Shaw cautiously opened the door to her apartment. Well, actually not her apartment, but the one she temporarily used. After checking twice that no one was or is here, she locked the door and took off her jacket and pants. Her T-shirt followed them, along with the bra. After putting on some casual clothes and her sports bra, she grabbed a beer from the fridge and headed to the desk, where her computer was.
It really was a long day. She and Reese have been saving two numbers at a time, both of them trying to kill each other and Shaw just wanted to kill them both and call it a day. She made a grimace. Stupid spouses, fighting over money.
After opening a browser, Shaw typed in just one word – Angler. It was a new matching site, she saw it on the television and decided to give it a try. Her last relationship's been FIVE years ago and she doubted she even knew how to act properly around someone she liked. Not that she liked anyone in particular right now. It's just... well there is one person with whom she'd be glad to share a bed – Root. But, since the hacker was not anywhere to be seen for weeks and Shaw doubted she would even give it a try with girls, since she has been in love with HER MACHINE, Shaw decided to sign up to Angler.
After an initial problems with building up a profile, she managed to work it out just fine, putting some true facts about her and patching it with few lies here and there. Shaw definitely liked the outcome and pressed „Apply".
Then she took another beer and decided to settle on the couch, watching some TV news. Since she was really tired from running all day, after a while, her eye lids closed and she fell into slumber.
When she opened one eye, wondering about just how late – or early in the morning it is, her back was aching from uncomfortable position she's been lying on the couch. Her head was dizzy and the clock ticked in the silence of the room. It was 3 am.
Shaw couldn't define what had awakened her and tried to remember what was she doing at all before she got on the couch. Ah yes, that matching site. Then something beeped and Shaw jumped off the couch, trying to find her gun.
Since nothing happened in the next few minutes, she relaxed and went to her desk. Then it dawned on her – it was her browser beeping. She's got one message on Angler.
Curious to see who found her profile interesting, she pulled the chair and prepared for reading.
Message sender was some girl from New York, using a nickname Taser. Shaw chuckled, thinking about how she didn't come to the idea of using the same nickname. Girl's profile was definitely interesting. She lived alone, loved to travel, wasn't keen on going to clubs, liked poetry and gadgets.
Shaw was now interested.
The message she's got consisted simply of „Hi! Just wanted to ask why are you awake at this hour."
Shaw was obviously not awake when the message came. And she thought that Angler showed an activity status, Taser must have noticed that. But she was awake now and didn't want to miss an opportunity for chatting up some girl. You never know what could happen and Shaw definitely needed some physical contact. Well, at least possibility of it in the next couple of months.
So she pressed „Answer" and typed in „Hello there! I could ask you the same question!"
After sending a message, she waited for two minutes, wondering if she'd get an answer at all. But then it came with a loud BEEP and as Shaw opened it, she saw following words:
„Well, sweetie, I'm in the different time zone from you. Here in Hong Kong it's 3 pm and I just happened to have some spare time to drink coffee and chat with you ;)"
Woman sure likes to travel, thought Shaw, typing in the same time:
„And, how come you're not having fun with some Chinese girl, instead of hitting my profile?"
Immediately came an answer:
„Why, I like your profile. You seem like an interesting one. Loves to travel, is interested in martial arts and sports, doesn't like to go to clubs, loves dogs...Although one wonders how come that you like knitting, but well, one's allowed to be somewhat strange."
Shaw blushed, since the knitting part wasn't particularly true. She'd put that one onto her profile, instead of shooting and at a time that seemed like a good idea. Ah, whatever. If she somehow manages to get a date with some member of this matching site, she'd be damned if she doesn't learn how to knit.
