Friend Me Read Online Free

will be a dark side to this too. What’s to stop a man from coming up with a virtual girlfriend? Or a lonely housewife conjuring up the man of her dreams? The truth of the matter is, there is nothing to stop that.”
    â€œTrue. I’ve considered that. This sort of thing is open to all sorts of abuse. I don’t know how we could avoid it.”
    A hint of a smile played on his lips. “Nor would we want to. We’re running a business, not a church. The philosophy of VirtualFriendMe is, if you’re not hurting someone else, then we are not going to interfere.” He leaned forward. “What do you think, Melissa? I like the philosophy. I mean, if you’re not hurting anyone, what’s the harm? People can do what they want.”
    â€œI suppose so.”
    â€œWe just need to keep enough safeguards in place to keep it out of the newspapers.”
    He dropped his eyes, looked back up at Melissa, and smiled. A sort of smile that spoke condescension and power at the same time.
    â€œLike you and me, Melissa. I think it’s important we get along well, don’t you? Even more than just in the professional sense, we need to know we are—well—compatible.”
    She nodded, knowing what was coming next. Compatible . That word was growing more and more distasteful to her ears.
    He looked at Melissa, his brow furrowed. “Do you think we’re going to get along well, Melissa?”
    â€œYes, Aaron. I think we are going to get along very, very well,” she said, unsmiling.
    â€œThere’s a place I like to go sometimes, not too far from here. Last place in the world anyone would ever look for two people.” The words seemed to hang in the air.
    â€œYes?”
    â€œWell,” he said, “I thought that, you know . . .”
    â€œWe could go there? Is that what you mean? That you want me to go there with you?”
    He nodded, head bobbing like a plaster figure. “Yes, when we’re done with dinner . . .”
    â€œSure, Aaron. Let’s go there. Let’s see what your world is really like.”
    â€¢Â Â â€¢Â Â â€¢
    THE TOWN CENTER MOTEL had lost its luster. Perhaps there had been a time when it catered to a straight business clientele, but the flight of the middle class to the suburbs back in the seventies had taken its toll. The large outer wall of the motel was finished in rough concrete, painted over with crude lettering advertising rooms by the day, the week, and the month. A smaller sign hung under a bare bulb by the office advertising the $25 hourly rate.
    Getz pulled the SUV into a space at the far end of the building, hidden in the shadow of a balcony overhang. “Wait here, I’ll take care of this.” He fumbled in his pockets and came up with a small roll of cash. Another smile.
    Melissa watched from inside the SUV as he walked to the office. It was a walkup window where he pushed his money through a metal drawer. The clerk was hidden somewhere behind a wall of thick glass. She shivered, and clutched her handbag. Stay calm. Don’t start shaking .
    He returned with a key on a large ring. He walked to the door in front of the car and used the key to open it. He’s been here before. He knew where to park where we wouldn’t be noticed . Standing in the open doorway, he beckoned to her.
    Melissa opened the car door and stepped onto the decaying asphalt. The car chirped as the door locked behind her. He must have used his key fob to lock it. Only one way to go now.She walked from behind the SUV to the door of the motel room, where the dim yellow light from inside seemed to puddle on the walkway in front of it.
    The motel office sign was visible from this end of the building, but not the window. They would not see who Getz had brought this time. A block wall hid their faces from any pedestrian that dared to walk these streets at night.
    She stepped in, stopped short. The room felt sticky