The Right Swipe

by Amanda Horton

“Don’t you even want to know what I want first?” Derick parried back.

  “Well, when you put it that way, I probably should. What do you want?” Joel asked his good friend from his college days.

  “Why don’t you meet me over at Roosters for lunch, and I’ll tell you all about it?” Derick suggested.

  Joel scrubbed a hand over his face and then grimaced. “Sure, but I need a shower first. Thirty minutes?”

  “That sounds good. See you then.”

  Joel tossed his phone in the bed and then swung his legs over the side. He headed for the shower and, twenty minutes later, he was in his vehicle headed for one of the popular sports bars in the city. He had met Derick while they were both in college. Joel had been playing football and Derick had been a business major who’d already been on his way to making his first million before even graduating. The man was a genius when it came to investing in things.

  Wonder what he’s up to now? I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

  *****

  Joel tossed his keys to the valet and then headed inside, immediately spotting Derick and another gentleman sitting at one of the high-top tables.

  “There he is.” Derick smiled, and he shook Joel’s hand. “Joel, this is Samuel, my head of marketing.”

  Joel shook the other man’s hand as well. “Do I want to know why you need the head of marketing with you when catching up with me?”

  Derick grinned. “You always were a quick one. I have a proposition for you concerning a new venture I started a few months ago.”

  “Which is?” Joel asked.

  “An online dating application. I want you to make an online profile on the app.”

  Joel’s eyebrows went up, and he shook his head. “You want me to what?”

  “So, I launched the app about six months ago. It’s going really well, but it should be going much better.”

  Samuel nodded and interjected, “The app needs a familiar face that people can associate with it. Someone they trust and want to be like.”

  Derick jumped back into the conversation. “I thought that if you made an account and then did a quick endorsement, it would skyrocket us past other sites and apps that have been around for years.”

  “Derick, man, I’m happy your little venture is doing well, and I’d be thrilled if you could make it do even better, but online dating is not my thing.”

  “My little venture, as you call it, is already turning a profit. And you can’t knock something until you try it. I’m pretty sure you haven't tried my dating app.”

  “I don’t need to prowl around in chat rooms looking for a date. You know me, the women come to me,” Joel said, with one eyebrow cocked and a smirk on his lips.

  “Yeah, but don’t you want more?” Samuel asked. “The women you date tend to be in it for the sex alone. Possibly the fame.”

  Joel shrugged and turned back to Derick. “I’d love to help you out; you know I would…”

  “Then make a profile. It only takes about five minutes, and I can help you do it before you leave this table.”

  “Man, I don’t know….” Joel was torn. Derick had been there for him time and again during their college years, whether it was bailing him out after he’d gotten drunk and arrested or helping him complete a project for his statistics class. Derick had always come through for him, and now he was feeling a little pressured to return the favor.

  “Lots of people are using the app right now,” Samuel told him. “The response we’ve gotten is amazing.”

  “So, why do you need me?” Joel asked the obvious question. “If the app is doing so well…”

  “It is doing well, but in the last month, it appears to have stalled,” Derick told him.

  “Maybe people are finding their dates the old-fashioned way?” Joel suggested.

  “Probably not. Our numbers should be higher. These days, people hit social media and phone apps to do almost everything.” Samuel paused and then added, “Dating is no different. Duets gives people a chance to look around for someone they’re compatible with, saving them time, energy, and lots of frustration. If you weren't a famous footballer, you'd probably already have used an app. Heck, I started using them in college, and you know, I wasn’t exactly having a hard time finding chicks. This just allowed me to find more chicks.” Derick grinned.

  Joel shook his head -- he preferred face-to-face interactions. His text messaging abilities left a lot to be desired.

  “This is becoming the new normal. So, what do you say?” Derick looked at him hopefully.

  “Man, you know I’d love to help you out, but it’s really not for me.”

  “Joel, I need your help. I can go to someone else, but you're really the ideal face for the app. And I’m willing to make it worth your time.”

  “I just don’t know…,” Joel shrugged his shoulders.

  “I’m willing to pay you for the endorsement. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for an 18-month agreement.”

  “That’s a lot of money. You think this app has that much potential?” Joel asked.

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Samuel murmured.

  “You might even get some additional value from the site,” Derick told him.

  “You mean your program going to find me a gorgeous woman to date?”

  “Actually, yes. Yes, it will. What have you got to lose? I’m willing to pay you, handsomely, for lending your face to the app.”

  “Just my face?” Joel asked.

