She opens her eyes wide and looks at Nate, shrugging. “I can’t see the harm. They don’t know it’s him. This way, he can suss them out properly until they meet, and when they do, they can sign an NDA if Matt wants them to. There’s no harm in trying if he really wants this, Nate,” Alex defends, and I move in to give her a fist bump. She bumps me back, and I suddenly get a bright idea.
“Alex!” I almost yell, and she jumps on the spot. “You need to do this with me.”
Her eyes open wide as Nate bursts out laughing, and she shakes her head wildly. “Um… what now?”
“Yes,yes,YES!” I get louder with each yes. “We can both have profiles and be each other’s wingman,” I beg.
Alex scrunches up her face. “Um… me and dating? Yeah… nah… we’re not friends.”
I roll my eyes. “C’mon, it’ll be fun. We can compare notes. Alex, you need to live a little—”
“Yeah, Alex, live a little,” Nate jabs mockingly, and she sneers at him.
“Fine! I’ll put up a profile, but Iwon’tenjoy it.”
“Attagirl.” I chuckle.
We get on with creating a profile for Alex and taking a picture of her for the site, and I can’t help but think how cute she looks. If I weren’t searching for the perfect ten and I saw her picture on the dating site, I might actually stop and look at her.
We finish Alex’s profile and then have dinner together. Nate sulks the whole time about missing Ria while Alex and I look over our matches and mess about with our profiles, sending out winks. The night draws on, and eventually, Alex grabs her keys and stands.
“Right, I’ve had enough of you two for one night. I’m getting out of here. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She gestures to Nate and then looks at me. “I’ll see you when I see you, internet dating buddy,” she says and waves her hand through the air in dismissal, skipping off toward the door like the little pixie she is. If I’m honest, she’s adorable.
As she lets herself out, I close my computer down for the night while turning my attention to Nate. “So, she’s a lot of fun and a good distraction, but how are you doing? I mean, really?” I ask, and he shrugs.
“I’m okay. Still feel pretty shit most of the time, but I’m plowing my emotions into my work, and having Alex around helps. She really knows how to liven things up, and I’m glad to have her on board.”
Nodding, I smile genuinely. “I’m glad she’s around, too.” I can honestly feel a friendship forming with her. Before she left, we swapped numbers so we could keep in touch about the online dating ordeals and stay in touch about Nate.
“Okay, I think it’s bedtime,” Nate suggests, and I nod in complete agreement.
“Yep, night, bro.” I grab my cell and turn for the stairs, dodging the ficus on the way up.
Loading theLovepessimistapp onto my phone, I log in and see twoPessimistic winks. I look at one profile and check her over to see if she meets any of my criteria. Her name is Jacqueline, and I look at her profile picture. She has long brunette hair in a braid, and she’s standing next to a beautiful white horse. Jacqueline’s the epitome of stunning, and she takes my breath away.
Sitting down on my bed, I wonder if I should take the next step and send an actual message.
It couldn’t hurt, right?
I mean, this is what I joined for, to meet people, so I may as well branch out and start a conversation with a woman. Especially one who looks this beautiful. So I send her a message.
Me:Okay, full disclosure… I have no idea what I’m doing on this app:)
But I do know you’re stunning, and I’d be an idiot not to say hi.
How’s your night going?
I figure I probably sound like a douche, but perhaps it’s best to be honest. I hit send and hope for the best. Not wanting to wait around for her reply, I place my cell on the charger and strip off my clothes before climbing into bed.
Sliding under the soft comfort of my covers, I wonder what tomorrow will bring.
Chapter Six
MATT
My eyes open slowly as I wake from a peaceful sleep.
The details of my dreams elude me, but one thing lingers—they were painted entirely in shades of aqua. Strange. Stretching out in bed, I roll onto my side, arms reaching wide as I let out a long, exaggerated yawn. A lazy smile tugs at my lips as I reach for my phone on the nightstand. With a quick swipe, the screen unlocks, and I tap on theLovepessimistapp. A notification pops up—a new message from Jacqueline. Curiosity piqued, I open it without hesitation.
