Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Harry

“Did you hear about this?” Jesse asked, holding up the phone to her father.

Harry glanced over at Jesse on the couch from his spot at the table, “Hear about what?”

“This reality show. It’s like a social experiment. They’re trying to find out if people can fall in love without ever actually seeing each other. Apparently, all the people talk through a wall or something until they find ‘the one’ and then they propose and meet in real life and see if they can make it to the wedding. It says that they’re looking for volunteers.”

“Really?” Harry asks, not looking up from the device he’s been working on, “I can’t imagine anyone who would willingly sign up for something like that.”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “it sounds kind of fun.”

That caught his attention. He dropped the tools from his hands and turned his head toward her. “You’re not thinking of doing it, are you?”

“No, of course not. It just sounds pretty interesting.” Jesse replies, staring at the phone in her hand.

“Good. I hope that’s all it is,” Harry comments, returning to the device in front of him.

She turns to him then, “you mean you’d really never consider doing something like this?”

He scoffs at the idea. “No, absolutely not.”

“Oh, come on. Maybe it would do you some good.”

“Do me some good?”

“Yeah, come on, Dad. I mean… you don’t have much of a social life.”

“I have friends”

“Yeah, like, five who live in another city and you go months at a time without seeing.”

“Wh—”

She interrupts him, not entertaining his excuses, “and coworkers don’t really count. Dad, you're always working. I know that you enjoy it but don’t you think you need more than that to be fulfilled?”

“I have you.”

“I know and I love you but I can’t be the only important person in your life… I know you don’t like talking about her, but Mom made you so happy and I know you haven’t been with anyone since, so maybe now’s the time to get back out there. Find someone who makes you happy. Someone other than me.”

“…Jesse,” he hesitates, “your mother…” he can’t. “ I don’t need to be with anyone else. My life is fine the way that it is and even if it wasn’t, going on some ridiculous reality show isn’t going to help me.”

“Fine, Dad. And I’m not saying it’s the answer to all your problems, I’m just saying it could be fun. A chance to do something you’ve never done before, get out of your comfort zone. Maybe even meet someone. I don’t know, I… You know all I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy.” He meets her eyes then. “But I know that kind of thing isn’t really you.” She stands up from the couch and grabs her bag. “Anyway, I should go, I’m meeting up with some friends. I’ll see you later, Dad.”

“Bye, Honey.” He calls after her as she walks toward the door.

Harry looks up at the clock in his home office, 1:13 am. He’s been working on this all day and now well into the night. He said he would go to bed soon, that was about an hour ago. Yet, he keeps working. He’ll go into S.T.A.R. Labs tomorrow, plenty of time to continue then, but he’s so close, just a little longer.

And then he remembers Jesse. She got home a few hours ago and told him goodnight. Hours later he’s still up. Her words from earlier ring in his mind,

you’re always working.

Well, of course he’s always working. His job is his life. What else would he do? And that can’t be all, can it? He spends his time doing other things.

You don’t have much of a social life.

That can’t be true. Just this morning he went to the cafe. He got a coffee and… and came straight back home to his work. But he does have friends. Friends he cares about and who care about him. He saw them just— just two months ago. That’s fine. It’s fine. Jesse, his work, his science, that’s all he needs. Isn’t it?

Don’t you think you need more than that to be fulfilled.

The framed photo on the corner of his desk catches his eye. In the photo is Jesse, smiling wide, next to her is Tess. Her mother.

You know all I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy.

His curiosity gets the better of him. His hands travel to his computer and he begins to type into the search engine. As he looks over the information on the experiment, he can’t help but think that maybe Jesse’s right. (of course she’s right. She’s the smartest person in the world) And maybe it wouldn’t hurt to at least try something like this… for his daughter, for himself.

y/n

“Have you seen this reality show thing?” Emily—your best friend of many years—asks, talking over the voices coming from the tv.

“No,” you reply, picking up the remote and pausing the movie, “what is it?”

“Apparently there’s a reality show coming out where the point is to get people to fall in love without seeing each other in person,” Emily explains as she reads through the information on her phone. “Like, the players communicate through walls and they’re supposed to meet and fall in love and get engaged all before they meet in person. And then they meet in real life to see if their relationship can withstand everything.”

“Seriously?” You give her a look from the other side of the couch, “and they’re legit supposed to get married?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I don’t think they have to, the whole point is just to see if it works.”

