Jade Harley closed her front door behind her, kicked off her shoes and sighed as she wriggled her toes in the deep soft rug at the door.  It had been a long hard day.  She was one of eight System Technicians with Scott’s Impressive Computing Personnel (SIP’s to the staff) based at the Charley Building.  The Charley Building was home to four other companies, Mortimer Estates, Walker International, Independent Marketing and Wellington Engineering Services.  The staff at SIP’s were responsible for all IT requirements within the building, Jade’s main duties included answering any helpdesk calls from anyone of the four companies, dealing with the problem over the phone or actually going to the customers desk to sort out the problem.  She was the network administrator for Wellington Engineering services and Independent Marketing, and she did system support to some of the in house systems used by Wellington and Independent.   She had spent all day training staff of Wellington on the use of their new finance system for their purchasing and finance department, tomorrow would be her last day of training.  After making herself a quick bite to eat Jade wanted to do nothing but climb into a big hot bubble bath and soak the stress of her day away but first she had to put in two hours of her volunteer job with her internet service provider as one of their online hosts.   The job of host meant she went into chat rooms, helped any new users and answered questions where she could.  Most of the times she went into a chat room she got slammed by the members in the chat room, she took it good-naturedly and never once had to report a member for unsuitable behaviour though she had given a few warnings in the two years she had been a host.  She spent most of her time in the computing chat where she answered as many technical questions they members wanted answers to.    It had been that chat room she had met Prince Charming. 

Three months ago she had gone into the chat room and instantly some of the other members started to pick on her, after a while Prince Charming had entered the room and at once jumped to her defence.  Claiming that she was only doing her job and if she weren’t there then who would answer their questions when they needed help.  After a couple of weeks of chatting to him in the chat room she had eventually emailed him from her own screen name, Ugly Duckling and they had been emailing and chatting every day ever since.  Though she didn’t know his name she knew that he lived right here in town, that he was a procurement officer but not which company he worked for, he had just turned thirty and he had an older and younger sister.  He knew the same information about her.  Though she was reluctant to give him her name, where she worked or where in town she lived and he seemed alright with it as he hadn’t shared those details with her, however he did tease her that he could have walked past her in the supermarket a hundred of times.  As the weeks went by their emails and chats became more flirtatious and intimate, though never including cyber sex.  She couldn’t wait every day to read his emails and occasionally when she had a chance logged into her emails through the Internet during the day just to read and reply.    Her best friend Carole Thompson had popped in for a visit a few weeks back while Jade had been in mid conversation with Prince Charming and Carole had said that it was almost like they were having a relationship with each other without the actually seeing each other in the flesh.    After her two hours roaming the chat rooms Jade switched from her Host account to her own and sure enough there was an email waiting for her from Prince Charming.

Subject: My Head Hurts

Date:  10/08/2000 18:33:40

From: PrinceCharming

To: UglyDuckling

How’s my little Duckling today?   No my head doesn’t hurt with a hangover I’ve just had a really long boring day.  Spent the entire day on the phone negotiating prices and with us getting our new system in soon the whole place is madness preparing for the change.

I’ve heard kissing is a good cure for headaches want to come over and kiss me better?

Prince Charming

XX

Smiling to herself she hit the reply button and quickly answered.

Subject: Re: My Head Hurts

Date:  10/08/2000 20.45.12

From: UglyDuckling

To: PrinceCharming

Hi

I too hand a long hard day, training people on a new system is never that easy – remember that when you get your training course for your new system and be nice to your instructor!

Kissing is a headache cure is it, that’s a new one to me will definitely have to give it a go sometime but not tonight.  I prefer a long hot bubble bath to relax in and let the strains of the day wash away.  If you’re good I might let you join me!

Ugly Duckling.

xxooxx

With that Jade turned off her computer and headed for the bathroom for her long soak before she climbed into bed exhausted and dreamed of her Prince Charming.

The following morning Jade got to work early and made sure the training room in the SIP’s office was ready for the last wave of trainees from Wellington’s Finance Department, next week one of her colleagues would be training the Purchasing Department on their side of the system for placing orders.  The room was an informal training suite, the PC’s were laid out so that they all faced in one direction but weren’t set out that it would feel like a teaching environment.

“Jade we have a slight problem.” Scott Graham said entering the room.  Scott was the proprietor of SIP’s and occasionally dropped by the Charley office but he spent most of his time at head office.

“What’s that?” Jade asked after checking the last PC to make sure it was working.

“Wellingtons Finance are having a bit of a crisis and none of them can make it down today.”

Jade sighed and straightened up from where she had been stood stooped over the PC.

“Good news is the Purchasing Dept can send down eight of their staff to be trained today.  Bobby can do the last of the Finance staff next week.”

“Okay.” Jade answered and quickly picked up all the training manuals for the Finance team and went looking  for the Purchasing Manuals from Bobby.  She supposed doing the purchasing side of the system would make a change from the finance side she’d been doing all week.  As she walked back into the room with the training manual the first of the purchasing staff arrived and to Jade’s dismay Tyler Kendrick was one of them.  The man drove Jade mad.  He always spoke to her as if she was stupid and she had overheard him call her the Barbie Doll on occasions.  She hated answering the phone and finding him on the other end as he always sighed when he found out it was her and explained to her what the problem was slowly, a few times he even suggested she put his call through to someone who could help.  She always ended up stuttering and uhmming and erring when she talked him through the solution as he made her nervous and feel stupid.  She left the room and psyched herself up for a torturous long day, the only highlight of the day would be at four pm when the day ended and it would be the start of the weekend.

