“What’s that?” I asked.
“You mentioned people finding their significant others.”
“Yeah? So?”
“It was the way you said it. Is that something you want to find?” she asked.
My mind rushed back to Graham. The way he’d kissed me and commanded my body. The way he took what he wanted and wound me up tightly before shooting me off into the sunset. I closed my eyes and sighed, then took a big gulp of my wine.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’,” Joanna said with a grin.
“I don’t think someone like that is out there for me,” I said.
“Oh come on. Stop being such a turd about it. Have you ever thought about making a dating profile?”
“The thought’s come to my mind a time or two,” I said with a grin.
“So… why don’t you?”
“Because most of those applications and sites are filled with guys who simply want hook ups. Or even better they stand you up.”
“But if you weed through all of them to find the ones that aren’t, you could find your forever man, Libby. But it takes work, just like building a career does.”
“I don’t know…”
“Have you had a bad experience with one or something?” she asked.
My mind fled back to Graham again. How easy it flowed between the two of us and how he’d made me smile. How his handsome demeanor and his cool, easy way of going with the flow had been in stark contrast to my constant anxiety-ridden state. I knew I’d probably never see him again unless I told Logan our little secret when he got back from his honeymoon, but he made me feel like I could get out there. Try something new. Hopefully avoid some more Tony’s in the process. I smiled at the memory as I took another sip of my wine, then shook my head as Joanna grinned at me.
“Then give me your phone. We’re setting you up a dating profile.”
I handed her my phone and she created an account for me. I decided not to tell her about Graham for now. It was nice, keeping him my little secret. I watched Joanna type away on the application she’d downloaded onto my phone, then she scooted closer to me as pictures of men flooded my screen.
“It’s like most apps,” Joanna said.
“Mates dot com?” I asked.
“Yep. It’s a U.K.-based dating app, but they’re branching into the U.S. at lightning speed. Haven’t you seen the commercials on television?”
“I don’t watch much television,” I said. “It’s mostly Netflix over here.”
“Well, it’s a good site. I’m sure you’ll find someone here. But it’s set up like most dating apps are nowadays. You swipe left if you don’t like them, right if you do. Swiping right puts them in your messages so you can talk to them, and swiping left blocks you from them so they don’t have a chance to swipe on you and message you.”
“What if I swipe right on them and they swipe left on me?” I asked.
“Then their name grays out if it’s in your messages. Not the best system, but it works. And it gives you a chance to reach out to them before they judge you on what you look like.”
“You saying I’m not pretty?” I asked with a grin.
“I’m saying I know you’re self-conscious about how you look. This app doesn’t require both of you to agree on it before you can contact him, so it gives you an extra shot to show them the Libby I know to exist. You’re hot as hell, Libby. You’ve got curves most women try to get surgically.”
“I don’t know why,” I said, murmuring.
“But having that extra security blanket might help you to get bolder when it comes to your dating life.”
“You just want to scroll through guys with me, don’t you?” I asked.
“Oh, hell yeah I do.”