“Thank you,” Veronica smiled.
“No, thank you. You are definitely your mother’s daughter. Oh, and you might want to give her a call about yesterday’s protest. She texted me this morning to see if you're losing your head completely over women's issues and are willing to risk your life next.”
Veronica nodded. “I’ll get in touch with her and let her know everything is okay, and I won't risk anything major in my pursuit of justice.” Veronica laughed. “She tends to worry…”
“…as would any mother,” Senator Tompkins finished with a smile. “Even one who has fought justice herself, sometimes in, let's say, interesting ways."
The rest of the day was a blur. There were meetings to attend, notes to take, and hearings to prepare for. The workday came to an end, and Veronica headed for her favorite bar. It was an almost nightly ritual for her and Steph to meet up for a drink to unwind from their days before heading home for the night.
Steph was already waiting at their favorite table, and Veronica ordered a shot and a beer as she passed the bar.
“I’ll bring it over in a few, Roni.”
“Thanks, Sal. It’s been a really long day.”
“Hey, girl. You look beat,” Steph told her with a raised brow.
“Remind me again why I’m working for a senator that likes to have his hands in everything?”
“Because said senator is going to change the world, and you want to be there for the ride,” Steph replied quickly.
“Oh, yeah. There is that.”
“Here you go, kid.” Sal deposited the shot glass of Tequila and the beer on the tabletop.
“Thanks, Sal.”
“No problem. You ready for a refill?” he asked Steph.
“Not quite yet. My day was fairly sane. I’ll just sit here and absorb some of Roni’s tension for a few minutes, and then I’ll be ready for my second.”
Veronica rolled her eyes and tossed back the shot, grimacing as it burned down her throat, and then quickly had a sip of her beer.
“So, spill it. What’s got you so wound up?”
Veronica nodded and then told Steph about the billboard and Joel’s endorsement of the dating app.
“Didn’t you grow up with Joel?” Steph asked.
“We went to the same high school, but he was several grades ahead of me,” Veronica reminded her.
“Yeah. He’s the one you had a crush on?”
“I can’t believe I told you that,” Veronica laughed. “I don't do celebrity crushes. But he wasn't a celebrity back then."
“You were drunk at the time you told me. I can’t believe I remember it, considering I was in the same condition. It was also the week after finals, and we were unwinding.”
“God, I’m glad those days are over.” Veronica took a drink of her beer and then shook her head. “I still can’t believe Joel would be part of something like that. And get this, the name of the app is Duets.”
“Interesting name and you should probably give Joel a break. He might not even use the app; he could just be getting paid to put his picture on it,” Steph suggested.
“It doesn’t matter. Either way, he’s encouraging people to use the app because he supposedly is doing the same. And I know, I know, not everyone on there is bad and so on...but it’s still an easy trap for women. He should insist on security measures before endorsing the app. You know, some apps DO require background checks. Duets doesn't. I checked.”
“So, not everyone thinks like you. I'm sure Joel just thinks he's helping people find love. Besides, your boss gave you the go-ahead to research these apps, didn't he?”
“Yes. I haven’t quite figured out where to start yet, though. Beyond realizing some apps require background checks, I haven't done much research.”
Steph grinned at her and then leaned forward like she was sharing a secret “You should probably sign up for one, or two.”
“Really? I wasn’t thinking about joining them,” Veronica told her with a shake of her head.
“No, I don’t imagine you would. That’s probably the best way, though, don’t you think?” Steph asked.
“Maybe.”
“You sound as if you don’t like the idea?” Steph questioned.
“Well, I don’t like the idea that you can simply look through a bunch of data people have submitted and choose someone you think you might want to go out with. I mean, it would be kind of like looking through a “hookup” catalog.”
Steph snorted, spewing beer from her nose as she giggled. “Hookup catalog? I love it. ‘Yes, I’d like a tall guy with dark hair, really big hands, and an even bigger Johnson.’ Can you just imagine?”
Veronica started giggling, and soon, both she and Steph were having way too much fun with her idea. Sal brought over another round of drinks and they clinked shot glasses before tipping them back and then coughing to ease to burn.
“Damn, I hate Tequila,” Steph complained.
“They why are you drinking it?” Veronica asked.
Steph shrugged her shoulders. “I have no idea.”
“But seriously, doesn’t the idea of just being a piece of meat people can choose or discard ick you out?” Veronica asked.
“Maybe it’s not like that.”
“Oh, come on, Steph. What’s to prevent some perv from creating a fake profile on the site just to get an easy victim? Or even if the person is real, it's too easy to act like a dick. If you get tired of someone, you can stop contacting them and move on to someone else.”