“There’s no way people would actually want to do that.”

“Yeah, it does seem kind of crazy, but it would probably be pretty entertaining”

“I’m sure it would. Honestly though, it might actually work. All the participants would have at least one thing in common.”

“What would that be?”

“They’re crazy enough to willingly participate in something like that.”

“I mean.. You’re right, but it sounds kind of fun. Maybe we should do it.”

You whip your head up to face her at that, “what?”

“Yeah, they’re asking for volunteers.”

“Oh my god, no” you begin to adjust your position on the couch. “And don’t you have a boyfriend?”

“Okay, I guess I couldn’t do it. But you could.”

“Why on Earth would I do that?”

“I know you want a man. And it could be fun. I mean you’re always complaining about not having a life.”

“Wh— I mean, that’s true—”

“Exactly, this could be your chance to get out of the house and do something crazy. I think it could be cool.”

“Do you really think I should?”

Emily sits up at your question. “Are you actually considering it?”

“You said I should do it!”

“Well, I was joking at first. But I mean… why not?”

“No, I could never do something like that,” you say, gathering your blanket in your hands and pulling it farther up your chest. “ I mean my anxiety’s already horrible and then being on tv? And it’s a reality show too so there’s gonna be so much drama.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But it is pretty crazy so you might not even end up meeting anyone anyway and they’d just send you home. That’s probably the worst that could happen and you’d still be able to say you tried something like that.”

“…I guess you’re right. — I can’t believe I’m actually considering this. I mean… oh my God, should I?”

“Yes, girl, please do it. It would be so cool.”

“Let me see it,” you reach towards her for her phone and she hands it to you. As you look over the information for the show, your curiosity intensifies. “I think I’m actually considering doing this. But the deadline for a decision is in like two weeks. I think I’ll give myself some time to think about it.”

“You mean talk yourself out of it,” she half mumbles under her breath.

“I’m not gonna talk myself out of it. I’m just trying to make responsible decisions and not be so impulsive.”

“Okay… if you say so.”

“Can we just get back to our movie?”

You grab the remote and press play, trying to refocus on the movie. The previous conversation being forgotten, but not entirely. The idea sits at the back of your head for the remainder of the movie. And even later when you lie in bed trying to fall asleep.

You continue to deliberate on it for the rest of the week. When Emily first brought it up, it seemed like a joke but the more you think about it, the more it seems like… an opportunity. Emily was right when she brought up your complaining about not having a life. Your social life mostly consists of work and Emily, besides her you don’t have very many friends. This would be a chance to get out of the house, do something fun and crazy for once. Make some new friends or even possibly meet someone.

You’ve had a few boyfriends in the past, but none of them were… right. Also, with your lack of a social circle, you don’t meet too many guys and when you do, well, you usually wish you hadn’t. For the most part, you’re pretty realistic, so do you genuinely believe you’re going to meet the love of your life on a reality show? No, of course not, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.

Chapter Text

You let out an awkward laugh, not sure what to say. You’re currently in a confessional, facing the cameras and answering questions. “Honestly, I don’t think you want to know what I thought when I first heard about this.”

“That’s alright, just give us your honest opinion.”

“Okay,” you begin, “well, when I first heard about this, I thought it was a joke. It seemed like a ridiculous reality tv show where a bunch of adults make dumb decisions. Kind of just a cesspool of drama for an audience to feed off of.”

“Then why did you come?”

“Um, my friend convinced me that it could be fun and who knows, it might actually work.”

Day One of the Experiment

Walking into the lounge area for the first time, you’re overcome with nerves. It’s a nice place. It’s decorated to be a large modern living room with a small kitchen and dining area (and a bar, of course). There are a lot of couches and loveseats throughout the room, a few coffee tables too. There’s also a pool table in the corner. The room is also full of other women. You’re surrounded by people, none of which you know. This is going to be difficult, having to introduce yourself to everyone and… talk. Actually, you should probably get used to that talking part, seeing as how that’s all you’re going to be doing for the foreseeable future.

As you walk in, a few of the women smile and wave at you, you return them. You see a seat in the room that isn’t too close to everyone else and you head straight for it. In social settings you usually keep to yourself. Hopefully, that won’t be too difficult here, but then again you wouldn’t want to come off as weird to the other women.

