“And what was that?”
“A dating site.”
“Accidentally, you said?”
“Cross my heart, hope to die!” said Mia.
“I told you not to go through my stuff.”
“Tell me this. Have you actually met men that way?”
“What are you, my mother? Don’t look so shocked. It’s not like it’s a porn site, you know.”
“I know, but still . . .”
“Still what? On the bus or the métro, or even walking down the street, people spend more time staring at their phones than looking at what’s going on around them. The only way you can get anyone’s attention these days is online.”
“You haven’t answered my question,” said Mia. “Does it actually work?”
“I’m not an actress, I don’t have an agent, I don’t have any fans, I don’t do red-carpet events, and there aren’t any pictures of me on magazine covers. Given that I spend most of my life inside a kitchen, I don’t fit the profile of a desirable woman. So yes, I joined a dating site, and yes, I have met men that way.”
“Any nice ones?”
“Nice ones are rare, but you can’t blame the Internet for that.”
“How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“The first date, for example. How does it work?”
“Same as if you’d met in a café, except that you know a bit more about him.”
“Well, you know what he chooses to tell you, anyway.”
“Once you learn to read between the lines of a profile, you can usually tell the difference.”
“And how do you learn to read between the lines?”
“And why do you care?”
Mia thought about this.
“For a role,” she said evasively.
“For a role,” Daisy muttered. “Of course.”
She sighed and sat down next to Mia.
“The username often tells you quite a bit about a guy’s personality. ‘Mum, I’d like you to meet Teddybear21, who is much kinder and gentler than Maximus_the_Menace, your own personal favorite.’ How about Misterbig—subtle, eh? ElBello? Maybe just a bit vain . . . Or how about this: I once received a message from a guy who went by the name of Gazpacho2000. Can you imagine getting hot and heavy with a Gazpacho?”
Mia burst out laughing.
“Then there’s what they write about themselves. You wouldn’t believe some of the things they say, not to mention the spelling errors. Honestly, it’s pathetic at times.”
“Wow. That bad?”
“My chef won’t be here for another hour. Why don’t we head home and you can see for yourself?”
