Francis James

Francis had been in over twenty movies and ten TV shows. She had won four Emmys and an Oscar. The only problem was, she was lonely! Her sister and closest friend, Andrea, told her she should get Tinder. She said that if any guy saw her profile and knew it was her, he would have to swipe right! Francis was hesitant about the idea. She had hoped to find someone who loved her for who she was, not just because they had seen her on the big screen. But this was four years ago and she certainly wasn't getting any younger, despite what they say about Hollywood. She had dated a few costars, but none of them were a good fit. She decided to take her sister's advice against her best judgment.

Of course, the messages came flooding in, guys were obsessed with her; each of them wanted to date the Francis James. Then the next issue was that Francis didn't find any of these men attractive! She was so familiar with seeing movie stars on set that she couldn't be swayed by the image of a man holding a two-foot bass. She was beginning to believe that this was another blow.

After having the app for two months, Francis decided to log in again. Then there he was. The man of her dreams. Alex was a handsome guy who lived nearby. (How hadn't she seen him before???) He had a marketing job, but he seemed to have more of a gift for photography. He must have also been the only guy on the app who hadn't chosen her! Francis didn't want to lose her dignity and swipe right on this guy. What if he had seen her card but skipped her because he wasn't interested? She decided to take her chances. If he messaged her and wasn't how she imagined he would be, she could say it was all an accident.

He did message her, and he was interested. And how he was interested! He really seemed to like her!! And why shouldn't he? Francis James was only the biggest name in LA. But he seemed to be looking past that. Instead of asking questions about her career, he asked more about her personal life. Where did she grow up? What was her favorite holiday? What were her parents like? Was she close with them? They messaged each other constantly, staying up until the late hours of the night.

Eventually the inevitable happened: He asked if she wanted to meet. Of course she wanted to see him in person, but she was still so scared! Francis hadn't felt so insecure since she was a freshman in high school! But Alex seemed like a lovely man, and she knew she only felt this way because she liked him so much. However, she still didn't have the courage to face him alone. She made up some tale about her agent requiring her to bring her assistant with her to any social event "just to be safe". They decided to meet at Firefly, a gorgeous restaurant where Francis knew she could get a delicious steak if all else went wrong.

When Francis arrived with Jen, her assistant, in tow, they realized that Alex was already waiting. The hostess guided them to the table. (It was a table for two, naturally, so Jen took a seat at the nearby bar where she could keep an eye on them.)

Alex rose to greet Francis and unexpectedly went in for an embrace. They really hit it off! Francis was so comfortable with him, feeling as if she could talk to him forever. But she couldn't help but notice that Alex kept glancing over a Jen. Jen was facing them, but every time Francis looked over at her she was looking down at her martini with a hint of a smile on her face. She could have been smiling about anything... what with so many people nearby. But it was still unsettling, it seemed like there was some sort of a joke between the two that Francis hadn't been let in on. Alex's questions became less about her but more about the film industry. He asked about her agent and why she needed to have Jen with her. Then his questions were solely about Jen: where was she from, how did they meet, what music did she like, etc...

At the end of the meal, Alex offered to cover the bill and Francis hadn't objected even though she obviously had more money. Jen must have noticed that they were finishing up because she came over to their table. She came to stand next to Alex and started to get real touchy with him, putting her hand on his arm. They both looked at each other like they had been together for years!

Francis walked out of the restaurant and hailed a cab. She was so disappointed and embarrassed... She thought Alex could have been the one.

He reached out to her in the following weeks, but Francis didn't have the heart to respond. She was moving on, she was even cast in an upcoming project! Needless to say, she deleted Tinder.