Alex rolled his eyes and clinked his glass against hers. “Cheers to being outsiders.”
“Cheers.”
They both drank. Just then, the waitress arrived with their burgers, and they dug in.
“Did you like working as a waitress?” Alex asked between bites.
“I did,” Grace replied. “I liked getting to talk to lots of different people, and the camaraderie I had with the other waiters and cooks. But I always knew I wanted to work in computer science eventually.”
“What drew you to it?”
“I had a computer class in middle school, and we were given the task of designing a simple game with a drag-and-drop system.” Grace smiled fondly at the memory. “I spent hours on it, trying to make it perfect, and from that moment, I knew what I wanted to do. How about you?”
“Well, I actually wanted to become a doctor,” Alex said. “I love science, and I liked the idea of being able to help people. So, I started with pre-med coursework. But I also took a computer science class as one of my general-education requirements, and I realized that I loved that, too. I took a few more computer science classes, then I started the app, and the rest is history.”
“Do you ever wish you’d become a doctor?” Grace asked.
“Not really. My sister lived that dream for both of us, and she does a way better job than I probably would have. I mean, I’m sure I would’ve liked being a doctor, too, but I can’t imagine my life without MatchupNow. I’ve poured so much into it these last few years, it feels like my baby.”
Grace smiled and popped a French fry into her mouth. “I can see that from how closely you guard the code.”
“You wouldn’t leave your infant with a stranger on the street, would you?” Alex asked with a smile.
Grace laughed. “I wouldn’t. Though I probably would leave my infant with a trained professional who I’d hired…”
“Good point.” Alex smiled. “But I told you about the incident with my roommate. And there have been a few people since then who’ve wanted to poach MatchupNow’s codebase. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Even if people think I go a little too far.”
“Sure.” Grace smiled. “Anyway, you said your sister became a doctor, right?”
“Right,” Alex said. “And because I started MatchupNow, I had enough money to help her with medical school, so she didn’t graduate with debt. Now she’s a pediatric surgeon at a big hospital in LA.”
“You must have been proud.”
“I was. But I can’t take credit for her—I’m sure she would have found a way anyway.”
“Modest, too,” Grace said. “That’s a good quality. And one I wasn’t sure you had.”
“I agree. I think this is the first time anyone has ever called me modest.” Alex chuckled. “Thanks. I think.”
“What do people usually call you?”
“Arrogant. Nerdy. Distant. Intimidating.”
Grace winced. “I may have thought you were intimidating when we first met.”
“And now?” Alex asked.
“And now…” Grace leaned a little closer. “Let’s say you aren’t as scary as you try to make yourself out to be.”
“I don’t try to seem scary,” Alex protested.
“You do, a little. Admit it. For some reason, you like people to think that you’re a little bit above it all and a little bit intimidating.”
“Well…” Alex smiled. “Maybe a little. It keeps people from trying to mess with me.”
“Sure.” Grace grinned. “And it keeps people from getting close to you.”
“Now you’ve pushed it too far,” Alex said in mock offense. He tilted his head to the side. “My distance didn’t seem to stopyou, though.”
