Online love

Chapter 6. The next day

—Good morning! Today has been quite busy for me, gym was first thing in the morning and then I went straight to work. Tell me about your day, I had a great time talking to you last night. 

Elena didn't want to deceive anyone; she loved receiving these messages. It gave her a burst of energy which helped her face the daily routine.

From Monday to Sunday, she always wokes up at 8:30 to be at work by 9:45. She has time to have breakfast, chat with her parents, waste some time, and then head straight to her office. She put on her headphones with the music blasting and walked, feeling the freshness of the April mornings.

Her mornings at work were spent in an entertaining manner, with waves of many clients at once and hours of drought when no one came in. That's why she didn't like going back to working in the afternoons, even though it meant she didn't have to wake up early and could go home for lunch. She detested spending her afternoons in the office with nothing to do.

It was almost 2 p.m. when she was heading back home after finishing her first shift. Elena picked up her phone and reread the message, feeling the same joy as as she did in the morning, wondering what to reply.
Her daily life was quite calm, leaving no time for the gym. Whenever she had free time, she engaged in activities which she enjoyed more. She thought about appearing interesting and inventing a hobby that could catch his attention, but quickly dismissed the idea. What would she gain from lying to a stranger?

The next message, which she didn't dwell on, was the one she decided to send.

—Good afternoon! I also had a great time last night. Our conversations never disappoint. Today has been routine for me: wake up, go to work, eat, and go back to work. Nobody wants split shifts!

Once back in her office to face the second shift of the day, she noticed the R (Read) mark on the message. It remained that way until she opened the app again at night. She hadn't received any reply. She felt surprised but didn't worry. A thousand things could have happened, and she wouldn't assume the worst. After all, she also took her time to reply to messages.

That night, which was much more boring than the previous one, Elena fell asleep in the living room while watching a movie. She woke up in the wee hours due to the sound of commercials. She glanced at her phone to check the time, and still there were no notifications on the screen. She was too sleepy to think, so she quickly went to bed and fell asleep again.

The next day was Thursday, and she could almost breathe the weekend, although it was going to be very rainy. Large raindrops pounded against rooftops and cars, creating a great commotion in the city. And this rain meant that no clients would visit Elena at her office. On one hand, she was glad not to have anything to do, but she knew time would pass much slower that way. It also gave her more time to think about her own matters.

Still, no messages appeared on her phone screen. Elena started to wonder what kind of game was being played with her but without her knowing. What kind of person asks someone about their day and then ignores their response? Is it a common practice? Is this how one gained attention? The truth is that Elena had never been skilled at flirting and is unfamiliar with these methods, but it still seemed strange to her.

Had her reply been too brief? Or maybe it had seemed too energetic?

Perhaps he didn't like her way of expressing herself? Or was it just a small amusement for a few days for him?

The truth was that when she thought more rationally, not swept away by the impetus of that crush, she felt like she was getting carried away by something that made no sense.

In a sudden fit of annoyance, Elena deleted the app.