Acing Romance

One

After not receiving any matches for the last two years, Sohal decided to try and lower his standards for a partner. Instead of seeking a big-breasted woman like his father said he should find, he decided one with smaller breasts should be okay if it meant a match.

All he needed was one person to make him happy. Was that too much to ask for?

He shifted in his seat as he waited for someone to join him in the tiny cubicle. After the receptionist had walked him over and told him to wait, his heart rate kept increasing. No matter how many times he mentally rehearsed for this, he didn't feel ready.

I would like to update my match preferences.

He kept repeating the words over and over again the day before until it was ingrained in his mind. He knew the words like the back of his hand, but a part of him still worried about getting it wrong. He was so close to meeting his soulmate. He could feel it.

In an attempt to turn off his mind, Sohal looked around the cubicle. As if there was anything for him to look at. The thin white walls of the cubicle were empty. There was nothing to tell him about what he might expect from the employee. All there was in the tight space was the chair he sat on, a chair across from him, and a desk between them.

How much longer would this take?

Sohal bounced his heel and fiddled with his fingers. He was not sure how much longer he'd be able to wait. The whole point of making an appointment was to—

Someone cleared their throat and Sohal looked over to find an employee of Fated standing at the entrance to the cubicle. The young woman wore the signature latex red business suit of Fated employees, and her name tag said her name was Brandi.

She sat in the seat in front of Sohal and the desk lit up instantly. A hologram screen popped up with the Fated logo along with small text underneath issuing him a welcome.

"Hi, there. You must be Sohal." She stretched her red lips into an uncomfortable looking smile. "What can I do for you today? Were you interested in upgrading to a prem—"

"I would like to match my update preferences," Sohal said. "Uh, I- I mean—"

The corner of her eyebrow barely lifted up before she turned her attention back to the hologram. "I will need to verify your information before I can pull up your profile."

"Okay," Sohal said.

"What is your four-digit pin number?"

"0828."

"Please wait a moment as I retrieve your profile data."

The screen displayed a buffer circle that lasted a bit too long for Sohal's tastes before changing into a familiar layout. Sohal's dark eyes stared back at him from the profile picture he had taken months before. It wasn't his best photo but it was something.

Brandi clasped her hands together and propped her elbows on the desk. "What would you like to change in your profile today? I can recommend some common areas for improvement if you're not meeting the people that you click with the most."

The advisor flicked her finger in the air and the layout changed to show a different section of his profile. Unlike the public profile that was displayed before, this private profile focused on what he was looking for a partner and who he felt he'd match with.

It had been two years since Sohal signed up for Fated, and in all his time on the app, he hadn't gotten a single match. He didn't have the vaguest idea on what he wanted but the traits he picked prior definitely weren't working. Maybe he was asking for too much.