The beginning

"Princess, you need to get out some more. Come on out with us on Friday?” Marco said.

"Nah, the whole club scene isn't my thing.” She replied without looking up from the report she was looking over.

"Well, you need to go out. Seriously kid, you are wasting away in here and look at you are beautiful; it's wasted on us in here. Go find a man to shine with him.” Marco continued.

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that? I work eighteen hours a day, six days a week. Where is this mystery man I keep hearing about that will accept that?” She said, looking up and over her glasses.

"I don't know. I am normal; I go out.” He replied as she rolled her eyes at him.

"What are we talking about?” Aaron asked as he rounded the corner to her office.

"Trying to get princess to go out, or find a date,” Marco replied over his shoulder.

"Oh yeah, That ain't going to happen. I have tried for years.” Aaron said as he chuckled annoyingly.

"Will you both go. I am busy.” She asked.

"I know one of those professional dating websites!” Marco said.

"I am not doing that.” She said.

"Come on; She won't listen. She can dance at all our weddings, though.” Aaron said as they both left her office.

Later that day…….

"So did you hear?” Her boss asked.

"Hear what?” Princess answered.

"Simon finally found a girlfriend. Now it is just your turn.” He said.

"Wonderful, you too?” She asked.

"Look, kid, you are brilliant, but you should get out and meet some people. Work isn't everything.” He said.

"So I have heard.” She replied under her breath.

Both conversations played in her head over and over throughout the rest of the day. It was starting to drive her mad, when she got home it was still daytime, and she drove down her street only to see couples lining the street walking hand in hand and young children running about playing. She had never been wistful about the fact she was single or the fact she didn't have any kids; she was still in her twenties. She sat in her car, thinking about her life, and she really didn't think it would work, but she would give it a shot. What could she have to lose by at least trying? Though it seemed that everyone in her life thought it was an excellent idea, she was doubtful for any real outcome that would change her life.

Soon after she settled in for the night and put some music on, she sat at the login screen for a new online dating website for professional people, and she had looked up several different companies. She thought that would be the best one for her if this would even work. She doubted anyone would even look at her profile, let alone answer it. She typed her information in and then sat staring at the empty page. Crap, you need a picture, she thought. Not one to take a selfie, and she didn't want to use her work photo because it could be searched up to quickly. She thought she would ask Aaron if he had one. Her best friend at work and in life but also the biggest man-child on the planet, Aaron would be the only other person to probably have a picture of her. She picked up her phone and began the process of texting him. She knew he would respond quickly.

"Hey, Do you have a picture of me?" she sent him.

"Why?” he replied.

"Do you or don't you?" She asked with a sigh. She didn’t want to hear it from him that she was going to take the plunge and do a dating profile. The only one of the group who didn’t actively date for her own reasons it had become an issue for her friends. They didn’t understand her own insecurities that had left her in this single state for so long.

"Again, why? I may have one or two." He replied. She knew as she read the texts that he did have one, but he wanted to know more about the reason why. She wasn’t going to be able to skirt the reason much longer, and he would continue to press her for an answer. The team she was with was one of the best medical teams in the world. They often relied on each other to help solve huge problems very quickly with the minimum casualties. They had started out as a research team. When the worst happened, they moved up into the spot that was needed with her, the youngest member of the group, stepping up into the leadership role. They had become more than friends in those days. They were a family. The same family that was haunted by the same horrible memories they all had witnessed in those days of the outbreak.

"Goddamnit. Just send the pictures." She replied with a sigh. It was never easy to try and have a life of their own when everyone had a stake in each other’s life. They had to know all the details of everything. They also needed to make sure everything was covered to protect the person.

"You are doing it, aren't you?" he asked, and she knew there was no point in actually denying it. He would find out, regardless. Though they would never admit it, someone would see a change in her either when they brought up the idea, and she laughed knowing it wasn’t working or something like that. They would find the profile. They would know. It was simple for her to understand that even before she posted it.

"If I say yes, will you send the picture?" she replied again.

"That isn't a yes btw." He replied. She could see his smile on his face as he was searching for some pictures. No matter what he said now, he knew.

"Fine, yes. Now send the picture." She replied. It felt good to type it out instead of having to say it. Though she really didn’t believe in the idea of online dating, she couldn’t pass up on the easiness of it either. She didn’t like going out to the clubs or to bars with the idea she would be hunting for something. She knew what she wanted out of life, and that didn’t mean, either way, she had to be with someone to get those things. She was simply her. She knew that she would reach her goals. Unlike other females who had made up their minds on if they wanted a partner in life or not, the idea had never struck her as one that was important to decide. It either would happen, or it wouldn’t.

