Bonus: "nice" texting

I don't suppose I have to tell you how to scroll in this one since you know what's coming next. For once, a bonus chapter that really is just a bonus. 

What was Jesse thinking while he and Marie were texting? ....

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You're very welcome.

     I finally get home and send Marie a reply text as soon as I pull into my driveway. I make it a rule to not use my phone and drive if possible.

      I wonder if she's going to text me back again?

      Probably not. That was just a one time -

i'm glad you didn't give up like i did.

     Hello! I feel myself grin like a loon.

I don't give up easily.

    Very true statement. 

    I've given up, however, on leaving Marie alone. That was a crazy idea, and I don't know what I was thinking in thinking that I could pull that off. I told her. She knows how I feel. I wish I knew for sure about her, though.

i've noticed.

Have you?

      Well, it's good to know that she's not oblivious to everything.

      I wonder if she'd be more comfortable talking about some things via text that she wouldn't otherwise. 

       It's worth a shot.

Because I'm not giving up on you.

      There. Point blank. What is she going to make of that?
       I walk in and lay my keys on the kitchen counter before I head upstairs to get ready to go to bed.
       Big day tomorrow. I hope.
      Yeah, she may have baggage, issues, whatever you want to call it, but it won't last forever. I wish I knew what I could do to help her get over that whatever-it-was that went on. I wish she'd let me if I did figure something out.
     She probably gave up and pulled away since I pushed again.

that's a very nice thing to say.

     She's still there!

     Nice. 

     Nice? I'm nice. No, I said something nice.

     What kind of nice?

I'm very glad you think that's nice, but tell me how it's nice so I can keep being nice. ;)

    I chuckle a little at the end when I add the wink. I very purposefully said nice three times for emphasis.

     Nice?! Not romantic or sexy or shocking or something else?

what do you mean?

    I let out a small huff in very mild annoyance. What do I mean?

    Well, I MEAN this.

Tell me some way to help you.

time

     "Shit!" I yell up to my ceiling. I'm really starting to dislike the word 'time.'

     She did it again! Just when I'm trying to help she draws the line. The 'time line.' Bad pun. 

     So, she needs time, or at least that's what she thinks.

     I go brush my teeth and change into some pj pants. Then, I sit on my bed and pick up my phone again. There simply has to be something I can do.

Anything during that time?

i don't know

     Hmm. That's better than a nothing.

     Well, we're texting right now so that must be okay.

texting is okay?

nice texting is okay

      Again, that word 'nice.' How on earth do I define 'nice texting'? There are many ways of being nice.

      I think of one of my favorites, grin, and send her another text.

It's nice of me to say you have beautiful eyes.

     I laugh. Point for Jesse! She's probably staring at her phone and not knowing what to say back. I send her a quick chaser:

Because you do

      I start thinking up all the other 'nice' things to compliment her on. I could go on and on with all the 'nice' things to say.

      Thinking about her like this probably isn't such a great idea because of what it's doing to me.

      Yeah, that would be 'nice' too. Hm, maybe the word 'nice' isn't so bad after all.

thats not reallt wht i ment

     Typos! Somebody got a little jittery. She didn't expect that. 

      I laugh again and decide to have some fun.

Saying you have beautiful eyes isn't nice? I thought it was.

     This is fun! If I can do this right, she won't know what hit her.

not that kind of nice

    I'm not finished.

So, I'm not allowed to nicely tell you you have beautiful eyes.

    Three times. I told her that three times. Now it's sure to stick in her head. Her head with the beautiful eyes... and lips. 

     Ending up a painful ball in the dirt might've been worth it.

     I want to call her. It's driving me crazy not being sure how she's reacting to all of this. That's half the fun. She's being quiet, and I want to know why. If I called her, I'd at least be able to hear her voice.

      That's it!

Am I allowed to tell you I love the sound of your voice when you say my name?

no

Awwwwwww

     Hm. Really short answer on her part. 

