Page 46 of Mine Again
Hi Isabella,
Your profile made me laugh… and then double-check my shuffling technique. (Spoiler: it’s trash. I now feel deeply inadequate.)
Card games sound like my kind of therapy. Especially with snacks. I’m also good at sitting quietly and pretending I’m winning.
And I don’t call women “baby.” I barely call anyone; I have texting anxiety.
Quick question though: when you say you “know when to disappear,” should I be concerned or impressed?
Andrea
P.S. I bet I can beat you at blackjack, but I’ll let you win the first round (strategic charity).
I smirk.
Okay. That was… actually good?
He’s clever. Self-aware. He even made a joke about my profile instead of quoting it like a pickup line.
And he signed itAndrea.
I sit with it a second too long, fingers frozen over the keyboard.
No way the universe hands me someone decent on the first try.
I don’t reply. I need to see what the rest of this site has to offer first.
You know… the truth.
Spoiler: it’s horrifying.
Chapter Sixteen
Isabella
The next morning, I can’t wait to see if more messages have landed in my inbox.
I roll over in bed, tug the laptop onto my lap, and log into my account.
Ping. Ping. Ping.
My eyebrows rise. I blink.
Two hundred and three new messages.
Wait. Is that… right?
I stare at the number like it might shrink if I squint hard enough.
Two hundred and three.
Geez, is that normal?
I mean, I expected some interest. But this feels like I accidentally advertised myself as a free yacht giveaway.
A flicker of hope stirs in my stomach, cutting through the skepticism.
Surely, somewhere in that digital avalanche, there are at least a few decent options. There has to be.
