All good writers know how to create a fun backstory, but had James been too creative with his own?
BY JULIE DAWN BAKER
James knew the social media company formerly known as Twitter was now called X, but to him it would always be Twitter. And Twitter, he thought, had a lot to answer for. Most of it good. He hoped.
After all, he met Holly through Twitter. When he signed up a couple of years ago, she’d been his fourth follower. He cautiously checked out her profile, saw she was a writer, and followed her back. From the moment they connected online, they clicked.
James knew it was down to the serendipity of Twitter’s mysterious algorithms that Holly saw his tweets, but she always commented and often reposted them. Over time, James had come to think of her as a friend, even though they’d never met.
But that was about to change. He took a deep breath.
For the umpteenth time that day, James wondered if it had been a mistake to agree to this meeting. Weren’t social media relationships supposed to be conducted with semi-anonymity via phones and screens? James couldn’t shake the feeling that once she met him, Holly would be disappointed, feel cheated perhaps, or even alarmed. Because James hadn’t been entirely honest with Holly.
Arriving at the little café in Chichester where they’d arranged to meet, James peered in through the steamy windows and scanned the occupied tables. No Holly. There was still time to back out, but he wouldn’t do that. It was time to come clean.
So, checking that the latest issue of his favourite magazine was still stowed safely in his pocket, James pulled open the door and headed inside, his arrival heralded by the jangling of an old-fashioned bell above the entrance.
He ordered coffee and grabbed a table for two in the corner by the window. Sipping his drink, he gazed at the empty chair opposite and wished Jessica, his wife, was sitting there. It had been three years now, but he still missed her.
If Jessica had been with him, James wouldn’t have been quite so anxious about meeting Holly, because Jessica being there would smooth things over when they finally met face-to-face. There’d be less chance of any misunderstanding, no suspicion that James might have had ulterior motives for his deception.
On the other hand, if Jessica were here, James would probably never have met Holly in the first place. Never mind blaming Twitter, everything leading up to this moment could be traced back to his