     I really wish I knew what she was doing! Is she mad? Does she think this is funny?

i mean friendly nice

    She doesn't use capital letters. My phone, most of the time, does them automatically.

    Friendly nice? I'm being friendly... not quite as friendly as I'd like, but I am.

Compliments aren't friendly? I was just being nice-nice I guess.

    I laugh again at myself coming up with 'nice-nice.' There's a lot of niceness going around.

maybe i shouldn't have handed you my phone

I'm glad you did

    And you are too. Admit it!

i should be sleeping right now

    Oh no! Not yet. I'm not done being nice. Hm. Still, if she's sleepy I don't want to keep her up.

I'm glad you're not. Are you sleepy?

not anymore

    I grin. 'Not anymore' huh? And just what did I wake up?

    This is a fantastic opening, and I debate whether or not I should take it. I decide on sending her an opening.

well then, what do you want to do?

    One of those weird times my phone doesn't capitalize.

    Please do what I want to do. What I really want to do is call her and have phone sex. 'Nice' texting sex would be good too.

sleep

    Boring. I don't want to sleep yet.

    I want to call her, dammit, but I don't want to piss her off.

I could call you and sing you a lullaby.

    Yeah, after we did some 'nice talking.'

no, that's okay

     Damn. Still, I told her I don't give up easily...

You sure? oh, you'd rather I do it in person?

     I highly doubt I get a yes for that, but a man can dream.

no! no thank you

    Damn! Shot down totally.

    Of course, this makes me want to go back over there even more. I do have to keep this conversation going, however.

oh. right. nice texting

aren't you sleepy?

Nope. There's nothing I'd rather do than nice texting with you.

    That looks like something off a strange greeting card. The thought makes me laugh.

    Okay, there are things I'd rather do, but only if I can make her want them as well.

right. (sarcasm)

    Sarcasm again?

Sarcasm isn't very nice.

    I decide to prod a little.

you think there's something I'd rather do?

for one, you mentioned the lullaby

You said you didn't want that, so neither do I.

    Reverse psychology... even if it's moderately true.

    Ask me to call you. Or better yet, come over.

don't lie

    It's not exactly a lie!

me lie? No. I don't want to push you.

    Unless you want me to now.

    I doubt it. I'm consistently pushing my luck tonight. And after the day she's had. I sigh.

what would you do if you could?

      WHOA! Talk about your openings! Just when I think she's going to stay all prim and proper she throws this at me.

       Shit, Marie, you should know what I'd do if I could. You're asking for it.

       So, how should I answer this? I could take this in so many directions.

I'd start by continuing with the nice-nice compliments like your beautiful hair and voice.

     I don't hit send yet. I want to hit her with it all at once.

     Then what? Oh, the choices. I sit and think about how I'd love to go about seducing her.

     She wants me to push her. ?

But then, since I'm pushing you,

     I still don't hit send.

     My mind wanders back to her legs in particular and how nice they'd look wrapped around me at either my waist or my neck.

     I want to go to her house.

I'd move on from that and tell you what I'd like to do to you right now.

    I hit send. I still kept it vague enough since she'd only just barely crossed that line. I wonder what she'll say to that.

     My phone stays quiet. Maybe I took too long in answering and she fell asleep.

     Maybe she's texting me what she'd like to do to me. That would be awesome.

did I lose you?

     Please don't have gone to sleep!

     My phone remains quiet, and I get very sad.

i'm here. okay. don't be dirty.

    My jaw drops a little. Dirty?! This isn't dirty. Trust me, I know dirty.

there is nothing dirty about any of this

    I go into my settings to see why it didn't capitalize those last times. I can't figure it out. Maybe I hit the space key before I typed and that cancelled it out. I shrug and go back to what I was thinking before.

    Okay, so before the 'dirty' comment, she said okay.

    She said okay. 

    I'm actually a little surprised again. As, understandably, stand-offish as she was today, I didn't expect her to want this.

you said 'okay' I can only guess that means you want to know what I'd do.

