I first met this guy* online as Tom Reynolds, in an IRC channel he used to frequent before he started writing a book and bein' all famous & stuff. After some months of getting to know each other, we ponied up real names, and I asked him which he preferred to be called, Tom or Brian. In typical guy-fashion, and even more typically him-fashion, he said he didn't care. So I called him Tom for the most part, and "Mr. Reynolds" when being a smartass. (Which is rare. Honest.) Then he'd sign the occasional email "Brian"...what was a girl to think? Which one was I supposed to use? So I solved it by addressing him with all three of his names, all the time. (I'd like to be able to shorten it to his initials, which, though they sound nice together, have some unfortunate connotations in the States**.) My next solution is going to be to address him as his even sekrit-er identity: Studmuffin***. * I now have no idea how to refer to him here! ** This is sort of a clue, but likely one that no one will ever get. HA! *** I write this from within my safety buffer of several thousand miles.