"I don't believe you." He replied. Knowing those words would goad her into revealing where and what her profile said.

"I will send the freaking link." She replied, already knowing that he was probably searching for it right that moment. She had already revealed too much for her not to just say it to him. 

"Okay... Incoming," he replied. The phone went off again afterward, revealing two pictures of her.

She looked at the two pictures he had sent and was surprised at them. They were surprisingly good even if they were taken without her knowing. If she had known of the pictures, she would have found something to cover her face. One of them was in her suit after a case they had worked on a year ago. Though she loved her suit because of the history and the dedication it took for her to be able to wear it, it was not something that made her look good. It was very much like a spacesuit from the eighty’s that was big and bulky. It did nothing to show what she looked like. The other was of her at her desk. Though she was looking out of her office towards something on the other side of the building, you could see her face and some of her body. Though she had a normal-sized desk and office chair, she often looked like a child in it because of her small size. This one didn’t look half bad to her.

  She picked the one at her desk. It was her. Now on to the rest of the questionnaire and essay. She knew from the questions she was going to have to lie, What was your favorite date? What is an ideal partner? What do you like to do in your spare time? Hobbies?

It seemed like that stupid dream of taking the SAT's in your underwear, every question got harder, and she really felt lost. Favorite date..... She didn't date. How would she have a favorite of nothing? She came up with long walks on the beach. She loved the beach and often took long walks, so it must count for something. It didn’t really matter that those walks were alone, and she often used them to reflect on things she normally wouldn’t think of.  Ideal Partner? Someone alive, she thought to herself. Being a doctor of two different disciplines was difficult at times. She often was either on the hunt for a virus, or she was in a morgue as a pathologist. She spent more time with the dead than she did with the living. She had to come up with an answer and didn’t want to seem too flippant. As she typed the words, I enjoy people of all types and often find they can tell me things without speaking. I would like someone who can use the words to tell me instead of having to guess. Ideally, someone who will talk to me. Spare time... What's that? She tried her best to come up with something. The best she could do was say read and listen to music. She skipped over the hobby question. At the end, when she pushed the save button, she totally felt like an utter loser. This whole thing seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. She almost scrubbed the entire thing when her inbox lit up.

"Hello"..... was the tagline. She figured it was the website sending a welcome message. Her profile had just gone live five minutes prior. She had really believed she wouldn’t get any type of response.

Hi, I just saw your profile and said I have to send her a quick message right away before someone else scoops her up! So check out my profile and if you want to get a chat going. Shoot me a response.

Shingen

Someone saw her profile and thought that? It had to be a joke. Seriously a major joke. She did look him up, though, and was surprised that a guy like him would be using a dating website at all. However, she figured he might be a work-a-holic like her self. That was a shame. For him, if so, because it looked like he would be a lady killer. She was wholly unconcerned with her state in life.

Her inbox lit up again with the flashing icon that said she had a message. She was beginning to think that Aaron had told everyone already, and they had found her profile page. Then she remembered she hadn’t sent him the link. It took her an hour to set up her profile. They would not have had the time to do it already. She still had a hard time believing people were looking at her.

Hey There.....

Saw your profile and thought I would send a quick note to say hey. I am pretty new to the whole online dating thing, so I never know what to say. If I do, it is often not the right thing to sweep someone off their feet. I hope that maybe you feel the same way and we can talk or something like that. Hope to hear from you soon.

Hideyoshi

As she started to feel slightly better about the whole profile thing when she saw in the hour it had been up, it had gotten about 20 hits already. She still wasn't sure if she would answer one of the responses so far, but she did like the idea of them. She looked at this Hideyoshi's profile. He was detailed on his likes and dislikes. He worked as an investor in a nearby firm as vice president. He had kind eyes as she could see in his profile picture. Though she didn’t have much hope, she would wait and watch to see if something caught her eye. She didn’t have a type when it came to men, so that part would be easy to knock off her list. 

 Her doorbell pealed through the house, she shut her laptop and went to see who it was since she wasn't expecting anyone. She both loved and hated her front door, which was frosted glass, and she could see who it was beforehand, she hated the fact they could also see her at the same point. She knew it was her noisy ass neighbor across the street. This woman was also obsessed with her single state. She was constantly trying to figure out ways to set her up. It was often with her son or grandson, which was a no go for both. Though she may not have a type, she also knew what she didn’t like. They both fit well into that category very easily.

