Matched | S.R

Spencer

"Heart Buzz? What's that?" I ask, overhearing the conversation between my colleagues. It's the third time Penelope has mentioned the name.

Penelope turns to look at me from a table, tea in hand. "It's a dating site, but it's different than all of the other ones going around." The blonde tells me.

Different than the rest? Doubtful. All dating sites are the same.

Taking my cup of coffee to the table, I sit across from her. "How's this one 'different'?"

I almost want to tune her out. Why did I even ask?

"There's no pictures,"

I look up at her immediately. "No pictures?"

She shakes her head. "Zero. Zilch. You can browse profiles of other people and see what their interests are and what type of person they are. The site sends you the profiles of people they think you might like,"

-

I lug the box with my laptop up the stairs to my apartment and set it up at almost record speed.

I'm actually pretty glad that Penelope forced me into getting wireless internet a few months ago. It was so that she could bring her computer over when I was sick and couldn't come into work.

So, Heart Buzz... how do I get started?

-

Making my profile was probably the most difficult thing I've ever done. I found myself deleting things over and over again. Who would look at my profile and say 'This guy enjoys reading about quantum physics. He's just my type!'?

So, I opted for my other interests. Books, films, TV programs... all under the username 'astudyinscarlet'. The first Sherlock Holmes novel by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Days pass and I'm emailed different profiles by the website. None catch my eye, though. They all sound quite boring.

After work on Tuesday, I come home and open up my computer.

A new email sits at the top of my inbox, the subject line reading:

Someone likes you! Check out their profile now!

Someone likes me?

I click on the email and the link to the profile of someone that goes by the username 'starrymoondust'.

The username piques my interest and I wonder what the meaning behind it is.

As the page loads, I scroll down and read her entire profile.

She's twenty-three, she lives in D.C., she's a lover of art and is an artist herself. Her favorite mediums to work with are oil paint and watercolors. She enjoys watching Doctor Who and Star Trek. There's a few other things and they all make me want to get to know her more.

I click the 'like' button at the top of her profile and am met with a chat screen that says 'Matched! You and starrymoondust like each other!'.

The blinking cursor taunts me as I try to figure out what to type into the chat box. It takes me five minutes to type out a 'Hello!'.

I stare back at the chat box, wondering if she's even going to answer. Maybe the exclamation point was too much.

starrymoondust is typing...

I see the words flash across the bottom of the chat box and my heart jumps a little bit. They disappear and a message appears in the box beneath mine.

starrymoondust: hi! how are you? I like your username. Arthur Conan Doyle, right?

I smile a bit before typing back.