Shield maiden of the Rohirrim. Oh, she’s a real fan ofThe Lord of the Rings.
Alliance healer.She plays World of Warcraft? Saxon and I have played since university. We don’t get online as much as we used to now we’re working, but we still play from time to time. I like that she’s a gamer. It means she’s into computers, which is a big plus.
Joss Stone sound-alike. I don’t know the singer, so I pull her up on Spotify and play her most listened to song,Right to be Wrong. Oh, wow. She has an amazing, husky, soulful voice.
I signed up for Tinder Gold some time ago, which means I get five Super Likes a week. I tap the blue star icon on Alice’s profile. That should pop up on her phone soon.
Nothing else I can do now. I’ve used the app enough to know it’s no guarantee of a match. She might not like the look of me or could already have matched with someone else. She might even be on a date now.
My experience has been that for every ten or so right swipes, I might get one or two matches, and often they don’t come to anything. I should swipe right on a few more profiles to increase my chances of finding a match.
But I’ve got work to do, and besides, I like the look of Alice, and I’m willing to wait to see what happens.
I open my laptop, pull up a report, and start reading.
I’ve only been working for a couple of minutes when my mobile lights up. I lift it and look at the message on the screen.
Match! You and Alice have liked each other.
I get the usual dopamine rush at the connection, and smile.
Leaning back in the chair, I study the screen. I’m never sure how long to wait, but as I’m the guy, I normally message first. Fuck it. What’s the point in playing it cool?
Me:Hey Alice! Looks like we matched :-) How are you doing?
Alice:Hello Kip! I’m good, thank you. That was quick!
Me:I was worried some other guy might snap you up, LOL.
Alice:Ha! Thank you so much for the Super Like. I’m very flattered.
Me:You’re welcome. Do you have time to chat?
Alice:Absolutely. How has your day been?
Me:Yeah not bad. Busy, just winding down now. Have you been working?
Alice:No, I have a couple of days off. I’ve been with my sister today - she’s studying at Vic. I went to the cinema, too. I saw that historical drama that’s just come out. Not my kind of thing normally, but it was okay.
Me:I saw in your bio that you like sci-fi and fantasy? And you mentioned being a shield maiden of the Rohirrim, LOL. You’re a big fan of The Lord of the Rings?
Alice:Oh nothing’s as good as LOTR! Embarrassed to say I’ve watched those movies about eight times!
Me:Only eight? Lightweight. I must have seen them all twenty times! I watched them all in one day once.
Alice:Me too, LOL. Have yet to watch all the Hobbit and all LOTR in one day though.
Me:That would be fun. Maybe we should try it.
I press send, my lips curving up.
Alice:Ha! The man has stamina.
Me:That would be telling :-)
Alice:Oh, I see what I’m dealing with here :-)
The smiling emoji suggests she’s not upset with the innuendo, which lifts her in my estimation. I like a girl who can tease me. I turn to face the park and prop my feet up on the window ledge again. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a conversation like this with a girl.