Page 18 of Want You

LAWGIRL

Good, that guy sucks.

LAWGIRL

So, Blaze94, what guy are you?

BLAZE94

I don’t know, the guy who runs his own company and can make sense of codes and numbers but not how to talk to people I’m not related to, especially women.

Also the kind of guy who doesn’t live in his mother’s basement. I haven’t lived with her in years.

LAWGIRL

Well, you’re doing fairly well so far.

LAWGIRL

Ask whatever it is you’re trying to ask, I can see you typing and stopping. If I don’t want to answer, I won’t.

BLAZE94

Based on your profile you’re smart, accomplished, and have great taste in books, what are you doing on this site? Surely you don’t need it.

Octavia double clicked on his profile picture. She remembered how she’d done it that first time too. Studying the picture that revealed his hand holding a book, resting on outstretched legs. The book was one she’d finished two months earlier. The site was like that British show Naked Attraction, except nudes weren’t allowed. Users couldn’t share pictures of their faces. They could share lifestyle images, clothed body parts, and pets. He had nice hands and he was considerate enough to be wearing socks. Octavia had seen far too many gnarly feet for her liking on this site. How men didn’t seem to think twice about it baffled her.

LAWGIRL

Maybe I’m not great at talking to people I’m not related to either. Or maybe I’m just tired of meeting people the old fashioned way and wanted to throw my net a little further.

BLAZE94

Have you had much luck?

LAWGIRL

I’m still here aren’t I?

BLAZE94

Am I allowed to say I’m glad about that?

She smiled to herself again, the warmth she’d felt during the initial interaction returning. She scrolled further down, picking up the week before they were supposed to meet.

LAWGIRL

I don’t know why anyone would vote for him. Especially people who aren’t making six figures.

BLAZE94

People get stuck in their ideologies and want to believe that the person saying the stuff that aligns with them, means it. They rarely do though. I’m endlessly bored of politics but I can’t seem to look away.

LAWGIRL

Same. Some of the smartest people I know are totally lost when it comes to this stuff and it’s frustrating.

BLAZE94