    I wait only half a beat before I get my next idea.

I'd much rather come over and show you.

     I get up and walk down the stairs, feeling uncomfortable from my hard-on. Then I walk into my kitchen and look at my keys. If she gives me any indication that she wants me there then I'm going to leave a trail of dust behind me when I floor it to her house.

no thts not wht i ment!

    Oh crap, I think as I groan in frustration. Dammit, I pushed too hard and I got typos again. Fuck!

oh no. I'm sorry.

    I ruin everything lately.

I'm good at screwing up.

I'll let you go to sleep now.

    I let out a resigned sigh and head towards my stairs. Then my phone buzzes again.

i meant 'okay' like it's okay. you didn't screw up

    Oh yes I did.

No, I said I wouldn't do that and then I went and did it and esp after the day you just had.

    Yeah. The day she just had where that asswipe wanted to drag her into the men's room and do dirty things to her.

the day ended good

     A small smile lifts the corners of my mouth. 

I hope I had something to do with that

you had everything to do with that

    Her answer was almost immediate.

    I stare at my phone as I walk up the stairs to get back into my bed, a very nice feeling coursing through me. 

    So she did appreciate what I did!

    That was such a fantastic thing for her to say that I feel I have to one-up it.

I want to make all your days start and end good

    And I really do. Damn, I really do.

why do you say things like that?

    Because I'm TRYING to show you I care. If you'd just LET me!

Because you're letting me

    Now, keep letting me, and maybe all this 'nice texting' can bring us a step towards you dumping all that crap you're carrying around with you. You'd do better without it.

you've had a lot of practice with this

     Huh? Says who? Practice at saying nice things?

     Oh, I think. She means saying nice things to women and stuff like that I'll bet. Yeah, when I don't fuck it up.

Not really. I'm just saying some of what I'm thinking.

     Because obviously you're not ready for the other stuff.

some

You asked me to wait about the other stuff

    My phone gets quiet, and I start to imagine how much better this whole conversation would've been, and would be, if she and I were face-to-face and not having to guess at the other one's tone. I guess if this is a way she'll finally communicate, I'll take it, however.

are you at home right now?

    I bring my brows together in a confused expression.

Yes, I'm sitting in my bed.

     Is this an invitation? Does she want to know the other stuff after all?

Why? Would you rather I was there?

    Say yes.

no

    Why do I set myself up for that? 

stop frowning

    I blink a few times in quiet shock. Can she see me? Where is she? Did she somehow get her way over here and that's why she was asking me if I was home?

Are you hiding somewhere that you can see me?

i guessed

because I feel like you're here

     Oh. She guessed. Well still, at least I'm communicating with her in some way. 

     I want her here right beside me. I'd so much rather look into those eyes than at a screen.

I wish you WERE here. not for anything you might think, but just here.

     Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind sex either. Understatement. But at the same time, I know she's had a hell of a day, and I wish she'd let me comfort her.

i felt better tonight after you showed up.

    I sit up again.

    She said she feels better when I'm around. Well, I WANT to be around!

I'm so happy you said that.

    I get up, head downstairs (a little calmer than before), grab my keys, shove my feet into my flip-flops, and head out my door. I stand on my front porch and text her once more:

Marie I'm about 3 seconds from driving over there

    Fair warning.

    My phone buzzes.

no. i can't handle that

    I stop.

i'm sorry

    I'm going to go mad.

    I trudge back into the house and kick off my shoes.

    There is still tomorrow though...

I'll still see you tomorrow right?

i said i'd come so i'll be there

    I breathe a sigh of relief.

Then I'll go to sleep so tomorrow gets here faster.

Goodnight Marie.

goodnight Jesse

     She finally used a capital letter. For the 'J' in my name.

     There has to be something I can do to spend time with her. I can't have a party at my house every day.

      I lie down on my pillow and think about all the things that are Marie.

      Maybe I can get her to teach me Simfu....

      That would be nice.