Online love

Chapter 10. Interesting girl

The next morning, she woke up almost at lunchtime, she enjoyed those lazy mornings. The night before had been longer than expected, and on their way home in the early morning, they got caught in a sudden downpour. The constant rain continued well into the morning. The sky was cloudy, there was no one in her house, and she felt a sense of peace within. She wanted to spend her day relaxing at home, even though she had a long to-do list ahead of her. But the first thing Elena needed to start her day was breakfast. With a hazelnut drink in her left hand and her favorite cereal in front of her, ready to be eaten, she began scrolling through her pending mobile conversations.

There was a notification she had received last night but hadn't paid attention to. The message read:

"Some weeks just get crazy, and it's hard to do anything, but I try to make time for what matters."

"These thoughts kept swirling in Elena's head: 'Does this guy have something important to do that he resorts to talking to women on the internet? Doesn't he feel embarrassed?' She knew she wasn't in a position to judge anyone since what he was doing was something she had also done at the beginning.

- "You must be a very busy guy; I'm glad you still find some time to talk to me."

-"I find you an interesting girl, I'm looking forward to getting to know you more."

Elena didn't know much about psychology, but she sensed that this situation was becoming a specialized case study. But that didn't concern her at that moment. If, after all this was happening, she had to see a psychologist for therapy, that would be a problem for Future Elena, something that didn't bother her in the present. The feeling that was emerging inside her toward him was mutual. She was intrigued to learn more about this guy she had only known for a week, and her mind was already taking her to uncharted territory. Without much hesitation, she decided to give him the same response she had received.

"Though it may seem crazy, I'm curious too. Where should we start?"

"Hoy curious! But that's what makes it more enticing. Let's start with the basics. Where are you from?"

Elena paused for a moment. She was sitting in the middle of her bed, leaning against the wall, legs open in a butterfly position, and she looked at the globe directly in front of her gaze, lost in thought. She hadn't considered that getting to know each other involved discussing their personal lives, their origins. They seemed like very intimate details to share online, as ironic as it might seem.

Italian. This was going to be her nationality, even though she had never set foot in that country in her life. She was also from the Mediterranean, and, in any case, to many foreigners, they all seemed like the same place.

- "I'm from Italy. And you?"

- "Italy! I love the country, the food, the monuments. Now I see that what they say about Italian women being very sexy is true. Where exactly are you from? I've been to Rome and Florence. I'm from cold and rainy England."

She let out a small laugh, thinking that he was giving this compliment to an imaginary Italian girl who was actually Spanish. She knew his intention was to flatter her, and it was based on a lie she had told, so she could simply laugh it off. She loved how this guy could slip a compliment into the middle of a conversation and continue as if nothing had happened. Without a doubt, he knew how to use words well. She was Spanish, and he was English. Now she was going to replay all their messages in her head with a distinct British accent, like the protagonists in the romantic comedies she loved to watch.

Her other puzzle was whether to continue with the lie or tell him the truth. Was she going to start using a translator to show him she could speak Italian because she actually was Italian? Or was it better to be honest from the beginning? She didn't know that much about Italy anyway, and creating such a big lie wasn't worth it. Besides, Spain was a big country, and no one would recognize her on the street just because she said where she was from.

-"I'm going to be honest with you. I'm from Spain, not Italy. I preferred not to say too much about myself, but I'm not revealing anything major. Although it's not the same country, the rule that we're sexy still holds! I was only in London when I was younger."

- "That's okay, I understand if you don't want to reveal too many details to a stranger. And it's a shame, because I've never been to Spain, and now I have more reasons to visit the country."