AI Amore

-uno-

She looked up at me, her eyebrows raised, the glow from her laptop screen subtly catching her glasses. I braced myself for a rebuttal but forged ahead with my banter.

"I mean, I thought it couldn't get any worse than that so-"

"But then it did," she interjected, shaking her head slightly.

I sighed dramatically. "I'm so done with this, Margo. Dating just doesn't work out for me, whether it's Munich or Manchester."

She chuckled, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "You're a whole deal, Ina. How do you manage to let someone you've known for a month treat you poorly just because you thought you were dating?"

I shook my head in exasperation. "We weren't even dating. We were just a thing without a label, you know?" I closed the file on my desk with a frustrated grunt. "Dating apps are like nightclubs, I swear."

"Well," Margo tilted her laptop screen down and flashed me a reassuring smile, "I think finding a husband by swiping right is as easy as coding the algorithm for that app."

I couldn't help but chuckle. She always had a knack for making my draining life seem lighter. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head, and before I could second-guess myself, I blurted it out.

"What about that AI-based app project you were working on?"

"Honey," she chuckled, "Are you seriously considering talking to a screen to feel like you have a loving boyfriend?"

"Hey! It's just another way to look at it. I bet it would be more fun than wasting my time with fake-ass guys on dating apps, right?"

Margo hesitated, reopening her laptop screen. "It does sound fun, and I could use your input to improve the AI responses. But I'm sorry, Ina; I had to drop that project."

My brows furrowed in disappointment. "No, why? You were so passionate about it!"

She nodded with a wry smile. "Passion doesn't pay the rent, sweetie. I had to focus on bigger projects that benefit both me and my clients."

I leaned closer, trying to encourage her. "But I'm sure lots of people like me would have loved that app!"

"Tell that to my—" Suddenly, Margo's expression changed, her eyes lighting up as if a dozen light bulbs had just switched on in her brain. "You really think so?"

I nodded enthusiastically, grinning at her. "Absolutely."

A small smile crept onto her lips. "I'll come up with something similar for sure!" With that, she closed her laptop decisively and stood up, waving at me. "You're the best, Ina. See you at 5?"

I chuckled, seeing the sparkle in her eyes. Gathering my things, I waved back. "Haha, sure."

***