Page 10 of Just a Friend for the Lion
Just to look.
The app opened with a soft chime, and to my surprise, the whole thing looked normal.
Like sleek, modern, non-threatening normal. A simple interface.
Big buttons.
Clear directions.
No flashing hearts. No singing cupids. No video of Uncle Uzzi in a sparkly robe.
The home screen read:
“Welcome to Date to Mate. Ready to find your fate?”
Below that, I saw two buttons.YesandNot Yet.
I jabbedNot Yet.
And the app—get this—respected my choice.
Huh. Color me surprised.
“See?” Uzzi sipped his water smugly. “No cursed runes. No mating horn. Just you, the app, and maybe your destiny if you’re not a coward.”
“I’m not a coward,” I muttered, already filling in my basic info.
Name. Species. Age. Preferred species for matches. (I skipped ‘No Preference’ and checked Human, Shifter, and Witch, with a small shrug.)
Then came the questions.
Favorite smell? Cinnamon, leather, motor oil, ocean, pizza.
Pizza, obviously.
Greatest fear?
I typed carefully:Falling for someone who makes me want to stay.
That one made my chest tight.
So I erased it and typed:Airplane bathrooms.
The app didn’t judge. It just kept going.
Simple. Fast. Weirdly calming.
By the time I finished, I had a faint buzz under my skin. Like something wasclickinginto place.
“Are you done?” Uzzi asked, too innocent.
“Yeah. I filled it out. Don’t start planning the wedding.”
He cackled like an ancient trickster god. “No weddings. Not yet. But the algorithm is already weaving, Carter. The threads of fate are being spun. The cards are?—”
“Okay, enough Tarot talk,” I said, shoving the phone into my pocket like it might explode. “We eatin’ or what?”
“Of course. Ah, here it comes!” Uncle Uzzi said with a knowing grin that made my hackles rise.
