Ms. Match
2107 Words
At home, Regina was drinking hot tea. She was on the sofa with her arms around a pillow. She was staring at the ceiling, thinking about nothing in particular.
Is it just me or is it too quiet here?
She suddenly felt a weird rush of emotions. There were thoughts crossing her mind, thoughts she thought she had managed to push deep down a long time ago…
I hate this…
She didn’t usually mind the silence. It was just today. It felt so eerie being alone in this house. It felt a little empty. And perhaps her friends were right. She was starting to feel lonesome. Or maybe this thought was a result of brainwashing.
Uuuurrrggghhhhh…
Or maybe she was just bored… And what’s the cure for boredom?
Her phone started making a noise. She sat up and picked it up where she put it last. After a quick look at the screen, she saw there was a message from a match. She put it down right away and sat further away from where the phone was. Her eyes rolled at the thought, but she couldn’t stop herself from being curious.
No harm in looking!
She tapped the screen.
Should she or should she not?
Nope!
She's got pride. She will not be a victim of…
Oh, what the heck?!
Is she going to let curiosity get the better of her? She took the phone and opened the message. And it’s from a guy named Sven. The message read...
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Sven: Hello Rina! Hope you enjoyed your long weekend. My name is Sven and I’m new here. You’re gorgeous btw, impressed with the frankness of your profile. Cheers!
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Okay, not bad. She pursed her lips. At least there was an effort to compose a proper message. It also showed that he actually read her profile and not just look at her pictures.
Not bad at all!
The next thing she did was open the guy's profile. White guy!
Hhhhmmm...
She knew who swiped right on this. She was positive Ayvs did that.
His pictures were decent. He's good-looking, tall and slim.
In the first picture, he was seated holding a magazine about baking. The second picture was set in a garden and Sven was playing with a black Labrador.
In the third picture, he is laughing. The next picture showed the guy wearing sunglasses and leaning on a vintage car, a Jaguar E-type.
Mr. Fancy Pants!
She couldn't help herself but notice. She was also relieved that there were no indecent photos.
Good job!
He did have a photo without a shirt on but it was tasteful. The write-up on his profile was also good. It wasn't that long but it, at the very least, provided an insight into his character.
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Single. 33-year-old. Straight.
New in the country. Moved for work.
Love dogs, cats, and all animals. Vegan.
Looking to make genuine friends.
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No visible red flags! It wouldn’t hurt to respond to his message.
So she did.
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Rina: Hello Sven, how are you? Thanks for the message. My weekend was awesome. I went on a road trip with my friends. Btw, welcome to the country!
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She read her message twice before pressing 'send'. While on the app, she decided to read the other messages she received. The next one was from a guy named Marco.
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Marco: Hi Rina! Thot I wud stp by to say I thnk u’re a vgetable… bcuz u’re a cute-cumber =)
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Yikes!
She cringed at the cheesy pick-up line. In any case, she proceeded to open Marco's profile.
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28 yrs old. Ilonggo livng n wrkng in Mkti.
5’11”. Fit n avd gym-goer.
I fncy a grl hu luks aftr herslf.
If dat’s u, swpe rght n let’s meet!
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Uhmmm… Not my cup of tea.
She didn’t even bother looking at this guy’s photos.
Unmatched! Thank you, next!
She went back to the Messages section. There was one more unanswered message.
This one is from a certain Marv. And he wrote…
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Marv: Hello sweetheart! How are you doing? I read your profile and fell in love. I’m looking for a serious relationship and hope you’re looking for the same. I am from America and I can get you here. I can provide you a good life. Write to me and we can get to know each other.
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A big NO! Unmatch!
OMG. Men are either horny or crazy here.
And this is exactly why she didn't even want to sign up for this dating app in the first place.
It's shitty!
She put her phone down on the sofa. As soon as she stood, her phone lit up.
Sven sent a new message!
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Sven: Happy to hear back from you, Rina! Nice to hear about your weekend. I’m sure it was a blast.
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She sat back on the sofa, read the message, and composed a response.
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Rina: It was a blast. I have crazy but fun-loving friends. How are you, Sven?
Sven: I’m good, thanks for asking. I arrived in Manila on Saturday. I have been a bit busy unpacking and dealing with jetlag.
Rina: Sorry to hear about that. I’m sure you can manage, assuming you’re a big boy lol
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She smirked. She was purposefully teasing him. And she was surprised at how well their chat was going.
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Sven: Oh yeah, I am a big boy alright! Haha thanks for the vote of confidence
Rina: No worries, I do my best!
Sven: You certainly do!
Rina: So… are you into baking?
Sven: ?
Rina: Oh, you have that picture reading something about baking so I was wondering if you’re a baker lol
Sven: Oh that! No, I’m not a baker. Sorry to disappoint you
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Surprised at how quick his responses were, Reg couldn't help being amused.
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Rina: Not at all! You seem alright. So what is it that you do? I’m an operations manager in a BPO company.
Sven: That’s cool! I’m a hedge fund consultant. The company moved me here to look at their portfolio
Rina: Smarty pants!
