples through the material of my shirt.

  "Stroke them for me, Kia." Without hesitation I reached around and unhooked my bra, releasing my swelling breast. I pressed my fingertips against the pebbly peaks and a bolt of electricity shot deep into my belly and a groan of pleasure escaped my lips.

  "That's my tongue, licking; like an ice cream cone. Tug on them for me, Baby." Lightly I grasped them and tugged.

  "That's my mouth sucking those tender, chocolate nipples—however hard or however softly you want. Are you pulling them hard or are you pulling them soft?"

  "Hard." I groaned. "I'm pulling my titties hard."

  "And you're pulling my cock hard, too. Put your fingers on your pussy. I want to stoke it while you're stroking my cock. Are you doing it?"

  "Uh-huh."

  He sighed. "Put your fingers in and out of that pussy. When you go inside, say my name with every stroke and I'll be pushing my cock inside of you."

  I was so turned on I thrust my pussy onto my waiting fingers. "Todd..." I growled. "Oh, Todd..." I sighed. "Todd!" Then it was faster and faster until I sounded like a Todd choo choo train.

  "OH FUCK, KIA!" Todd whimpered.

  That sent me over the edge. My fingers plunged inside of myself as deep as they would go and I yelled out in ecstasy, losing the phone somewhere between the couch and myself.

  It took me a few moments to catch my breath. When I finally lifted the phone to my ear I could hear Todd on the other end.

  "Kia? Are you there?"

  "Yeah."

  "Where'd you go? I thought I gave you a heart attack or something." I took a deep breath a slow creeping embarrassment beginning to brew.

  "I uh...better go. I gotta go to work in the morning."

  Todd's voice came out amused. "Oh it's like that with you—love 'em and leave 'em?" I couldn't believe how at ease he was.

  "Todd...You don't think this is awkward?"

  "Why, Kia? Just because we got off together?"

  I didn't answer.

  "I know this might sound corny—but you are my best friend right now. I feel like I can talk to you about anything- say anything to you...and be myself with you. That's not true?"

  I hesitated. "Friends shouldn't...cross certain lines."

  "I want us to be the type of friends that have no boundaries... But, I wouldn't knowingly do anything to risk it. You still my buddy?"

  I sighed then smiled. "Yeah, Silly."

  He paused. "That's why I never asked to meet you."

  I frowned in surprise. "What?"

  "I didn't want to meet and..."

  "And find out that I was a dog?"

  "And find out that you didn't like me, therefore we couldn't continue being friends."

  "You think that I wouldn't be friends with you if I weren't attracted to you?" That kind of hurt my feelings that he didn't know that I valued our friendship every bit as much as he did.

  "The way my luck has been, I guess I just doubt myself. I mean, Kia, I'm not bad looking. I think I'm pretty good looking, as a matter of fact. Maybe I'm fooling myself. Maybe I'm Quasi-Moto. I'm single, no children, excellent job, a house up for sale, my own car, nice apartment. What's wrong with me? Why can’t I meet someone nice?"

  "You think there's something wrong with you just because you haven't met a significant someone on a phone chat line? Besides, why do you have to meet someone significant? You're single now. Why can't you just enjoy it?"

  "Because I loved being married. I loved being father to my step children... and I miss it."

  "You're trying to find your wife in the women on this line. I'm sure your wife was way better than any of the idiots on this system."

  "You're on the system." He said defensively.

  "Yeah, but there are probably only a hand full of honest people looking for good, honest relationships. Most people are looking to get laid or paid."

  "Oh I like that! I'm going to put that on my next message. People looking to get laid or paid need not respond."

  "Todd you don't have to worry about me not being friends if we should meet and not...hook up. You are my Boy."

  "Good. Because I need a friend like you—to keep it real. So...let's just make a pack. We should meet and it's not going to be about...hooking up. It's just about two friends hanging out."

  "Okay. That sounds good. So...where should we meet? And when?"

  "Well, your kids don't come home until Sunday, right?"

  "Right." I was mentally thinking of a dozen places that were half the distance between both of our homes.

  "You get home from work by 4:00 tomorrow." Which was Saturday. "I can bring pizza and beer if you supply a movie."

  I hesitated. My house?? I have never met a man on line that I would want to let into my house...but this was Todd; he was different. Famous last words...

  "Sounds like a plan." I tried to sound seamless. I didn't want him to know that I had any doubt about meeting here. "Call me when you're ready to come over and I'll give you directions." After we hung up I immediately called Shay.

  "I had phone sex with Todd."

  "See! I knew you were lying when you said you didn't like him that way!"

  "I didn't think I did before all this. And what makes it worse is that we're meeting for the first time tomorrow."

  "Lord, you know how to make it tough on yourself. Did you not read the memo on things not to do before meeting a man off a chat line?"

  I didn't sleep very well that night wondering if in fact we had already destroyed our friendship. The next day after coming home from my part-time job I quickly showered and picked up around my already neat home.

  Todd called at 4:30 and we decided on what type of pizza and that we should do both beer for him and wine for
me. A few moments before he was due to arrive I grabbed a huge butcher knife and slipped it under the cushions of the couch. Hell, you can't be too safe.

  My phone rang again.

  "Kia, I'm pulling into your drive-way." I pulled apart my curtains.

  "Wow, nice car, Todd." It was black, sporty and looked very expensive.