" Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? "
Carrie felt her heart flutter when they embraced.
Time after time Carrie was warned about online dating. Her friends had some bad experiences, but she threw all caution aside.
She was alone and lonely. Oh, she'd tried dating some of the locals but couldn't connect emotionally with anyone.
Carrie had just reached her thirty-fifth birthday and was fully aware that her biological clock was ticking away. Otherwise, she'd been more careful about meeting a stranger online. She'd always had a level head and never did anything without thinking it through. But " James was different " she thought. He was very caring and attentive, flooding her with compliments, telling her that he felt a connection the first time he saw her picture online. He told her that she was so beautiful and knew she was the one he'd been searching for his entire life. He was forty-two and had never been married.
Carrie came from a wealthy family who spoiled their only child. She'd gone to the best schools, vacationed abroad on summer vacations. She worked in the office at her father's oil company in Lawrenceville, Il., near the Wabash river.
James claimed to live in Miami, Fl. and worked at a national park, a job he hated. He asked Carrie if he could come see her and she said " yes " Carrie talked with her father about meeting him and how they had talked about so many things, including the fact that he hated his job. John told her that they would meet him and see how they felt about him, possibly if things worked out between them he'd have a position for him in their company.
James arrived on a Sunday evening in a small private plane. Carrie felt her heart flutter when they embraced for the first time.
James was tall, lean and handsome with thick brown hair.
Carrie was tall and slim with naturally wavy blond hair that cascaded down her back. She was beautiful and carried herself with poise and dignity.
James told Carrie that he was going to look for work so he could be close to her. She told him that she and her dad had talked about him having a position with their oil company. He pretended to be surprised and quickly agreed to give it a try.
Her family liked him from day-one. He seemed so level headed and his eye's told them he loved their daughter.
He found an apartment close to the company office and appeared to enjoy learning about the oil business.
Carrie's father, John really liked him and her mother, Rose thought he was a great catch.
Little did they suspect that he had clear intentions of conning them out of money. " The more, the better " He thought.
He wined and dined her, never allowing her or her family close enough to see how deceptive he really was.
After a few weeks he approached Carrie about buying stock in the business. She talked with her dad and he was willing, after all he thought, " He was going to be his son-in-law soon. " James confessed that he was short on cash but would quickly repay the loan if she could loan him some money.
He opened a bank account and Carrie deposited one hundred thousand dollars in his account.
It was a Thursday evening and he'd made reservations at a nice supper club. They enjoyed a delicious meal and danced late into Friday morning. They ended the evening at Carrie's apartment. He held her in his arms and kissed her passionately, moving her toward the bedroom. She stopped abruptly and looked deeply into his eye's and asked, " Will you still love me tomorrow? " His lying lips filled her lips with deep passion as she closed the bedroom door.
He left her apartment the next morning and went to his apartment and quickly packed his belongings, then called his buddy Ken to be at the airport with his small plane. He then went to work. At ten o'clock he said he had an errand to run and went to the bank, withdrawing the money. His buddy, Ken was waiting for him. He returned the rented car at the airport, and they took off, both laughing, secure they had pulled off the perfect con.
James had lied about living in Miami. He lived in Hawaii where he and his buddy, Ken ran a small plane for hire service
They were on their way to Hawaii, flying over Miami when an electric storm hit. A bolt of lightening struck the plane's engine. They lost control and crashed, killing both on impact.
Ironically the plane was discovered in the same national park where James claimed to have worked.
Karma--" What goes around comes around......Sooner or later the universe will serve you the revenge that you deserve. "
Post Note--
The $ 100.000 was found intact in James' bag in the bank's folder. The bank was notified and the money was returned. Carries' name as the depositor was the recipient.
Comments
I'm a big believer in karma....for exactly this reason. I want to die of old age, and not some karmic payback. :) Loved the story, Ruby!
This seemingly psychopathic desire of folks to treasure a false idol rather than the truth and refreshment of love. Very well done. This flowed perfectly. To be truthful the crash was anti-climatic for me. He was already dead inside. Thank you.
- Author
Hello Bill. I am a firm believer that you reap what you sow. James was a deceiver. The internet has caused some pain to people looking for love. I'm so glad you loved my story. Thank you so much....
Great story; powerful message. Yes, my Sweet. No one escapes, except me, perhaps. (chuckle)
- Author
Hello Eric. I must admit this happened to me. Not in this way. I never met him but he certainly was attempting a con. It happened on Facebook of all places. I was shocked and unfriended him immediately, then blocked him from messaging me any further. It's a bad world out there, but it gave me the inspiration to write this story. I'm always glad when you visit, and I love and agree with your comment. Thank you...
- Author
Hi Manatita.. You De man. HaHa. Thanks for the great story and powerful message comment. You be good now, you hear? Hee..
One hundred thousand dollars. What a stinker this fellow was. Ugh! ...and revenge is a "dish best served cold." Sometimes terrible things happen to good people and good things happen to terrible people. Imagine all the people James hurt, devastated and conned in the past. In this case, James got his due thanks to our talented Ruby Jean. :-) Touche! And hugs.
