1 Match Made Mechanically

Chapter 1- Road To True Love

The door swung open as I strutted inside the exhibit. Head held up high, beckoning the waiters and tending to all of my adoring fans. Finally, after years of torment and struggle, all of my hard work was paying off. Suddenly, I was met with a strong force as I fell backwards, crashing to the floor with the force following me as if it was falling with me. I closed my eyes bracing for impact, whilst I heard a small shriek echo in my ears. Slowly, I opened my eyes to an unforgettable sight. My eyes focused on the person who fell on top of me, her hands clutching my shirt. She eventually stirred and looked up. When her gaze met mine, I lost myself in her eyes, as deep and blue as the ocean. She quickly shook her head, flustered and embarrassed, standing up slowly. I, still lost in her eyes, barely realised that she had now gotten up and was frantically tapping me. I jolted as I reclaimed my focus and got up to face her.

"I'm so sorry", she said , "I'm always rushing around without paying attention. I hope you're not hurt". Her eyes zeroed in on a rip in my shirt as her expression changed from a worried frown, to a frantic craze. "Oh my God, your shirt is ruined! I can't believe I was so stupid. Please forgive me". I lost myself once again in her angelic voice. It was almost like I was being hypnotised by a Disney princess, she just seemed so unreal. "It's okay, it was ripped before", I replied as she let out a sigh of relief. "Anyways I'm Jesse, Jesse Walker". I immediately extended my hand to her. Nervously, she replied, "Hi there, I'm Iris Raine", with a sudden burst of confidence and took my hand, shaking it in an over-enthusiastic fashion. Her hands reminded me of the finest silk, soft to the touch yet still unique and different. She eventually let go of my hand, once again slightly flustered and said at an incredibly rapid pace, "Anyways, I'm in a bit of a rush. I'll see you later. Bye". She hurried off into the sea of people, without me even getting a chance to reply.

Just then, a familiar voice called out to me, as heavy footsteps rushed towards me followed by a squeaky voice calling out to me, "Jesseeeee!". I swivelled round to see my twin sister running up to me. She tackled me with a hug, "Congratulations! I'm so proud of you!!! You actually are a king now. You're the king of tech!". Her grip tightened around my rib cage as I gasped for air. "Neha…. Ple…. Please let go". She loosened her grip, giggling like a two-year-old. "I'm sorry Jes. It's just I can't believe you successfully made 'Andey'. It's gonna make so many lives easier Jesse. This is crazy!". Excitement took over her, as she jumped around swinging my hand violently. "Careful Neha, that's my soldering hand". She giggled again letting go. Yet her excitement seemed more elevated than usual. Embarrassment began to creep in on her face, as she fidgeted with her dress. "What's wrong Neha?", I asked her. She snapped out of her trance and looked right at me, holding one of my hands gently. "Actually Jesse, there is someone I'd like you to meet. Say hello to Chad Freeman".

I felt a tight grip on my shoulder as I turned around to see a blonde haired man looking right at me. His smile seemed welcoming emphasising his friendly nature. "Hi there Jesse, or should I say the King of tech. It's an honour to meet you, man. Congrats on the exhibition". He handed me a small package, "Just a little something as a reward for your hard work. Neha has told me all about you". We exchanged a comfortable and friendly conversation whilst Neha watched us attentively as if she was worried about him messing up. "How about I grab us some drinks? On me", he said before winking at Neha as he made his way towards the bar.

Neha moved forwards with a poised look, "So what did you think?". I stared at her trying to look serious until my laughter took over. "Honestly, how much did you pay the guy to act that perfectly?". She frowned and punched me on my shoulder, "Hey! He's not a paid actor, he's my true love- chosen by science, let me add". "Huh?", I replied as my puzzled look was met by her shock at my disbelief, "That makes no sense! What do you mean your true love?". Returning to her high pitched excited tone, she said, "I signed up for this dating service called Made For Each Other". Instantly, I recalled

seeing an advertisement for this matchmaking service. They talked about a scientific algorithm that was perfect. "Oh yeah. That's the place where they claim that they--"

"-- Find your true love in a few hours. Yes, I sense the sarcasm in your voice, Jesse. Look I tried it out and I found Chad. I think it's pretty legit". My eyebrows raised, trying to process what I just heard; despite being slightly baffled. "If you get accepted, which you should do, then it will work wonders for you, I promise. Please just give it a shot?" I looked at the business card she handed me. It read:

MADE FOR EACH OTHER: The Only Matchmaking Service That Will Guarantee You

True Love.