“Anonymous dating,” Steph suggested. “That’s what they should call it. But hey, neither of us has ever joined one of these apps. We could have it all wrong. And let's face it: 90% of our friends are using them.”
“Maybe,” Veronica was willing to concede. “I don’t think we're wrong, though. I mean, maybe the apps work out for some people. Obviously, they do. I did find the stats for that. But I'm sure they also create problems. Like the hookup culture. Like ghosting people. Like not investing in a relationship as there's always something better out there. And definitively, I'm sure perverts and others take advantage of these kinds of apps. And at least that part of it could be stopped but if people want to be seen as pieces of meat, fine. But perverts using dating apps? Not fine. I need more information.”
“Hey, if you’re going on a fact-finding mission, you might as well get your information directly from the horse’s mouth. What better way to evaluate an online dating site than to become one of its participants? I mean no, you won't find statistics that way, nor will you find out about rules and regulations, but at least you can say you have first-hand experience.” Steph said with a bright grin. Clearly, she wasn't convinced that all dating apps were bad.
Veronica nodded. “Good point. I need to be fair and make sure I have accurate information before forming an opinion. And what are you grinning about?”
Steph’s grin increased. “You and your sense of justice. Also, I was just imaging — wouldn’t it be weird if you actually did find someone to date by using an app?”
“I won’t hold my breath, and you won’t have to attend my funeral,” Veronica told her as she tossed back the rest of her beer.
“I think you should go for it.”
“What?”
“Join Duets and get some first-hand information,” Steph suggested. Before Veronica could stop her, Step snatched her phone from the table. “In fact, I think we should make your profile right now.”
“No way,” Veronica shook her head.
“Oh, come on. It will be fun.”
“Like going to the dentist is fun,” Veronica told her without much enthusiasm.
“Trust me,” Steph told her.
“I really don’t want…”
“Chicken,” Steph challenged.”
Veronica rolled her eyes, “You didn’t just do that.”
Steph gloated with her arms crossed, “I sure did.”
Veronica counted to ten and then sighed, “Fine. Let’s make a profile, shall we?”
Steph pulled up the app and then started the membership process. “Okay, there is a list of questions here. You fill them in:
Age: 22
Profession: Studying for my bar exam
Body Type:
“It wants to know my body type? Does it want to know mine, or what I like in a guy?” Veronica said.
“Body type? Yours,” Steph parroted. “How about fit?”
Veronica shrugged and went back to filling out the profile questions.
Body Type: Fit
Height: 5’6”
Interested in: Men
Relationship status: Never married
Have kids: No
Want kids: Yes
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Smoke: Never
Drink: Occasionally
She paused when she came down to the last few questions. “Okay, now it wants to know my idea of a perfect date.
“Ooh, I’ve got this one. A surprise picnic beside a secluded lake where you end up going skinny dipping and then soaking up the sun’s rays before making love all afternoon.”
Veronica looked at her friend and shook her head. “Who are you and where have you taken my friend?”
“I’m right here, silly. Doesn’t that sound like a really nice date?” Steph asked.
Veronica nodded. “It actually does. Okay, let me put that in here.”
Perfect Date: A surprise picnic beside a secluded lake with skinny dipping and lots of time to make love in the cool of the afternoon.
Hobbies: Like to watch sports
Favorite Book: Little Women
Favorite Type of Music: Classic Rock
“Oh man, there's a personality test. Hang on.” Veronica spent the next five minutes answering the questions, sighing and laughing a she went. “Okay, I’m finished.”
Steph took the phone from her and had a look at her profile. “Those answers sound like you. Now we just hit upload. Wait, let me pick some photos from your camera roll to upload as well.”
“Hey, wait, let me pick!" Veronica protested.
“Nope. I have a much better taste when it comes to displaying the REAL you. Don't worry, I have some of the "shot-of-year" pics in there too.” Steph fiddled with the phone for a few more minutes and then put it down with a satisfied grin. “All finished. You, my friend, have just taken the first step toward finding your forever love.”
Veronica giggled and shook her head. “More like I just sent out a ‘come and get it’ signal to every creep in the city who either made a fake profile on that site, or who wants a one-night-stand and can't be bothered to take a woman out on a date first.”
“Oh, come on, Roni. I know women who are like that too!” Steph said. “This makes it easy for them to get what they want. And, honestly, it's no worse than some bars on a Friday night."
“Maybe. But there should still be proper legislation in place to protect everyone,” Veronica said.