- Author
Hello Genna. He was a stinker for sure. Of course he was fiction, but I can imagine how many lonely women he conned before Ruby had him crash. LOL..Thank you for spending time on my page. I always love your comments. Hugs my friend...
Hello Ruby - you have to keep your eyes on those who are, "tall, lean and handsome with thick brown hair." You certainly took James for the ride of his life. Carrie likely got off cheap, because James would have hurt more than the family back account. Great story with a fine lesson.
Nice song selection.
A very well written story, Ruby. I am glad Karma played its part and James got what he deserved. I suppose the $100,000 wasn't recovered? that was the only downside.
I am glad you killed the shyster and his buddy. But who got the money? Hopefully it was given back to Carrie.
Sadly, many women, including myself, have to learn the hard way that they are not immune to online con artists. Thumbs up to those who take the bad experiences of others to heart.
Thought-provoking and well-written story.
Hugs to you, Ruby!
- Author
Hello Mike. There's something about a tall, lean handsome man. Wooah! Hee..As I said above, this was close to home, only I didn't meet him. Thank God I realized a con before I lost money. My muse has been silent and lazy until this happened, so I guess it was a good event since it inspired me to write. Thanks for always supporting my writing. Hugs...
- Author
Hello John. I agree. I needed to do something with the money. I added a post note. I'm happy you thought it was well written. Thank you...
Oh you take no prisoners do you Ruby? LOL! serves him right I say! nasty man! lol! what a great story!
- Author
Hello Martie. I added a post note about Carrie receiving the money. The internet is full of takers looking for a fast buck. I know how you feel, I've been there too. Thanks for the well written comment. I've missed you!
Hugs....
- Author
Hello Nell. Me bad. lol. From what I read, men and women are being targeted on Facebook, so be careful! Thanks for the great story comment.
Cheers
Poor Carrie. This guy was a piece of work. But he got it in the end :). I love happy endings. Great story ... Captivates the reader.
- Author
Hi Audrey. I killed him off pretty good. lol. I'm glad you were captivated. Thank you for coming by.....
Hi Ruby,
Unfortunately this is widespread today with our online presence so frequent. What is really scary is that sex traffickers will target young women and befriend them on Facebook, but will track them for a year or so and know where they go and who their friends are, and then swoop in and deceive them because they will know what they like and don't like, well, know all about them. That's why I keep my Facebook private with just close family and few friends, for protection of my family and I don't put up too much personal stuff, but I do a lot of family photos, so maybe I need to get an instagram account instead. I'm glad this con got his due here in your story.
Seems there are so many lonely people out there, wanting to believe someone is genuine and they tend to place their trust in really strangers. Reminds me of that song from long ago, Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places. Having said all of that, I do know of happy couples who met online.
Well written and important story for all to heed these days!
Wow, Ruby! It sounds like the newspaper, but all too often, the money is lost. There was a woman who used to attend our church. She left Pennsylvania to go to California to meet a man she had met online. She never returned. He killed her. Thanks for the strong message behind this.
Dear Ruby,
Please remind me PRN to 'never get on your bad side'... ;)
I officially love this dark side of yours...
PS... I will still love you tomorrow - as well as your writing and song choices!
- Author
Hello Theresa. I was under the impression that Facebook was a safe place to interact with family and friends until the day this man asked to be my friend. I thought he wanted to read my stories, but that was not the case. He told me he saw my picture and immediately felt a connection and he had been praying for guidance from God. I believed him. He wrote messages to me several times daily. I believed him until he asked to borrow money. I knew immediately it was a con. I unfriended him quickly and blocked him from sending more messages. I have had four more men who wanted to be my friend. I now know not to befriend anyone I do not know. I am told that Facebook is a place where men and women con people all the time. So I tell everyone to be very careful. I am lonely since I lost my friend Tom, but this taught me a lesson. You were smart to only interact with close friends and family. I will certainly do the same from now on. I will admit that my muse has been silent and lazy until this happened, but she woke up spitting fire. lol..Thank you so much for your valued input. God bless my friend..
- Author
Hello lifegate. I have always thought Facebook was a family friendly site, but it seems it is a place where con men and women go to steal. It is so sad about your friend from church. I certainly have learned my lesson. Thank you for coming to read my story. I appreciate you....
- Author
Dear Mar. You cracked me up with your comment. lol. You could never get on my bad side. Hee..About that song, it's been years since I've heard it and it was made for this rant, so my muse thought! I will always love you, tomorrow and forever. Hugs my sweet nurse...
that unlucky tard....I guess he was "Dieing" to meet a rich girl to spend the rest of eternity with. Guess what? He got his wish..........hell is always open.
Oh, Dear Ruby, I'm so sorry you experienced that firsthand. Yes, if you have your Facebook open to the world, then you will invite in all sorts of bad ones with evil intent. They may just watch you for a bit and then try to contact you, just as it happened to you. It even happens right here on HubPages.
There's a must-read book about whose really on the Internet and how we really have no clue who we may be talking to. Elizabeth Parker who used to write here recommended everyone read it, but it will scare you to death. She is the one who writes books about her dogs. She hasn't been on here in a while. I can't remember the name of the book, but it's an eye opener we should all read to become less naive about the Internet.
