The Truth About Love, Validation and Digital Romance

To think that someone like Nikki even liked PlaynDate.

He actually found it hard to believe.

But that’s how it was.

He shouldn’t give up on this online dating app but instead try to make something of it.

It looked like right now he was going to get into Q, but it didn’t hurt to have a backup plan.

He went through venture capital firms one by one and listed the ones that might be interesting.

There weren’t many left to choose from that met his criteria, but he managed to find a couple he hadn’t seen before, one of which was a startup.

Good.

They might need new aspirants.

With a reasonable amount of courage, he started writing new business proposals and sending a pitch deck describing the project of his gamified online dating app.

After a few hours, he was done and had sent two emails.

At the same time, he sat impatiently waiting for Nikki’s next plan.

She always wrote after she had been on a date.

This time she wanted him nearby, she had said, and he had waited at a cafe, but nothing happened.

It really only made him more worried.

At midnight, he called her.

When Nikki got home, she was completely exhausted and fell asleep with her clothes on.

Maybe she should use the app for friendship she thought sarcastically.

She had restless dreams and woke up several times.

At one point, she saw that Joachim had called.

She texted back:

Everything’s okay.

Sorry I didn’t hear from you.

We’ll talk tomorrow.

Nikki slept late that morning while Joachim paced back and forth in his den.

It was good that she was okay, but what had happened and why hadn’t she posted her story like she usually did?

He couldn’t ask her about that last thing because she still didn’t know and wouldn’t know that he was following her on Dating Line.

When she finally got through, she was very clear.

Yesterday was private and he had nothing to do with it.

He respected that as long as he understood that she was okay.

She said she was but that she needed a day or two alone.

With those words, the conversation ended, but he couldn’t let go of what had happened.

What had made her so distant and why did she react the way she did?

It was obvious that there would be no response.

He waited for the days she needed before they met again at his house.

It was time for date number 3.

Not every connection should begin with a swipe.