With another smile, Lisa gave Jess directions that seemed simple enough. Jess passed a stretch of large doorways with a distinct laboratory vibe. One was labeled SAMPLE PREP. The next was DNA SEQUENCERS, followed by ANALYSIS 1, ANALYSIS 2, and SERVERS. Finally: an alcove with restrooms.
Even the toilets were futuristic. Jess was honestly not sure how to feel about a public bidet, but there were so many buttons on the thing—and hey, warm water—she decided to roll with it. A check of her reflection while she washed her hands informed her that she hadn’t put makeup on that morning and looked haggard and frazzled, even in the dim yet flattering light. Great.
On the way back, her attention was snagged by an open door. It had been forever since she’d been in a real scientific setting, and nostalgia pulsed in the back of her mind. Peeking into the room labeled SAMPLE PREP, Jess saw a long stretch of lab benches and an assortment of machines with keypads and flashing full-color digital displays like something out of a movie.
And then she heard River’s quiet, deep voice: “Isn’t there another 10X bottle of extraction buffer?”
“We have some on order,” another man replied. “I think I have enough to finish this set.”
“Good.”
“Did I hear you had two people come in for a demo?”
“Yes,” River said. “Two women. One of them is apparently an author with a large online presence.”
There was a pause that Jess assumed held some wordless communication.
“I don’t know, man,” River said. “I was just trying to get my coffee, so I suggested they come in so Lisa could handle it.”
Well.
“Got it,” the other voice said. “If they send in kits, I’ll run them in quadruplicate with some reference sequences.”
“There may be times soon after the rollout that we only have a handful of samples at a time, so this’ll be a good trial for that.”
“True.”
She was just about to turn and walk back to the conference room when she heard River say with a laugh, “—an opportunity to prove that there’s someone out there for everyone.”
The other man asked, “Ugly?”
“No, not ugly.” Jess immediately decided to receive this as River’s version of a compliment, until he added: “Entirely average.”
She reared back, palm to chest in genuine offense, and startled when a voice came from behind her. “Did you want a lab tour after your meeting with Lisa?”
The man behind her held his hands up as Jess wheeled on him like she might throw a punch. He was tall and thin and looked like every actor in every movie playing a scientist: Caucasian, glasses, needed a haircut. He was Jeff Goldblum, if Jeff Goldblum were also Benedict Cumberbatch.
She wasn’t sure whether he was genuinely offering her a tour or subtly chastising her for eavesdropping.
“Oh. No,” she said, “it’s okay. Sorry. I was just on my way back from the restrooms and took a peek.”
Smiling, he held out his hand. “David Morris.”
Jess shook it tentatively. “Jessica.”
“We haven’t had clients in the offices for a while. It’s nice to see a fresh face.” As he said this, his eyes did a quick sweep down her body and back up. “You’re doing the DNADuo?”
She resisted the urge to cross her arms over her chest to hide the fact that she’d come to this high-end dating service looking like a hungover college kid. “I haven’t decided yet. I’m here with my best friend. She’s a romance author and completely lost her mind when Americano—Dr. Peña, sorry—mentioned the business to us this morning.”
David gestured for her to lead them both back to the conference room. “Well, I hope you find the technology compelling.”
Jess forced a polite smile. “I’m sure we will.”
David stopped at the threshold to the conference room. “It was nice to meet you, Jessica. If you need anything else, please feel free to reach out.”
With another tight smile, Jess pushed down her bubbling uneasiness. “I absolutely will.”
SHE RETURNED TO the conference room feeling roughly ten percent frumpier than she had before. Which was to say, scraping the bottom of the barrel. Fizzy and Lisa were chatting about the benefits and drawbacks of various dating apps, but they straightened like they’d been busted when Jess walked back in. Without either of them having to say it, Jess knew she absolutely looked the part of the friend who had been dragged along to this and would much rather be watching Netflix on her couch.
“Ready to get started?” Lisa asked, swiping through a menu on an iPad. The room dimmed and a massive screen descended from the ceiling with a soft hum.
Fizzy played her role, “Hell yes!” so Jess played hers, too: “Sure, why not.”
Lisa strode to the front of the large room with confidence, like she was speaking to a crowd of fifty instead of two.
“What are your goals,” she began, “as far as romantic relationships go?”