Sven: Ahahaha I’m alright I guess… I met the team this morning. They all seem nice and welcoming so that’s good.
Rina: Sounds good. I hope your work treats you well.
Sven: It is work… Saying goodbye already? I thought we were doing okay…
Rina: We are I think… I just thought you’d be busy unpacking that’s all
Sven: That can wait. I’m enjoying talking to you
Rina: That’s sweet
Sven: I can be sweet you know What brings you here, Rina?
Rina: My friends signed me up because they’re concerned I might turn into an old maid lol
Sven: Is that so? Thank them for me then
Rina: Might be too soon to send them thanks haha
Sven: How have the guys here been treating you so far? I bet you’re getting a lot of attention
Rina: Well, there are plenty of weird ones as can be expected but I’m a big girl, I can handle them
Sven: Of course you can. You seem like someone who wouldn’t take BS. I like that
Rina: I try… What about you?
Sven: Honestly, I haven’t paid much attention to the app. And so far, this is the longest exchange I’ve had.
Rina: This is the first exchange I’ve had here. And I’m glad you don’t seem to be a weirdo
Sven: Haha Maybe some weirdness but I’m not too bad. I’m just here looking to make a connection and if it leads to something, I am open to that possibility. You?
Rina: To be honest, I have low expectations in this app but yeah, I’m open to possibilities too.
Sven: That’s good to hear. I’m glad we’re on the same page.
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Their conversation kept going. They jumped from one topic to another. She discovered that he liked cooking but he had diet restrictions.
He confessed he was not the easiest company going out because he wouldn’t eat meat. And he asked if she would be okay with it. She said she was up to the challenge as long as he had no problem with her eating meat.
She liked Sven's sense of humor. He seemed genuine and polite.
As it was getting late in the night, the tempo of their conversation was changing. She was the one who brought up the topic.
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Rina: I hope you don’t mind me asking, Sven. You seem like a nice guy, how come you’re unattached?
Sven: Ohhh, we’re getting serious… I don’t really know how to answer that question. I’ve had relationships before but they’ve ended. I’m on good terms with my exes. With my last one, I think after 3 years of being together, we just fell out of love. Throwing back the question to you.
Rina: Sorry, didn’t mean to throw you off there…
Sven: No worries but you’re not getting away from the question. Your turn in the hot seat, Miss!
Rina: Haha No, I’m not trying to get away anyway… Things didn’t work out with my last relationship. He was moving away and I really don’t believe that long-distance relationships could work. Perhaps, what we felt for each other just wasn’t strong enough for us to be moved to take a chance.
Sven: Intriguing. Come on, don’t hold back on my account. Were you scared? What was it?
Rina: Oh, you’re not letting it go, huh?
Sven: Nope!
Rina: This really isn’t something I like to talk about. I even avoided this conversation with my friends. Perhaps some other time, Sven…
Sven: Okay then. I understand.
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It was almost one in the morning when they both decided to end the conversation and continue talking in the morning. That night, she slept with a smile on her lips. She liked Sven.
He’s cute and funny!
She didn't realize how much she had missed having an interaction such as that with the opposite s*x. There was something about Sven that made her comfortable.
Maybe it was too early to tell, but she hoped this could lead to a good friendship at the very least. Perhaps only time would tell but she was hoping for the best.
Maybe this wasn’t a bad idea after all.
But she wouldn't admit this to her friends. Right now, she would keep the Sven thing to herself.
While preparing for work the next morning, she received another message from Sven.
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Sven: Good morning beautiful! I wanted to thank you for a nice conversation last night. And I wish you a nice day!
Rina: Good morning to you as well! Thank you, it was nice talking to you too. Have a wonderful day!
Sven: I was hoping we could catch up when you’re not busy. Feel free to drop me a message, alright?
Rina: Okay. Will do!
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It was Tuesday and she was working from home. She found herself in a very good mood. The day got busier for her and she couldn't find the time to reply to Sven's message. She was jumping from one online meeting to another. It got so hectic that she couldn't be on her phone for more than a minute.
Wednesday wasn't any different. She had many reports to complete. As she was making a mental list of all the things she needed to do, she dozed off.
Because she was so busy, Reg hardly noticed the days passing by. Suddenly it was Friday. The end of the work week was the busiest. She could hardly wait for the day to be over.
She was not looking forward to Sunday either. Her friends already sent numerous reminders about their group calls when she had to share what was going on with her dating adventures in the app. There wasn't much to tell them, but she could tell them about Sven.
OMG! Sven!
She had not been able to respond to his messages. She intended to but it kept slipping over her mind.
From the last message she read from him, he suggested moving their conversation to i********: and he gave her his contact. She couldn't remember the last time she managed to reply. Anyway, she would have time over the weekend. She needed to survive this day first.
Finally, Friday ended. She did not need to wait until tomorrow. She opened a dating app. She was going to chat with Sven and she was excited. A frown was forming on her face as she was scrolling through the messages. She couldn't see the conversation thread between them.
Huh?! What's going on?
- Writer
