Cute dog, the message, from MollyCule13, read.What’s his name?
For a moment, Eva was startled. Had someone hacked her phone? Could they see the Spaniel staring hopefully at her from the foot of the bed?
And then she remembered—Kate had used a photo of him as her profile picture.
Well, it wasn’t a ‘hi’, but it still wasn’t terribly original.
Is that the best you can come up with?
Eva typed, fingers moving before she could stop them. She didn’t expect a reply, but the buttons indicating typing popped up along the bottom of her screen mere seconds after she’d pressed Send.
Oh, you want a cheesy opening line? All right. We’re not socks, but I think we’d make a great pair. If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put ‘U’ and ‘I’ together. I’m no photographer, but I can picture you and I together.
Eva shook her head as the messages kept coming, each one worse than the last.
Do you have a pre-made list of these?Eva wrote, unable to ignore the fact she was smiling down at her phone.
No. I’m using Google.Want me to keep going?
Eva snorted despite herself.I think I’ve heard enough.
Have I earned your cute dog’s name yet?
Eva pursed her lips—she was supposed to be deleting the damn thing, not entertaining random strangers online. And yet—maybe Kate was right. What harm could it do?
It’s Franklin.
Franklin? That’s an unusual name.
That was a response Eva was used to getting. Though considering some people named their pets Princess Tinkerbell the Third, Eva didn’t think there was anything wrong with Franklin.
It’s after Rosalind Franklin.
I’ve never known a dog named after a scientist before. Is she your favorite one?
Eva raised an eyebrow. She’d never been asked that before, and she certainly hadn’t expected to be asked that on a dating app, of all places.
I’ve never really thought about it, but I suppose so. I admire her for preserving in a difficult environment. For having her work scrutinized. And for being robbed of a Nobel Prize, and the recognition of the crucial role she held in the discovery of DNA structure.
Aware she was straying close to giving a lecture, Eva ended with a question:Who’s yours?
Marie Curie,came the quick reply.For similar reasons. I didn’t name my cat after her, though. Maybe I should change her name?
From what?
Hades.Attached was a photo of a grumpy-looking black cat, and Eva smiled.
Don’t change it. It suits her. Besides, I wouldn’t want Franklin to feel like he wasn’t special.
Me either. He’s gorgeous. As, I’m sure, is his owner.
Eva shook her head. Molly clearly thought of herself as a smooth talker.
You’re not getting a photo out of me that easily.
Who says I was trying to? Isn’t that the fun of this thing? Getting to know someone without knowing what they look like?
I suppose. You’re going to have to work hard, though. I value my privacy.Something of an understatement to those that knew her.
