Catfishing, Gone Right? An Accidental Connection

Chapter 4

There are many ways to ruin the start of your weekend before it's even started. Forgetting to charge your phone, not turning off your weekday alarm so it ends up going off jolting you awake, or not having any hot water when you hop into the shower. Mine was "half-watching" true crime documentaries while sitting on my couch in pajama pants and a tank top at the ungodly hour of 5:30 a.m., setting up an online dating profile. With half a glass of cabernet in my veins I had been staring at the homepage of the dating site Love Linx with their signature slogan "Find your missing Linx and let love connect the dots!✨" running across the middle of the screen for about 30 minutes. The background showing clips of couples who had supposedly found the person for them from using this dating site seemed to taunt me.

The idea of going through the whole mess of dating again made me want to close my laptop and just not do this experiment at all. Even though it technically wasn't going to be me talking to these men, I had a slight fear that parts of me might show and I didn't want that. However, my pride was on the line so there wasn't any backing out of this even if I wanted to. Sighing, I moved my mouse cursor hovering it over the make an account button. Hitting the button caused me to squirm in my seat, my body cringing from committing such an act. Once the screen loaded up it was time for me to start putting in the information of the persona I had come up with.

"Alright," I whispered. "Who are you going to be, Grace Carter?"

About Me:

I paused, fingers hovering above the keys, visualizing how Grace looked and talk. Grace had lovely light brown skin, with a soft natural look with warm brown hair that falls in loose waves, and a gentle smile. The only thing we had in common was that we both had freckles on our faces. After I finished thinking of her appearance, I began typing, the words flowing as if I actually believed them.

Hi! I'm Grace—a bit of a romantic with a love for the simple things in life. I'm here looking for someone who enjoys deep conversations, laughter, and maybe a little adventure...

I snorted. If this were my real profile, that line would read: Here looking for someone who doesn't bore me to death, doesn't ghost me, and doesn't think "Hey" is an appropriate way to start a conversation.

However, Grace Carter was not me, and her "About Me" would reflect that. She wasn't allowed to be jaded, defective, or a skeptic. Grace had to be the woman I used to be, once upon a time, back when love felt like an option rather than a liability. Who could trust easily and not be weighed down by the many past experiences that didn't go so well.

By day, I'm immersed in the world of marketing, but after hours, you'll find me curled up with a book or exploring new cafes. Looking forward to meeting someone genuine and kind. If that sounds like you, let's chat!

"Ugh, I can practically feel the sap dripping off the screen," I said, rolling my eyes. But as I read the profile back, I had to admit—it worked. Grace seemed like someone who might actually believe in fairy tales. And maybe that was exactly what I needed right now, a version of myself who could still pretend.

I hit "Save" and watched as the profile solidified, each line forming the soft, romantic image of a woman I no longer was. I let out a sigh, swirling the wine in my glass and watching the crimson liquid catch the light. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt like Grace Carter, hopeful and wide-eyed, genuinely interested in getting to know someone. That had been years ago, back when Nate had swept me off my feet.

And we all knew how that turned out—two years down the drain, causing me to be left a bitter aftertaste and a mile-long list of trust issues. But Grace wouldn't have trust issues, I reminded myself. Grace would see the best in everyone. She would swipe right on someone with a good smile and a kind "Hello," believing that might lead to something real.