  “Well, no, that would be creepy. We need your hair and ears too. But I will want to use your handsome and very recognizable mug on some billboards,” Samuel interjected.

  “So, why me?” Joel asked.

  “Because I know you and we have a history together. Once word starts to travel that you’re using the app, other people will do so as well. People respect and trust you… Yes, you date models, but you are very much a guy with morals, apart from some drunken arrests during college. But you know what I mean. You've spoken up for causes. People see you helping in the community. You have a very specific image. The wholesome American.”

  “They don’t know me; how can they respect and trust me?” Joel asked.

  “You’re one of their favorite football players, even people who don’t like the Patriots say that. They trust you and respect your choices because of the respect they have for you as a footballer. You know all this. You’ve got an agent. You’ve got sponsors. It’s not like you haven’t put your name behind products before.”

  “So, all I would have to do is make a profile on your app?”

  “That’s the deal. Together with the billboards and a couple of interviews or statements. So, you interested?”

  Joel’s mind was spinning. The money was certainly something he could use right now to help the children’s center out. Without it, he’d be looking at a month or more before he could give them anything substantial enough to move the project forward. This could be the solution…

  “So?” Derick nudged him.

  “Sure. Why not? Hell, I better not regret doing this.”

  “You won’t. Trust me,” Derick told him.

  Joel nodded. “If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t still be sitting here. So, now what?”

  “I’ll have the paperwork drawn up for the endorsement. The only thing you need to do is create your online profile. The app does the rest for us.”

  Derick indicated for Joel to hand over his phone, and Joel watched as he downloaded the app, created a sign-in and loaded a page for a new single looking for a relationship. At least it wasn't a casual dating app, Joel thought. “So, just answer the questions here and upload your photo.”

  “That’s it?” Joel asked.

  “That’s it. Bear in mind you must answer a personality test. That's the beauty of our algorithm. And we're working with some kick-ass psychologists.”

  Derick passed him the tablet, and Joel began to fill in the blanks. His personal information was easy, but then the questions beca
me more ambiguous and required some actual thinking. Then there was the personality test, which required even more thinking, but it was kind of fun getting to know yourself while answering the questions and Joel sipped his drink and laughed at some of the questions, much to Derick's amusement. A few minutes later, Joel was done.

  “So, now what?”

  “Now, Samuel starts working on putting together a photoshoot and getting the advertising going.”

  Samuel nodded and then held his hand out for the phone. “Mind if I take a look?”

  “Knock yourself out,” Joel told him.

  Samuel grinned but said nothing as he began to scroll through the information Joel had entered. “This is a great profile.”

  Age: 26

  Profession: Football player

  Body Type: Athletic

  Height: 6’2”

  Interested in: Women

  Relationship status: Never married

  Have kids: No

  Want kids: Yes

  Ethnicity: Caucasian

  Smoke: Never

  Drink: Occasionally

  Perfect Date: Dinner at a good restaurant and a drive out to the beach to watch the stars over the water.

  Hobbies: Anything sports-related. Helping local charities.

  Favorite Book: Don’t have one.

  Favorite Type of Music: Rock, Country.

  “Now you just need a good picture of you to upload to the profile, and you’re all set,” Derick told him. “Better if you have a couple. Women like to see different aspects of your life by looking at the photos.”

  “I’ll upload a few once I get back home to my computer.”

  “Perfect. I’ll have those papers drawn up and sent over. Welcome aboard.”

  Joel shook both men’s hands and hoped like hell he wasn’t creating a problem for himself. “Sure, just let me clear it with my agent and team too. You know I can't make this decision myself. I can use the app, but the ad is up to them. I’m sure it’ll be fine though, as it isn’t a hookup app. They may be thrilled even — looking for a serious relationship is probably good for my image…”

  Internet dating. That’s something I never thought I’d be doing. I wonder what kind of woman the computer will match me with? Who knows? It could be a laugh...

  Chapter 4

  The next day…

  Veronica woke up the next morning, already mentally preparing herself to answer questions about her arrest the day before. She was currently working for Senator Tompkins, a senior ranking congressman she’d known since she was a little girl. Before running for office, he and her mother had been partners in the same law firm, and when he’d learned that she was going to law school, he’d stayed connected with her. He’d promised to help her find a position once she graduated that would give her plenty of time to find her niche in the world. Working in his office not only fulfilled her need for a paying job, but also came with many other perks and time to study for taking the bar exam.

