Page 55 of A Lot to Unpack
‘Or not?’ Jordan adds gently.
‘No, I am better off, definitely,’ I say, forcing a smile. ‘It’s just… hard to move on.’
‘I understand,’ he replies.
I wonder if he really does though. He doesn’t seem like someone who’s struggling to move on. Then again, maybe that’s just the face he puts on for the world. Maybe he’s just better at hiding it than I am.
I polish off the last bite of my slice of cake. Honestly, considering I ordered from the first place I could see – it’s not like I checked reviews or anything – it was incredible.
‘I’d better let you go,’ Jordan says, finishing his champagne.
‘You don’t have to,’ I say quickly, surprising myself. I’m actually… kind of enjoying this. Hanging out with him.
He gives me a smile.
‘I’m sure you need to dry your hair,’ he reminds me.
Ah, yes, my hair – I guess I need to actually wash it too, or it will dry like straw.
‘Oh, right, yeah,’ I say. ‘And finally take my makeup off.’
‘Yeah.’ He chuckles. ‘You look like you’ve been waterboarded.’
I laugh too – mostly because I kind of have, just by my own hand.
He walks to the adjoining door.
‘Goodnight, Liberty.’
‘Goodnight,’ I reply. ‘Thanks for the cake.’
‘Anytime,’ he replies.
He closes the door behind him. Then, after a second or two, I hear him lock it.
Okay, so I didn’t manage to swap the contract. The mission continues to be impossible. But I did get a slice of cake, a glass of champagne, and a surprisingly decent conversation out of it.
It might not be what I set out to get, but I’m happy it’s what I ended the evening with.
And there’s always tomorrow…
21
Today Jordan is doing a talk at some business event, where people have travelled from far and wide to hear him talk about the place dating apps have in modern society.
Thinking about it, dating apps aren’t really that new any more, are they? Online dating has been around forever, but the apps were something new, something fresh – something everyone who was anyone was doing. But, shit, that was like ten years ago. I feel a million years old now.
It’s a big room, with rows and rows of people, all here to hang off Jordan’s every word. The lights are low, and the spotlight is on him. He’s wearing one of those cool headsets that sits on his ear and hovers in front of his lips.
He looks good up there. He’s wearing a white shirt and a smart pair dark blue trousers – if you didn’t know why you were here, you could think he was a sexy pop star or a motivational speaker. I’ve never known someone so confident and charming. It fascinates me.
‘So, I know what you’re thinking, here’s one of the people who started Matcher – the hook-up app,’ he begins, grabbing everyone’s attention.
The room chuckles in recognition.
‘And, yes, okay, some people use it that way,’ he continues. ‘But, really, we didn’t invent the hook-up. People have been hooking up since the beginning of time. It’s not a new concept but, like with anything, technology has only made it easier.’
‘Thank you,’ a male voice calls out from the audience.