Hugs
- Author
Hello Clive. Wow, " Hell is always open " is a reminder to not intentionally hurt another person. Greed is one of the deadliest sins, and he paid the optimum price. Always good to see you on my page. Thank you.
- Author
Theresa, looking back, I know he must have been learning about my likes and dislikes. He knew that I believed in God, and he used that knowledge to entice me. One of his first remarks was, " I prayed and God guided me to you. " I should have known better, and I'm embarrassed about it, but I thought writing about it might keep someone else from getting hurt. I have had this happen to me on HP too, that's why I changed my picture from a young woman to how I look now. They never asked for money. They wanted a date, maybe the money would've come up later? I am very careful now.. Thank you for coming back. I appreciate your concern. Hugs...
Oh, no need to be embarassed, sweetie, for we've all fallen for such tactics in our life. I'm just thankful you're intuition kicked in and you blocked him. Here on HP, they zeroed in on my heart to help the homeless and I fell for it and actually sent money then realized it was a scam. I saw where another good friend and poet here fell for it too. She no longer writes on HP. So, they do tend to zero in on those things.
I will pray that God places you a sweet, good and Godly companion right on your doorstep. You deserve only the best in this life and all the happiness there is to be found. I know there is someone out there who deserves someone like you in his life too!
Hugs
A fantastic story. I really believe in karma that they certainly got what they deserved. The cold cruel word on the Internet can get rough at times. The best we can do is to interact with those we know and of course our friends but keep away from those we don't know. When I get friend requests on FB I only respond to those I know but never to those I have no idea about. Blessings to you.
- Author
Theresa, I really resented the fact that I was so vulnerable and was taken in so easily. I have always trusted everyone and felt they were telling me the truth. I sent a check to a family here on HP. I hope they were truthful in needing help. I guess even the homeless take advantage of us, that's so sad. Thanks for the prayer, could you please pray for a handsome dude? lol, I'm being silly. You have a kind heart my friend. It is good to remember that when we give and the person we give to misuses the gift, we did a good deed, and we are blessed for doing so. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and care.
Blessings my friend....
I really enjoyed reading your short story, thank you for sharing it.
- Author
Hello Rasma, since writing this hub, I've received three requests from men to be friends. I run like the wind! I will never be a friend to anyone I do not know ever again. You were smart. Good for you. I believe in Karma too. Thanks for coming by..
Blessings to you...
I will pray that specifically, Ruby! He does know the desires of our hearts, and He loves us so much, and wants only happiness for us. Oh, that reminds me of a true story I will share here. My sweet sister-in-law told me of her sweetest neighbor lady who is a widower, and had been married for so long with a big family where all of her children are grown now, but she told my sister-in-law that she prayed and told God that "IF" He wanted her to remarry, He would have to put her husband to be on her doorstep because she was not going to try to search for one. Guess what? He did just that! So great, so great is His faithfulness! A sweet little widower lived right next door to her and one day he went over and knocked on her door for whatever reason, and they've been happily married ever since. They both have a large family, with all children being grown. So, it's never too late for love. They are the sweetest couple ever and love each other so much.
Thought I'd share that sweet story as it is a story of hope of love when that was the last thing they ever thought they would find twice in their lives. Both of them were married to their lifetime love until death did them part, and then the Lord God blessed them once again with another lifetime love! He is sweet like that, you know.
Oh, there is a large church in the city in which I work that has a huge single person Bible study on Wednesday nights, where all the singles in the church meet, and they go out and do things together and even go on wonderful trips together. It is so encouraging for those who are widowed or even those who are just single to meet other singles right there at the large church. Most churches don't have such, but sometimes the larger churches do. If there is a large church in your area you can attend on Wednesday nights maybe, they may have such for single people? Just a thought.
Peace and blessings
Oh, P.S.
That's just it, I don't think anyone was truly homeless ...
- Author
Hello Blossom. so glad you enjoyed reading my story. Thank you..
- Author
Thanks again Theresa. It is so nice when two older people can find love again. I knew what you meant about the homeless. Sometimes organizations that we hope are legit are not. Even The Wounded Warriors CEO was caught with his hand in the pot. That's one that I've always given to. I think the times are so difficult for some people, cheating is rampant. Thank you for your prayers. God's blessings to you.
Interesting story with plenty to keep the reader guessing. You certainly know how to end a story with finality.
- Author
Hello teaches. I guess the ending was pretty dramatic. Morris was a bad dude. I'm happy that you thought my story was interesting. Thank you so much..
I like that twist at the ending. What goes around comes around, yet sometimes it takes a while lol. You really can't trust some people that you meet online.
- Author
Hello truthfornow. I liked writing the twist. Karma is a bad boy! I'm glad you enjoyed. Thank you for coming to read my story..
Serves him right. One thing that doesn't quite make sense though, is that the money was returned to Carrie. Bank receipts show the deposit amount and the account number, not who made the deposit.
Nevertheless, James got his just desserts.
- Author
Carrie cosigned the deposit as a loan so therefore it was returned to her. And yes, James got what he deserved. Thanks for coming by..
43