Misdirected Affection

Is a love letter still a love letter if it's sent to the wrong person? Reader Patricia Stern of Mesa, Ariz., shares this embarrassing story of her misdirected message of love:

I'm the customer service manager at a computer company. My days are spent supporting customers via E-mail. One Friday morning, while replying to customers, I decided to add pizzazz to my day and sent my husband a "lovey dovey" E-mail. (We've been married 22 years but still are dating!)

We'd just purchased a futon for our patio and with the weekend approaching, I was feeling amorous and romantic, so my E-mail was suggestive. I mentioned we should "check out" our futon in a number of descriptive ways. I also said "the three of us can cuddle all night on our futon" (inclusive was our 3-month-old puppy).

After sending the E-mail, I continued working, anxiously checking incoming messages, knowing my husband would get a chuckle from my sentimental note, inviting him to explore new possibilities on our newly acquired futon.

Hours passed, but no reply! He later phoned, making no mention to my ever-so-alluring message. Because he didn't talk about it, I assumed the E-mail was sluggish and he hadn't received it yet.

At the day's end, I decided to check incoming messages once more, anticipating a passionate acknowledgement. To my utmost embarrassment and humiliation, the E-mail I sent did get delivered to the recipient's address hours ago; however, my husband was not the recipient. An E-mail arrived from the controller of a prestigious company, who also was our biggest customer!

Her E-mail came, forwarded with the note I sent to my husband. Thank goodness, being a newlywed, she took it all in stride, saying, "I don't think you meant to send this E-mail to me! I just wanted you to know I don't think it went to the person you intended." At the bottom of the E-mail she wrote, "Hope your new futon checks out OK"!