Chapter 5
The next day…
Veronica’s phone chimed and she glanced at it, wondering who was emailing her in the middle of the workday. She swiped her thumb to open the screen and then stared at the Duets icon as it flashed at her. She and Steph had filled out her profile the night before, and she had received the requisite welcome emails and follow-up encouraging text messages she was sure were designed to keep her hope in place.
Veronica had decided that in order to gather enough information about this app (it worked as a dating site on a browser as well) and others, to fully evaluate whether or not there was a way to protect the women who chose to use them, she would need to participate in the program fully. She was somewhat ambivalent about it as she had no idea of what to expect. Which was quite strange given she was a millennial after all, but then maybe that was why she was so against tech exploitation?
I guess this might be my kick in the pants to get started with the app experiment.
She glanced at her calendar to make sure she didn’t have anything pressing in the next few minutes, and then she opened the message. She was shocked to see Joel’s smiling face beaming back at her from the screen. It seemed he’d come up as the best match, almost a ninety-eight percent compatibility, to the profile Veronica had created. She’d been honest, not wanting to have to explain why she’d used deceptive practices to get her evidence.
Joel is my perfect match? How could that be? Joel is a playboy. He can’t possibly be my perfect match.
Veronica opened his profile, a frown forming between her eyebrows as she started reading.
“So, I knew he was a few years older than me. Twenty -six sounds about right. Of course, anyone living in New England who watches football knows what he does for a living. It’s a given that he likes sports.”
“I didn’t know that he was 6’2”. Nice.” She continued to read, not really finding anything out she didn’t already know, or that couldn’t be found on a simple Google search. It was the same type of information she’d been asked and told her nothing about his personality or what his laugh sounded like. It was apparently the personality test, that was the real "match" factor beyond basics (such as whether you wanted kids, or not).
She got to his perfect date and scrunched her nose up a bit. “It would be more perfect if he actually cooked dinner. At least he doesn’t like rap music or that New Age stuff.”
She looked at his picture, a little shocked at how ordinary Joel seemed on just reading his profile. He’d taken the liberty of uploading several images of himself doing various activities. Football was a given, but it seemed he liked to swim, ski, and windsurf. The photos he’d posted of him doing the latter definitely weren’t taken anywhere close to Boston, but neither were the pictures of him in swim trunks standing on a sandy beach.
His ab muscles were well-defined, and his entire body was well-tanned. His shoulders were broad, and below his abs, his muscles started to taper into a v- disappearing beneath the waistband and leaving her wondering at what lies underneath. Veronica was surprised to find herself overheating as she continued to re-read his profile and look at his pictures. She’d thought he was handsome as a high school senior, but now he had the kind of looks that made women on the street stop and stare.
He had what she would call bedroom eyes, all sultry and dark, with promises that were best left unmentioned. He had a small dimple in his right cheek that only showed itself when he was smiling broadly, and she wondered what it might take to earn a smile like that from him.
When she realized where her thoughts were headed, she took a deep breath and let it out. “Get it together, Roni. All you’ve learned about Joel is that he likes more than just football and turns you on physically. Oh, and there's some personality test match that you don't know the details about.” She thought for a moment and then wondered aloud, “Maybe this is the first of many downfalls of online dating. It’s all based on physical attraction and nothing on personality or belief systems. So, a personality test matches you, but that's not why you agree to a date, is it?! Especially as you don't know how the damn test works. It could be a total scam.”
Her little self-lecture didn’t stop her from looking at the pictures again and daydreaming just a bit. She especially liked the pictures of Joel on the beach and envisioned herself there with him, in a skimpy bikini, the sun warm on her skin and Joel’s laughter filling the air. She closed her eyes for a moment and gave way to the fantasy.
“The water’s fine, come on,” Joel took her hand and pulled her toward the water. She laughingly went with him, smiling when he splashed her, and a game ensued where they both ended up wet and laughing.
When he picked her up and tossed her into the incoming tide, she came up laughing and sputtering, but he was right there, wrapping his arms around her as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
He carried them further into the water, kissing her passionately the entire time and pushing the cups of her bikini top up so that he could play with her breasts.
“Veronica, do you have tho
se demographics on bill 923 yet?” her intercom interrupted the best dream she’d had in years, and she took several breaths before she was able to answer in a somewhat normal tone of voice.
“Yes, sir. I’ll send the file to your computer.”
“Thank you. Everything okay, you sound a little funny?”
“I’m fine, sir. I’ll send that file over right now.” Veronica didn’t have to look in a mirror to know that her face was bright red with embarrassment. She’d let herself get carried away, at work of all places!
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