Page 11 of Jake

“I think I am.” Lauren grinned. It was time to move forward.

They made it back uptown and the men carried all her boxes to their apartment. After seeing them out, they started unpacking.

Catherine asked her questions as she went through a box of memories she had stashed away. It was full of ticket stubs, play bills and programs, old photos, and some random jewelry.

Lauren answered her and told her about the memory that went with the things she picked out. She sat next to her on the bed and pulled out a few memories herself, taking a long overdue trip down memory lane.

“Oh!” Catherine pulled out her phone and her grin went from happy to mischievous. “Did you download the app yet?”

“Not yet, we’ve been busy.” Lauren pulled her phone out.

“Gimme.” Catherine held her hand out, opening and closing it quickly.

Lauren unlocked it and handed it over to her friend. They spent the next few hours putting away her things and answering questions in a very long survey.

“I’m hungry,” Lauren complained.

“It’s almost done. Let’s order in while we wait.” Catherine handed her phone back and fixed the bed where she’d been sitting.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” She followed Catherine to the living room where they debated what to order.

Lauren was sitting on the couch terrified she’d drop her pizza on the white cushions when her phone chimed loudly from the coffee table.

“Oh, that’s it!” Catherine clapped her hands together in excitement.

“What’s it?” Lauren set her plate down and wiped her hands before picking up her phone. “Oh, it says my date analysis is ready.”

“I’m so excited.” Catherine was getting giddy over it.

“It says I have matched well with my date at 94%. Apparently that’s rare,” she read out loud.

“I knew it!”

“Guess that’s a good thing for this date.” She kept reading. “It says I can choose to chat with him before the date.”

“Do it, you want to get to know the person,” Catherine urged.

“Mm-hmm.” Lauren chose it and set her phone back down.

“You’ll see, this is going to be such a great date.”

Lauren nodded as she picked her food back up. “This is going to be interesting for sure.”

“I have to go out tonight, stuff with my parents,” Catherine complained.

Having met Catherine’s parents, she understood her friend’s lack of desire to go. They were overbearing and very judgmental of their children.

“Cade too?” Lauren wondered aloud.

“Yep, otherwise I wouldn’t be going. Someone has to keep the fist fights from breaking out.

“I’ll be back very late, so I’ll see you tomorrow.” Catherine unfolded her long legs from the couch and stood. “Stupid cocktail functions.”

“I’m sorry,” Lauren told her.

“Me too.”

Catherine left to get ready, and Lauren picked up her phone again. The app gave very little information about her date, just a first initial, age, and an overview of the same survey she had just taken.

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