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WHO’S THE REAL G.O.A.T.?

From:

To:

Subject: Re: Goats are the G.O.A.T.

You can’t be serious. There’s no way that’s a real thing. This video is definitely doctored or something. It’s got to be AI.

- Will

I giggle on my bed as Ginger sleeps peacefully beside me, twisted on her back with her paws in the air. Though I shake the mattress with my laughter, she barely acknowledges my existence.

From:

To:

Subject: Re: Re: Goats are the G.O.A.T.

I am telling you, goat yoga is a real thing. Baby goat yoga is even better. I’ve done it before.

- Bridget

From:

To:

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Goats are the G.O.A.T.

I’m sorry, but I’m gonna have to call bullshit, here. Where would you even do it in NYC? Where do people keep livestock here? I work out often and I have never heard of “goat yoga.” Hot yoga, yes. Never any type of farm animal yoga.

- Will

I snort as I re-read his words, focusing on the part where he admits to working out often. Immediately, my mind drifts to wondering what Will, this man I’ve been speaking to only via email, looks like. I’ve tried not to. Tried to not think about his build or hair color, stopped myself several times from looking up his socials (besides that one time I tried searching for his LinkedIn) or asking Lena if she’s met him by chance at client meetings. And I’ve been surprisingly successful at keeping myself in check. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel like finding out what he looks like would shatter part of whatever spell exists between us in this odd friendship. Like I’d be losing an anonymous confidant and ruining it with a real life person.

But then I wonder whether he’s secretly an evil demon on the other end of my emails, like that one episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in season one when that green guy tries to get out of the computer in order to take over the world. Part of me wants to make sure I’m not responsible for bringing about the end of civilization as we know it. (Hey, it can happen. You never know.)

So yeah, my mind has gotten away from me sometimes in an uncharacteristically negative way, but it isn’t often. For the most part, talking to Will has mostly been so muchfun. So I get ahead of myself and start imaginingotherthings.Goodthings. This usually happens when I learn something brand new about him. Like just now: he says he goes to the gym and does it often. Does that mean that he’s a The Rock type of gym-goer, built large and hard? Or is he just in shape? And that’s evenifhe’s being honest about the frequency with which he attends, because I’m always conscious of the fact that this man could be the world’s biggest liar. He could be telling me exactly what I want to hear. He could be a serial killer or something.

And yet… I still can’t kick the habit of speaking to him. I wouldn’t care what he looks like. Not if he’s still the guy he is in our interactions.

From:

To:

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Goats are the G.O.A.T.

One thing you should know about me is that I never tell a lie.

- Bridget

From:

To:

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Goats are the G.O.A.T.