Alex was sitting at the bar with his co-workers on Friday night after a long week when his phone buzzed in his pocket, which he found weird since everyone who texts him was sitting around the table with him. "What the hell," he whispered to himself as he looked at the name on his phone. "What was that?" one of his co-workers asked him. "Oh, nothing, just an old friend sent me a text out of the blue," he replied and then went back to the conversation with his co-workers without opening his phone to see what the text said. About an hour later, as he was leaving the bar to walk home, Alex pulled out his phone to read the text, "Hello, I'm sorry to bother you...but is this Alex?" Alex typed out a few replies, some more sarcastic than others, but finally settled on a simple, "Hello, this is Alex." After he sent the reply he found himself intrigued and excited for the reply.
The text was from a woman named Ruth. Alex and Ruth had known each other for close to ten years. Alex paid for college by working at a video store where Ruth began to work her senior year of high school. The two were fast friends, and there was some mild flirting, but Alex had a serious girlfriend and nothing had ever come of it. After he graduated, Alex proposed to his girlfriend and she said no - she had been cheating on him for the past year. When Ruth found out she began texting him more often, but she had recently entered into a serious relationship. Over the years there would be a text here and there, maybe even a chain of them for a three of four day period, but nothing substantial. From social media, Alex knew Ruth had married a guy a few years back and was working at a hotel in the city.
His phone vibrated as he entered his apartment:
Ruth: Good! I was flipping through the channels tonight and National Treasure was on, it made me think of you.
Alex: Ha. I lost track of how many times we had to watch that crap on repeat at the video store.
Ruth: I think it was close to 350, if I had to estimate.
Alex: That seems accurate. How are you?
Ruth: Good, I've been working a lot and also finishing up my degree. You?
Alex: What are you getting a degree in? I've been good, also working a lot. Moved about a year ago and I'm still trying to find my way around this place.
Ruth: I'm finishing up my bachelors in accounting. I'm working for a hotel at the front desk but they're letting me work a few hours a week with the accounting department to get experience and said they might hire me when I'm done with my degree.
Alex: That's awesome! I'm glad they're helping you out. Are you still at that little hotel downtown?
Ruth: I am, just celebrated my 5 year anniversary of working there!
Alex: I hope they had cake! How are your parents and sisters doing?
Ruth: They are good! Dad is retiring at the end of the month, mom still loves her job. Stacy graduated and moved to Arizona with her fiance, Kenzie is still in Colorado and has four kids now.
Alex: Dang! 4 kids?! I mean, everything else you said is impressive but 4 kids really seems crazy.
Ruth: Four kids under the age of 5. I don't know how she does it. How is your family?
Alex: Everyone is good. Mom and dad are celebrating Sarah finally moving out of the house, I think they were beginning to think she was going to live there forever.
The small talk about families and jobs went on until Alex fell asleep. When he woke up the next morning he had a good morning text from Ruth and the two texted back and forth all day while at work. They talked about a lot of things, but neither of them ever brought up relationships. After a week of texting all the time, Alex noticed Ruth had started flirting a little bit so he started flirting back.
One day when both Alex and Ruth were bored at work they started sending pictures back and forth - both of themselves and of random things in their offices. When Alex sent Ruth a picture of his outfit for the day she laughed and told him he did not match at all.
Alex: Hey now, no need to make fun of my lack of ability to match!
Ruth: Aw, did I hurt your feelings?
Alex: Maybe a little :p
Ruth: You love me, you know it.
Alex: You think so, huh?
Ruth: Mmhhmm
Alex: The world may never know
Ruth: Well maybe one day you'll admit it
Alex: And will you admit you love me?
Ruth: I thought you already knew I loved you
Alex: And here I thought you were just tolerating me :P
Ruth: If that's all you thought I was doing I must have lost my ability to flirt..
Alex: I didn't want to assume you were flirting with me, but I was hoping that's what was happening
Ruth: Good, I haven't lost it!
Later that evening while the two were texting, Ruth sent Alex a picture of her laying in bed with just a bra on. The text with the picture read, "I could really go for a good cuddle right now, it was a long day." Alex was a little taken-a-back, but also pretty excited about the development. He was ready to test some boundaries. He finally responded.
Alex: I'm a pretty decent cuddler, but sometimes my hands sometimes wander...
Ruth: Where would they wander to?