And, oh God, this is a reality tv show and you’re all going to be talking to the same men. This room is probably where a lot of the drama will be. Jesus, you wish they hadn’t taken everyone’s phones. It would be nice to drown things out with some music.

Just then, the door opens and in walks the hosts, Nick and Vanessa Lachey. The famous married couple whose goal here, you’re assuming, is to help you all find what they have. When they both walk in, everyone looks up and some of the women even clap. You do not clap.

Nick and Vanessa say hello and exchange niceties with the group, before introducing themselves. “Ladies, welcome to the blind love experiment,” Nick begins and everyone claps again. You’re still far too nervous to be truly excited yet. After the applause dies down, he continues. “Here, you will choose someone to marry…without ever seeing them.” Everyone lets out a nervous laugh at that. They’re probably regretting their decisions, you know you’re beginning to.

Vanessa picks up where her husband left off, “we live in such a disconnected and distracted world. Your value is often judged solely by the photo on your dating app.” At that, everyone nods their heads and agrees. “But everyone wants to be loved for who they are. Not for their looks, their race, their background, or their income.” When she finishes, everyone once again agrees enthusiastically.

“Psychologists believe that emotional connection is the key to long-term marital success…not physical attraction,” Nick explains.

“So here,” Vanessa begins, “ your relationships will begin by forging an intimate bond, with nothing to distract you. Here’s how it’s going to work. Over the next 10 days, ladies, you’re going to live on this side, and the men will live on the other side. You’re going to speak to a stream of potential love interests.”

“But here’s the catch. Looks won’t play a factor. We’ve taken away your devices.”

“The only time you’re going to interact is in one of the private pods. You’re going to be separated by one thin wall. You won’t ever get to see each other. “ Vanessa pauses and you look around to see everyone’s reactions. Some of them laugh, some of them nod, and some of them look… surprised. You wonder if any of them are as nervous as you are. You hope so. Falling in love and getting engaged to someone you’ve only gotten to know for 10 days? …Okay.

Nick interrupts your train of thought, “Ultimately, all decisions are yours. You can choose who you want to spend time with. Once you choose the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you’ll propose. If they accept, you will finally get to see your fiance for the very first time.”

“You’re gonna leave here together as an engaged couple with a wedding date.” When Vanessa says that, a stream of ‘oh my god’s sound around the room.

“You’ll move in together, see your family and friends and in just four weeks, you’ll be at your wedding.” The girls freak out again at that part. “This is arguably the biggest decision you’ll ever make in life.”

“Will you say ‘I do’ to the person that you’ve chosen right here, sight unseen? Or will physical realities in the real world sabotage you, and will you walk away from them forever?”

“This, literally, is the first time an experiment like this has ever been done.”

“We all have to remember the central question: is love truly blind?”

“We hope so.” Nick chimes in with that comedic relief. It doesn’t really help much.

“If you’re ready to find the love of your life, then walk through those doors,” She points to the brown double doors at the front of the room, “because the pods are now open.”

After she says that, the women cheer and stand up. You’re frozen. You’re going to talk to them now? You just got here, you’ve hardly even recovered from that long speech. You watch from your spot on the couch as the other women begin filing out of the room, you’re not ready. Your fear must be written all over your face, Vanessa catches your eyes and smiles at you. She nods her head and waves you on. Hesitantly, you stand up and begin to follow the other women.

What the hell have you gotten yourself into?

You push open the door and walk into the ‘pod’. It’s a small room and if you’re being honest, it actually seems pretty cozy. It’s dark with ambient lighting. In the middle of the room is a couch, it’s facing a wall with a tall, blue glowing panel, next to that is a table with refreshments. You sit on the couch trying your best to get comfortable.

It hits you then that on the other side of the wall is a person, who you’re going to have to talk to. Thankfully, though, it’ll only be for about 10 minutes. Today is the first day so it’s pretty much just speed dating and each date has a time limit, so that everyone has a chance to talk to each other.

“Hello?” Oh, shit. Time for your first date.

“Um, hi,” You reply to the deep, disembodied voice.

“Oh, hey, I’m Barnett.” Getting right into it then.

“I’m y/n.”

“Nice to meet you, y/n. So, how old are you?”

Oh God, this is going to take forever. “Um, I’m 35. How about you?”