"Hello, Mrs. Daughtry, how can I help you tO’Brieny?” Sarah greeted her as she opened the front door. Sarah Michaels, who was better known as princess to everyone who knew her, was already tired from the day and the fighting of herself to even make the online profile. Dealing with her neighbor was not something she wanted to do even on a normal day. Smaller than most women, Sarah only stood barely five feet tall with her boots on. She was slight in build, and though she seemed to not be that strong, she could easily lift her suit when it was pack. The suit weighed eighty-plus pounds easily. Her size often led people to underestimate her, and she had only used that to her advantage. Blonde, with striking blue eyes that had a dark circle around the outer edge, she was an undeniably pretty woman even if she didn’t find herself to be.

"Well, honey. I am glad to see you home at a decent hour tO’Brieny. I was thinking I am having a family dinner this Saturday and thought I would invite you to it as well. You look like a home-cooked meal would do you good.” The older woman said as she looked at Sarah’s small frame up and down. This was a ploy to make Sarah think she needed to gin weight to be healthier. The older woman often tried to do this.

"Thank you, but I have plans on Saturday. A date.” Princess said to the older woman's eyes, opening confirming to Princess that it wasn't the dinner. It was a setup.

"Well, Well, little missy, really?” she asked skeptically. The older woman had tried for the few years that Sarah had lived in the house across the street to set her up with one of the two men that lived with the older woman. Sarah had never shown interest in dating or those two people in general. This was an eye-opener for the older woman because she thought without a doubt that her son or grandson would be the perfect match for the younger woman. Sarah would have disagreed with that thought many times over.

"Yup. Time to get out and see the world, or so I have been told,” she replied as she went to shut the door. "I am expecting him to send me a message right now, so if you excuse me."

She could see the woman's hopes being dashed as the door was shut, and Sarah made a mental note of being busy on Saturday even if she wasn't. She could go into the office and do some work to catch up on something, or she could just go over to Aaron’s house. The idea of being in the house on Saturday after that episode would not bring a good neighbor vibe. Though she didn’t care that the older woman’s hopes were now tossed out the window, she wouldn’t try to be rude either.  She walked back to her computer and saw the inbox lit up again.

Hey Kitten!

Thought I'd tell you your pretty cute before the rest of the guys on this site try to snatch you up. I stay pretty busy at my restaurant but could always make time for you. What do you think?

Masa

She was a little taken back by his message, but even more so that he believed she would be snatched up. She shook her head and closed the computer. It was time to try and sleep. Sleep never came easy for her, and she did her usual routine of a warm shower and then laid in her bed, tossing and turning for hours. She finally passed out from boredom and woke up a few hours later. Maybe if she did have a partner that she could talk to, she would be able to sleep better. Though she talked all the time, it was mostly to herself since she had built those high and thick walls around herself. Did she really want to break them down for some unknown person?

After drifting off to sleep only to be awoken from another nightmare, she sat there, debating getting out of bed. Sarah realized she was thirsty and went to head to the kitchen for something to drink. She looked around the house and felt the stillness of everything. There was no sound other than her moving around. It echoed throughout the house.

It was still dark outside when she walked back out to the computer and turned on the glowing screen and settled back into her couch. The flashing mail icon was calling her, and she had eight more messages. She looked over the messages and started narrowing down the field when another popped up suddenly.

Re: Fun and torture

Probably not the headline one would expect from a dating site. However, it has helped narrow down those who can't see past what I do. What is that you may be asking yourself, but that is classified, and I can't say. I see you work in the Bravo building Med research lab on base, maybe one day I will drop by if you want. Don't worry, I have been there before a few times, so not a stalker. What do you say, Princess?

M.A.

For some reason, she had the vague impression she knew this person.  The mysterious M.A. she couldn't remember where from, and surprisingly his profile picture was blank. The one letter that really caught her attention. Maybe it was the game he played or the fact he must work on the base to know where she worked, but the instinct to reply was too great. It was already being done before she knew that she was.

M.A.

Maybe you should drop by one day. I think that lunch or dinner at the Alley might be in order since it is close to the building. I would like to find out about this fun and torture you do. Don't worry, my clearance is probably higher than yours. Though not sure when you could, but it would probably shut some people up if you did. Maybe see you around.

Princess

She sent off the letter with a smile and to see if she could goad an answer. She decided to head back to bed for the remain few hours of darkness with a sense of relief she had sent a reply back.  One time she would see if this worked on any level of dating. Though she still had her doubts, she couldn’t see any harm in her answer. This might actually be fun. The game was on, and she didn't even know his name.