Reluctantly, I took the card but I couldn't help but feel curious about the experience. My inquisitivity forced me to call them up there and then to book an appointment for Monday. "Let's see what happens on Monday, Neha. Until then I'm sticking with the paid actor theory." Neha replied with a smile spread across her face, "We'll see how you act when you find your true love. Then you can judge me and Chad".

The next day I headed to the Made For Each Other office in the heart of LA. I sized up the office before entering with caution. I made my way to the reception where I'm told to wait outside a door until someone would come and collect me. A few minutes went by until a very sophisticated woman approached me slowly, her attire radiating her confidence. Topped off with a welcoming smile she extended her hand, "Welcome Mr Walker'', she said. "It's a pleasure to have such a successful client that is looking for love. I'm Celia Anderson, head of the LA office of Made For Each Other. I hope that after today you will never need to date another woman again". Scepticism dripped from me, which she easily picked up on, so she reassured me about the process before leading me into a private chamber.

I sat down in a comfortable recliner seat as I gazed around the room. It had quite a sensual vibe with lots of aromatics dancing in the air with faint violin music in the background. I instantly felt a lot more relaxed and calm. "So… is this the part where you ask me about my hobbies?", I said, trying to sound quite condescending. "Not exactly", she replied. "The algorithm we use is based on what you seek from your true love, rather than who you are as a person. After a few questions, I will call you later with the details of the first date". The simplicity of the process shocked me as I became more and more curious about the whole endeavour. "Then what happens?", I said as excitement started to creep in. "Why, true love of course", she replied with a bold smile. Her confidence surprised me, but I was willing to believe a little. She told me to close my eyes and place a helmet on my head. She explained that it would read my senses and emotions to get the most accurate depiction of what I was looking for.

"So my first request is really quite simple. All I want you to do is just imagine what your true love would look like". I closed my eyes, searching my mind for a depiction. After quite some time, one girl materialised in my head. The same girl from the other day, Iris Raine, beautiful, bubbly and confident. Slightly shy and crazy but amazing nonetheless. After a few minutes, Celia began asking me some questions. "So Mr Walker, imagine you're in a millionaire party, is your true love someone who mingles well with everyone, or is she quiet, secluded and keeps to herself?". I immediately replied that I would want her to mix well with my circle no matter the situation. "Okay. Next question. Would you want your true love to be adventurous and daring or simplistic and a fan of equilibrium?". After some thought, I said, "I would like her to enjoy equilibrium but have an adventurous side and be quite open to new experiences". She looked at me, seeming to be more excited than I was. Almost like she was expecting these answers from me. "Good answer Mr Walker. Finally Jesse, what kind of special skills would you like her to have, as in would she be a talented musician, speak many languages, be a boxer?". The question puts me off guard for a second but I slowly regain my focus and answer, "Well I develop technology, so when I need inspiration I travel. So fluency in languages would always help me out".

After a minute of awkward silence, the lights turned on. "Thank you Mr Walker", she said, walking over to shake my hand. "I wish you the best of luck with your date. I've found someone in the database that matches your sentiments and I will set up your date tonight if you are free that is". Shock and awe struck me, as I tried to fathom how they managed to find someone that quickly. "Are you sure this isn't a scam? Or are you going to set me up with one of your relatives or something?", I said, standing in a defensive position, waiting for something to come out of the closet and eat me. She laughed at my scepticism, "Don't worry Mr Walker, our methods are highly efficient. And to answer your question, no it's not one of my relatives. None of the clients in our database is allowed to have any previous contact with any of the workers. It helps to reduce any chance of being biased. So please relax and have a good time tonight on your date". She ushered me out of the room and escorted me to the exit. When leaving, I took another look back at the head office again, still baffled as to how they came up with someone so quickly.

The clock struck seven as I prepared myself for my mystery date. Wearing my black suit, trying to go with a mysterious spy look, I exited my suite and headed to the address given to me. Flowers in hand, I walked up to the doorstep of the house. After ringing the bell a few times, I got an answer from a familiar voice. Yet I could not recall where I had heard it before. The door slowly opened, revealing a familiar glowing face, a wide smile painted across her face as my arms dropped as my mind attempted to register the site before me. A turquoise dress that ruffled down towards her feet making it seem like she was floating, her pink lips shining in the light, and her royal blue eyes staring a hole through my heart making it pound uncontrollably in my chest like a battle drum. She scans my clothing, nodding in approval, before meeting my face. Instantly, she started giggling as her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. Recovering from her case of the giggles, she said, "I guess I'm the only girl in the world to literally make the great Jesse Walker fall head over heels".