“I’m 27. Hope you’re alright with younger guys.” He tries to joke.

“We’ll see.” You still feel awkward, but luckily you have a notebook and pen to take notes, something to do with your hands. You write down Barnett’s name and age. “So, what do you do?”

“Oh, uh, I’m an engineer,” he continues to explain a little more about his work, “what about you?”

You tell him what you do and he responds with about as much interest as you showed him.“What are your hobbies outside of work?”

“Well, for one I like to play sports, specifically baseball. I’ve played it my whole life.”

“Cool,” you feign interest, “what position?”

“Like, what’s my favorite position, is that what you’re asking?”

No, that is obviously not what you were asking. You don’t even know how to respond to that. So, you don’t, you just sigh and it seems like he gets the hint because he finally answers your actual question. Then, he asks you about your own hobbies in return and you two continue to get the small things out of the way.

From what you’ve heard so far, Barnett is obviously a bit of a player. Not your type at all. Also, he’s made about two or three more jokes like the ‘favorite position’ one and it got old about five minutes ago. “...Can we, like, not with the innuendos. It’s kind of annoying.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s just that almost every other time I’ve asked you a question, you’ve somehow related it to something sexual and I just don’t see any reason for it.”

“Hey, I mean, it’s a reality show. We’re here to get to know each other, we might as well just loosen up, have some fun, you know?” You can practically see him shrugging his shoulders.

If he could see the look on your face, he probably would have shut up already, “are you trying to say that I should lighten up?”

“Yeah” he laughs “kinda.”

You immediately cross out Barnett’s name.

Four dates later and you’ve met five very different men. One of which obviously doesn’t understand the rules of the experiment because, almost immediately, he started asking you about your appearance. No, thank you. Two of them were nice, but you’re not sure if they’re the one for you. And the other one… no. So far you’re 0 for 5. Let’s see how number 6 goes.

“Hello?” You ask. This is the first time you’ve had to be the first person to speak.

“Hello,” a hesitant voice speaks out from the other side of the wall.

“Um, I’m y/n.”

“Harrison.” Only one word answers so far. He must not be much of a talker. Then again, you aren’t either.

“Uh, how old are you, Harrison?” You thought it was annoying when the other person did all the talking, but it might be worse when you have to do it instead.

“I’m 46. What about yourself?” Finally, Jesus. You take note of his name and age in your journal.

“I’m 35… is that alright?”

“Is it alright that you’re 35?”

You almost rolled your eyes for the thousandth time today. “I mean the age difference.”

“Oh, right I, I don't feel too bothered by it. Do you?”

“No, I don't think so. Honestly, I kind of always thought I'd end up with someone older.”

“Okay.” …Damn, way to make me feel dumb.

“You don’t talk much do you?”

“No, I guess not. I—this is,” he stumbles over his words like he doesn’t know what to say. You understand.

“Hey, it’s alright. I’m not very good at talking to people either. It’s sort of part of the reason why I’m here. Are you nervous?”

“...Yes,” you can tell he’s being honest, “yeah, I am. This isn’t really my thing.”

“How has it been talking to the other contestants?”

“Difficult, I’d have to say, but I wasn’t too worried about impressing them anyway.”

“Yeah, I get that. So far I haven’t met anyone worth impressing either. You know, when I first got here I was incredibly nervous.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I walked in and I was just immediately overwhelmed. When they told us the pods were open and everyone got up to start meeting the guys, I just sat there.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t think we would start so soon. Obviously, I made it in here, but a part of me didn’t know what I had gotten myself into.”

This time, when he speaks, his voice seems less strained. “I feel the same way.”

You smile at that, your first genuine one all day. “Anyway,” you sigh, feeling more relaxed, “what do you do? Like, what’s your job?”

“I’m a scientist/entrepreneur. I’m the founder of a research company, we mostly specialize in technology.”

“Wow, that’s very impressive.” You make a note of this in your journal, “what’s the name of your company?”

“Well, I don’t think I should say.”

Um, suspicious much? “Why not?”

“The producers thought it would be best if I didn’t say. It’s somewhat of a prominent company and we wouldn’t want anyone to recognize it and, in turn, me.”

“So you’re saying that your company is famous enough that you could be recognized just by the name.”

“Uh, well… Yes, that is what I’m saying.”