  She drove into town, taking the first parking spot she found. Senator Tompkins’ main office was located at the State House building right in the middle of Boston. He had another office in D.C. but preferred to travel a bit rather than keep the D.C. office fully staffed. She grabbed her briefcase and headed down the sidewalk. The two-block walk was welcome most days, and today was no different.

  Her mind kept revisiting the day before, both her protest in front of the Uber headquarters and her conversation with her bestie, Steph. The latter taking up most of her mental energy. Steph had tried to convince her before that getting back out into the dating pool was the best way to get over Ted — just thinking about him put a sour taste in her mouth. Yuck!

  She forced thoughts of him from her head. She made it to the first cross street and was waiting for the pedestrian light to change, when one of the electronic billboards on the building directly across from her caught her eye. It was an explosive ad for one of the hottest new dating apps to come on the market. Duets – Because life was not meant to be a solo act. She watched as it promised to help women find their soul mate, saving them the discomfort of the perpetual dating cycle found in the clubs and bars.

  The ad’s use of catchy phrases like “You deserve to have a love of your own” and “Who are you spending the holidays with?” were like offering candy to children where lonely women were concerned. No one wanted to be alone, but in today’s fast-paced world, and with so many dangers out there, Duets appeared to be offering not only safety, but an end to their lonely existence.

  The fact that they appeared to be targeting their ad toward women got Veronica thinking that she might need to investigate this area as a possible place where women were being set up and preyed upon. She hadn’t really given any thought to broadening her campaign for women outside of the tech sector jobs, but this looked like it needed some consideration.

  She watched the ad while she waited for the lights at the crosswalk to change, looking at the faces of people who were professing to have found their mate by using the app. When the billboard switched to its latest spokesperson, Veronica’s eyebrows shot up when she saw Joel Marketis’ handsome face appear.

  He was decked out in his Patriots uniform, minus the helmet, and smiling directly into the camera. Veronica was stunned that he would even consider promoting a service like this. She’d grown up with him and had always considered him one of the good guys. He’d been one of the stars of the high school football team and Veronica had crushed on him for several years, but nothing had ever come of it. Joel was four years older than she was and she’d never even spoken to him. Still, she’d thought he was a nice guy, but seeing this? Was he just luring women into using an app that a) may not bring about much results b) could add to the problems of "hookup culture" stemming from dating apps?

  She couldn’t fathom how someone with his popularity, and a steady stream of models hanging on his arms from what she’d seen in the tabloids, would ever need to use a dating app. She thought about the many women who might have been on the fence about joining, but now would do so simply because Joel was also supposedly using the app.

  She hurried across the street, her mind running through various scenarios where the dating app and Joel’s endorsement of it were concerned. She reached the State House and hurried inside, nodding to the security guard as she quickly passed through the metal detector. She took the elevator up to the fourth floor and dumped her personal things at her desk before seeking out the senator. He was sitting at his desk reading the newspaper when the tapped on his door.

  “Senator, do you have a minute?”

  Senator Tompkins looked up and then smiled and waved her forward. “I see you are no worse for wear after yesterday’s excitement.”

  “Heard about that, did you?” she asked chagrined.

  He chuckled. “Word travels fast in these circles. And on social media. Is that what you wanted to discuss?”

  Veronica sighed. “If you feel we need to?”

  “Not especially. So, what else is on your mind? You’re not planning to stage another protest so soon?”

  “No. Actually, I saw something on my way to work this morning and wanted to get your opinion.” She told him about the billboard and how they were using a professional athlete to draw attention and encourage memberships.

  “I know I was focused on the tech sector as being the place that needed the most reform where women’s rights and treatment are concerned, but it occurred to me that maybe the online dating applications should be researched as well.”

  “That’s an interesting thought. As far as I know, there are no regulations in place, whatsoever, where those types of social media apps are concerned.”

  “So, anyone can sign up for a membership? I can see all sorts of problems there,” Veronica told him. “If you don’t have to verify your identity, what is there to stop predators and abusers from pretending to be someone to lure unsuspecting women into dangerous situations? I mean, I know there are a lot of success stories too, but
that doesn't mean that better security measures shouldn't be in place, to stop the bad stories from ever happening again.”

  “I agree is an area that definitely needs to be looked at. Why don’t you do a little research and see what you can find out. It’s not my area of expertise, and there may very well have been problems that have been overlooked as they are lucrative businesses.”

  “I’ll get right on that. What about the tech companies we already have information on?”

  “We have plenty to go on right now, especially with the women from Uber stepping forward and being willing to testify. I’ll see if I can get a hearing on the docket to evaluate how the laws need to be changed to offer greater protection to women working in this field.”