Tyler sat down behind one of the PC’s next to his colleague Rob and watched as Barbie left the room.  He couldn’t figure out why SIP’s had a dumb blonde on staff.  He often wondered if they kept her on because they felt sorry for her.  Every time he called the helpdesk and she answered the phone she repeated what he said then she paused for what seemed like forever before she gave him suggestions.  He figured she had a manual or something they had given her for when answering the phone.  As the rest of his colleagues entered the room Barbie returned with a tray of cups, and two thermoses filled with tea and coffee.

“At least they have her doing a job she’s suited for.” He muttered to Rob.

Rob grinned at him “I think she’d be great for the twelve months of a swimsuit calendar.”

Tyler nodded in agreement, what she lacked in brains she made up for in looks, she was a walking talking Barbie Doll, long legs slender waist, more than an ample handful in the breasts department, long copper blonde hair and big blue eyes.  Jade sat the tray of refreshments down on the table and then walked over to the PC that would project the relevant screens onto the projection screen for all to see.

“Morning everyone I’m Jade and I’ll be taking you through the relevant steps of your new ordering system.”  She heard a groan come from the opposite end of the room from her and knew whom it came from.  Ignoring him she continued, “If you have any questions at any time ask them and if you have any suggestion on how to improve the system to your needs let me know and I’ll see what we can do.  First off your Personnel Department has asked if I would pass round this sheet for you to fill in your names so they know who attended the course for your training records.”  She handed the sheet to the woman seated directly in front of her.  “The agenda for today’s course is included in your training pack I will try and stick to it as best as possible as its Friday and I’m sure everyone wants to go home on time tonight.”  There were a few mumbles of agreement from the trainees “Well lets get started then, we’ll stop in an hour or so for a break.”  Jade sat down at her PC and started.

During the lunch break Jade returned to her desk and had her lunch while she checked her emails. 

Subject: It’s Friday!

Date:  11/08/2000 08:37:55

From: PrinceCharming

To: UglyDuckling

If I joined you in the bath sweetheart you wouldn’t be just laying there relaxing! 

Just in and being summoned by the boss already!!!!!

Talk to you later

Prince Charming

~*~

Subject: It most definitely is Friday!

Date:  11/08/2000 12:15:36

From: UglyDuckling

To: PrinceCharming

Why am I not surprised your in trouble already?  Have you been suitably punished?

Three hours and forty five minutes till it’s the end of the day.  Today is not going to plan and one of the guys on this course today won’t stop asking trick questions I know he’s doing it on purpose just to annoy me.  I’m getting ready to slap him!

I might need a sanity injection by the time I go home!

Duckling

xxooxx

After she sent her email she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes breathing deeply just to relax for ten minutes before she went in for the last three and a half hours of Tyler’s annoying questions.    She hoped that he would shut up for the afternoon but she knew that wasn’t likely to happen she wasn’t that lucky.

She finally got home at five-headed straight for her room to change out of her suite and into a pair of leggings and a baggy t-shirt.  She had no plans for the evening other than relaxing.  She made herself a bowl of soup for her dinner not in the mood for cooking.   After she had eaten she sat down at her computer and logged onto the Internet.  She wasn’t on long when she got an Instant Message.

PrinceCharming:              Your day that bad honey?

UglyDuckling:                  Yip, how are you?

PrinceCharming:              Don’t ask it went from bad to worse in a matter of minutes.

UglyDuckling:                  Sounds just like my day!!!

PrinceCharming:              Anything I can do to make you feel better?  How about a hug?

UglyDuckling:                  Oh a hug would be good. :-)

PrinceCharming:              Get over here then.

UglyDuckling:                  Thanks

PrinceCharming:              Did you slap the moron that was bothering you?

UglyDuckling:                  I managed to restrain myself…just!  I ignored him instead.

PrinceCharming:              Good for you, don’t let him bother you.

PrinceCharming:              Any exciting plans for this weekend?

UglyDuckling:                  Tomorrow night the girls and I are going out and Sunday my parents are coming for dinner.

UglyDuckling:                  I don’t remember inviting them for dinner though!!!  What are you doing?

PrinceCharming:              No plans of yet really, there’s a game on Saturday might just hang out here and watch it or go round to my friends to watch it.

UglyDuckling:                  Exciting stuff!

PrinceCharming:              Sarcasm sweetheart.

UglyDuckling:                  :-P

PrinceCharming:              Not doing anything tonight?

UglyDuckling:                  I’m going to curl up on the couch with a bar of chocolate and just veg out.

PrinceCharming:              Sounds familiar but I’m going to curl up with a beer!

UglyDuckling:                  Talk to you later…Enjoy your exciting weekend!

PrinceCharming:              I will ;-)  Night xx

UglyDuckling:                  Night xx

~*~

AN: Reason this story is called no idea is because I have no idea what to do with it next………………  its been sitting in this state since November 01!!!!! So I need some help!  Ideas, anything PLEASE!!!!!!!!!  I think it  could be a great story if you think about it.  Ugly Duckling and Prince Charming fall in love over the internet.  Jade and  Tyler hate each other…. Can you see where I was planning on going with this one????  I can’t think of away to get there though so come on I need LOADS of help!!!!!!!!! If you help your name goes at the top of each chapter so everyone knows you did it! Someone please just help trigger something off in my brain that will get me going on this again! 

Thanks to everyone who had ideas and suggestions – as you can see I haven’t really changed the first chapter much, just added a little to their conversation – I should have chapter 2 up soon using some of those ideas but keep them coming if you have anymore!!!!!!!!