"I wanna ask you something."
"Ask away."
"Have you ever thought about me while masturbating?"
It was, to say the least, an unexpected question. When it appeared on my screen I had to read it again, just to make sure.
Taryn and I had been online friends for a while, first on Twitter, now Instagram. I don't remember when we progressed from just following and commenting, to DM-ing. But since we started chatting we'd become great friends. The conversations started light enough, discussing family stuff and day-to-day events, but by now they were more intimate. Not sexual, really, but deeper. If she had trouble with her husband, I knew about it. Likewise, if I was having a tough time in my life, I would talk to her. Ok, there were some flirty moments, usually when I complimented her on selfies that she posted. But this question was a huge surprise.
"Have you ever thought about me while masturbating?"
"Wow. Ok. Yes. Just once." It was true. "I hope that doesn't ruin what we have, because you've become very important to me."
A little heart popped on my answer. She liked it. Whew!
"Any reason you wanted to know?" I wondered.
"It was just in my head. Curiosity."
I paused before typing, "I'm not even gonna ask if you've done the same, lol." I made it a joke, but I really did want to know. I didn't expect an answer.
"I have," she answered. "More than once."
I was floored. "I am so flattered. I kind of don't know how to respond."
She sent a kissy emoji.
I messaged, "If this conversation continues much longer, I may have to excuse myself to do it for the second time, lol."
No answer. A minute or so went by. Shit! Had I gone too far?
Then, finally, "Sorry. I'm back. Did you go and do it yet?"
"Do what?"