You begin to wonder if he’s famous or something, better yet if he’s rich. But you don’t let yourself linger on it for too long. You don’t want to know who he is, you don’t want to spoil things for yourself.

“Okay then, if you’re a scientist, are you a doctor, I mean, do you have a Ph. D or anything like that?”

“Yes, a few.”

“I’m sorry, did you just say a few?”

“Yes, I did.”

“How many is a few?”

“...” You let out a laugh at his lack of a response.

“Okay, I admire your lack of bragging but, come on, just tell me about yourself.”

“Seven. I have seven Ph. Ds.”

Your jaw practically drops open. Seven Ph. Ds. Who the hell is this man? “That’s incredible. You’re serious?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Wow, okay. That’s…wow.”

“Anyway,” he begins, “what about you? What do you do for work?”

“Oh, well, I’m an English teacher. I teach high schoolers.” You usually get varied reactions from telling people that you’re a teacher. They usually range from admiration to pity.

“Really, what’s that like?” Interest. That’s not a reaction you get often.

“Well, it can be pretty stressful at times, but honestly, it’s pretty fun. I like being able to bond with my students and make a difference in their lives. I always remember my favorite teachers from when I was a kid and they had an impact on me. It’s nice to think that I could do that for someone else.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you. What made you choose English?” Wow, the other guys you talked to didn’t spend this much time on this question.

“Well, I know this is going to sound odd coming from a teacher, but when I was younger, I hated school. It was mostly because I didn’t have very many friends and all the work I had to do. So, for a while I never thought I’d really want to be a teacher. Anyway, despite my dislike for school there were a few classes that I did enjoy. I remember a college class I took, Experiences in Literature. We went through different time periods and read certain pieces from each one and after we read them, we’d just talk about them. And it was so interesting to me. I loved being able to analyze a piece of literature and have it make sense. Not to mention I had a crush on the professor.” You laugh at yourself, hoping he actually wants to hear your reasoning.

And he lets out a chuckle when you mention your professor. That must be a good sign.

“Anyway, I felt like that with pretty much all of my English classes. It was always my best class too. I guess it was just the subject I felt the most connected to.”

“Hm, I always felt the same way about math and science.”

“I can definitely see that.” This is probably the most you’ve comfortably talked with someone so far. You take in a deep breath, working yourself up to the major questions. “Okay, so seeing as how this is the first day I think it’s best if we go ahead and get the big questions out in the open to see if we’re compatible.”

“Yes, I think that’s wise.”

“Okay, um, do you want kids?”

“I actually have a daughter myself.”

Okay, you weren’t expecting that. “Really, how old is she?”

“She’s 21 now, her name’s Jesse.”

“Jesse, that’s a pretty name. If you don’t mind me asking, what about her mother?”

He hesitates, “well, we were married, for a while, and we had Jesse but a couple of years ago… she passed away.”

“I’m sorry.” You know that’s what everyone says but what else are you supposed to say? That seems awful, no wonder he wasn’t into this whole thing.

“What about you? Do you have any children or want any?”

“No, I don’t have any children and honestly, I don’t want any right now. As for in the future, I’m not sure. When I was younger, I assumed I would but the older I’ve gotten, I’ve realized that I probably wouldn’t know until I was with my partner. Although, now I’ve begun to think I might be fine without having children and I’m already 35 anyway, but who knows I could change my mind. What about you, do you want any more kids?”

“Well, I didn’t think I’d be getting married again until a few weeks ago, let alone have any more children. So no, not particularly but if it were to come up, I’d be willing to consider it.” Okay, that’s good you pretty much agree on that topic.

“Okay.” You try to think of more important questions. “Are you religious?”

“No, not at all.”

“Yeah, I’m not either. When I was growing up, a lot of my family was religious but it was never my thing.”

“That’s how it usually is, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it seems like it.” For now, those are the biggest deal breakers that you can think of, so you move on to a lighter topic, “okay, what are your hobbies? What do you like to do outside of work?”

“Well, I don’t really have too many hobbies. My work is a big part of my life and I don’t spend my time doing much else. So, a lot of my time at home is spent working on something.”

Okay, can’t relate. “And you enjoy it?”

“Yes, I do.”

You’re not sure what to say to that. You can’t imagine being that immersed in your job. At least he’s able to do something that he’s truly passionate about.

