The moment the message left her phone, she tossed it onto the bed beside her, covering her face with her hands. "What am I doing?" she muttered to herself, half-regretting the decision and half-curious about what his response might be.
A minute passed. Then two. The silence was almost unbearable until her phone buzzed, lighting up the room with its soft glow. She grabbed it, her pulse quickening as she opened the message.
"That's quite a question for this hour. But since you're asking… boxers. Why, planning something?"
Janet let out a laugh, the tension breaking slightly. His tone was light, playful, exactly as she had expected. She typed back quickly, her fingers flying across the keyboard.
"Just wondering. Trying to picture how someone like you unwinds after a long day."
This time, the response came almost immediately.
"Is that so? And what's your verdict?"
She hesitated, unsure how to reply. The banter felt easy, comforting even, but it also stirred something deeper, something she wasn't ready to name. With a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, she typed a reply:
"I think you'd look good no matter what you're wearing."
Janet hesitated for a moment, staring at her phone screen, before letting herself indulge in the playful energy of the conversation. She smirked as she typed her next message, feeling a mix of boldness and curiosity.
"I think I'd like to touch you, too."
Her finger hovered over the "send" button for just a second before she tapped it. The message shot off, leaving her heart pounding in the silence that followed. She bit her lip, wondering how he'd respond. Would he play along, laugh it off, or shift the mood entirely?
The reply came faster than she expected.
"You're not making it easy to stay focused on work, you know."
She laughed quietly, imagining him wherever he was, likely running a hand through his hair with that same effortless charm he always carried. She decided to push a little further.
"Work? It's late. What are you doing that's more important than me?"
Another pause, shorter this time, and then his response lit up her screen.
"You make a strong case. I'm tempted to cancel everything and let you prove how much you've been thinking about me."
Janet felt a warm flush spread across her cheeks, a combination of excitement and mischief. She knew she should be careful, but there was something intoxicating about the way he engaged with her—playful, yet with an edge of sincerity that made her heart race. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, trying to decide if she should keep the game going or pull back.
Finally, she settled on a reply.
"Tempted, huh? Maybe I'll have to make sure you don't forget me tonight."
The moment she hit send, she tossed her phone beside her, feeling a strange mix of exhilaration and nervousness. Whatever this was, she couldn't deny that it made the quiet, lonely night feel just a little bit brighter.
Janet waited, her phone lying face-up on the bed, its screen dark but ready to light up with his reply. Her heart raced in the quiet room, her own boldness surprising even herself. It had been so long since she'd allowed herself to feel like this—alive, playful, and connected, even if just through a phone screen.
When her phone buzzed, she grabbed it almost immediately, her breath catching as she read his message.
"Don't worry, Janet. You've been on my mind since the moment I saw you walk away today. But now you've got me wondering—what are you wearing tonight?"
She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head at his reply. His confidence was magnetic, and the ease with which he matched her tone made it all the more difficult to resist diving deeper into the conversation. Her fingers flew over the screen as she typed her response.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
The typing bubble appeared almost instantly, and she smiled, knowing she had his full attention now. His reply was short but to the point.
"I would. Tell me."
Janet bit her lip, glancing down at her oversized t-shirt and the pair of loose shorts she'd thrown on before bed. Hardly glamorous. But this wasn't about the details—it was about the game, the tension, and the connection sparking between them.
"Something comfortable," she replied, letting the ambiguity linger. Then, feeling daring, she added, "But maybe you'd prefer me in something a little less comfortable?"
The response came quickly.
"I think I'd prefer you in nothing at all."
Her cheeks flushed as she read the words, and she found herself smiling despite the warmth spreading across her face. There was something disarming about Mike's honesty—playful, but never crossing the line into something crass or unkind. It felt... real. Natural.
"You're trouble," she typed back, shaking her head as she hit send. "How do you always manage to say exactly what I'm thinking?"
"Call it a talent," he replied. "Or maybe just a lucky guess. Either way, I'm glad we're on the same page."
Janet stared at the screen for a moment, her smile softening. It wasn't just the flirtation or the thrill of the conversation—it was the way he made her feel seen, as though she wasn't just a fleeting thought in his mind. She hesitated before typing her next message, feeling a sudden need for something more substantial.
"Mike, do you ever think about that night? About us?"
There was a pause, longer than she expected, and for a moment she wondered if she'd pushed too far, broken the rhythm of their playful banter. But then his reply came through.
"All the time. Do you?"
Janet felt her heart tighten as she read his words. She didn't need to think about her answer—it was written in the way she couldn't get him out of her mind, in the way her heart raced every time she saw his name light up her phone.
"Yes," she replied simply.
This time, the typing bubble didn't appear right away. The silence stretched, and Janet wondered if she'd made a mistake, if she'd said too much. But then her phone buzzed, and his message appeared.
"Then maybe we should stop pretending that night was just a one-time thing."
Her breath caught as she read his words, the weight of them sinking in. He wasn't just playing along anymore—he was opening a door, inviting her to step through. And for the first time in a long time, Janet felt like she might be ready to take the risk.
"Maybe we should," she typed back, her fingers trembling slightly.
And with that, she set her phone down, staring up at the ceiling, her heart racing. The night suddenly felt less lonely, the silence filled with the unspoken possibilities of what might come next.