Premise:
Ethan Barnes, 60, is a brilliant but insecure retired creative director living alone in Boca Raton, Florida. Twice-divorced, witty, and deeply romantic, Ethan has a gift for words—but age, loneliness, and heartbreak have left him terrified of real connection. On a dating app, he matches with Roxy Lane, a stunning 51-year-old Russian-American marketing executive with a sharp mind and a tender heart. Their texts ignite instantly, filled with humor, depth, and shared regrets.
But when they meet for coffee along Boca’s breezy Mizner Park, reality shatters: Ethan looks nothing like his outdated, filtered photos. Roxy leaves, betrayed and disillusioned.
The Virtual Twist:
Determined not to lose her, Ethan creates AIDEN—the Artificially Intelligent Dynamic Emotional Narrator—an AI chatbot that uses his words, humor, and soul to keep Roxy engaged. AIDEN sends poetic messages, heartfelt confessions, and seductive sexts, growing into Roxy’s daily fantasy. But as the relationship deepens, the line between virtual passion and real love blurs dangerously.
Key Characters:
- Ethan Barnes (60) – The modern Cyrano; charming, self-deprecating, terrified of aging and rejection.
- Roxy Lane (51) – The modern Roxanne; sophisticated, fiercely independent, and longing for genuine connection after a lifetime of struggle.
- AIDEN – Artificially Intelligent Dynamic Emotional Narrator; Ethan’s virtual persona, designed to be the perfect digital lover—always saying the right thing at the right time.
Plot Arcs & Highlights:
- Act 1:
- Ethan and Roxy’s witty midnight texts quickly deepen, bonding over poetry and old Russian novels.
- Their first meeting at a Boca café ends in heartbreak when Roxy realizes Ethan looks nothing like his pictures.
- Act 2:
- Ethan, desperate to win her back, creates AIDEN to continue their connection virtually.
- Roxy falls under AIDEN’s spell as he sends tender messages and fiery sexts, sharing dreams she’s kept hidden for decades.
- Man at bar tries to swoop in at a Boca networking event but can’t compete with AIDEN’s intoxicating words.
- Act 3:
- Roxy yearns to meet AIDEN face-to-face. Ethan, trapped in fear, keeps delaying.
- As AIDEN’s messages grow more intense and explicit, Roxy finds herself addicted to their digital affair.
- Climax:
- Roxy’s marketing instincts kick in; she traces AIDEN’s IP address to Ethan’s Boca condo.
- She arrives to find Ethan—older, heartbroken, and afraid—and realizes he’s the true author of every beautiful word.
- Resolution:
- Though furious and wounded, Roxy listens as Ethan bares his soul, confessing his terror of aging alone.
- Roxy sees the real man behind the deception. They share a raw, emotional kiss and agree to start over—no filters, no AIs, just the two of them.
- The final scene shows Ethan deleting AIDEN, as they meet for a real dinner on Boca’s waterfront, nervous but hopeful.
Themes:
- The courage to seek love later in life
- The seduction—and danger—of online fantasy
- How fear of rejection can make us hide behind technology
- Redemption through honesty and vulnerability
Ghost in the Chat: A Modern Cyrano is a soulful, romantic drama set against the palm-lined streets of Boca Raton—proving that it’s never too late to find love, and sometimes the greatest risk is showing who we really are.