Harrison senses your confusion. “I realize,” he begins, “that I don’t have much of a life outside of work. My daughter made that very clear. It’s mostly the reason that I decided to participate in this.”

“Really?” You ask, “I feel the same way. Like I don’t have much of a life. Sometimes it feels like my days are just spent going to work and then coming home.”

“So, you don’t have very many hobbies either?”

“No, I do have things that I enjoy doing, but none that really get me out of the house.”

“What are they, then?” Wow, he seems genuinely interested in getting to know you.

“Well, for one I love listening to music. I love books too, I read a lot. I also enjoy writing, when I can. And, obviously, spending time with my friends.”

“Okay, what kind of books do you read?”

You often get a bit nervous when people ask you this, “Um fiction, for sure, mostly romance. And I know that most people, when they hear ‘romance novels’, they think of those books that 50 year old women read with some illustrated cover of a woman stroking the chest of a shirtless man. But that’s not quite what I read. I enjoy mysteries too and a few other genres but mostly romance.” You hope to God you haven’t embarrassed yourself too much, “what about you? Do you read at all?”

“I’ll be honest with you. I think I am one of those people that had that image in my head, but I’ll take your word for it. As for myself, I do read a bit, mostly informational readings though, biographies, things like that.”

“You’re quite the intellectual, aren’t you? Although, I personally don’t think I could ever read nonfiction for fun.”

He lets out a small laugh at that, “I’ll keep that in mind. You said you enjoy writing, tell me about that.”

“Okay, um, like I said, I’m an english teacher and I like to read so it only makes sense that I like to write. I first started writing years ago when I was a teenager, by now it’s become a big hobby. I have a pretty active imagination. I spend a lot of time in my head so I often take to writing down some of the stories that I think up. It’s a pretty effective way to vent and it makes me feel connected to something.” You hadn’t gotten this far with any of the other contestants, things seem different with Harrison.

“Have you ever thought of writing professionally? Maybe even writing a book of your own?”

“I definitely considered it when I was younger but I decided to become a teacher instead. As for writing a book, I always thought that felt impossible, but as I’ve grown writing has gotten a bit easier. So who knows? Maybe one day.”

“Well, I—”

Just then, Harrison is interrupted by a producer. Apparently, your 10 minutes are up. Time to move on to some other stranger.

“Oh, well, um,” you stand up from the couch, “ it was nice meeting you, Harrison—”

“Harry.”

“What?”

“Harry, you can call me Harry.”

Oh, you can’t help but smile at that. “Well, I look forward to talking to you again, Harry.”

“So do I.”

Walking out of the pod and into the hallway, you can’t help but think that maybe this whole ‘love is blind’ thing isn’t a total bust.

Hours later, you're seated at a table in the lounge. Today took a lot out of you. You’re not sure you’ve spoken that much in your life. At least you had breaks throughout the day

“Does size matter, or is it the motion in the ocean?” You overhear a conversation some of the other women are having. So far it hasn’t been too stressful with all of them here. They all seem pretty nice. “It’s the size that matters,” another woman responds, “because there’s no motion in any ocean without the thing that makes the motion go. If it’s very tiny…”

Then someone else interrupts her, “Why does it have to be very tiny?” All the women burst out at that.

You laugh too, although you don’t have enough courage to join in quite yet. Maybe Emily was right. This could be fun.

You’re currently working on your list of potential candidates. For the first day, you’re supposed to rate who you liked the most and the least, so the producers can arrange dates for everyone. Once everyone has narrowed down their choices and figured out what they like, many of the people who haven’t made a connection will be sent home throughout the experiment. You thought you would be in that group, but so far you’re not entirely disappointed.

You spoke to about 20 or more men today. On the current page in your journal, you have all of their names and ages written down. The majority of the men you met today were definite ‘No’s. Those names have a line through them, you probably won’t talk to them again. And then about five of the men were nice but you’re not entirely sure if they’re right for you. They have an X beside their names. And lastly, there were about 4 guys that you wouldn’t mind talking to again. Those are your ‘maybe’s and their names have been left blank.

But, of the 4 names on the list, there is only one that you’ve been particularly hopeful to speak to again. Harry.

Talking to him was easy and he shared similar fears with you as well as reasons behind coming here. He was also one of the only people that you almost ran over your time with. And there was just something about his voice. Maybe… maybe you could really find something here, or someone.