The next day, Chloe found herself staring at the dating app, HER, on her phone. She'd looked into a few, but she liked the idea of an app for women to find other women. She'd even heard that the app had reporting options for some things that other apps hadn't mentioned: cis-males and straight couples looking for a unicorn. Still, she sat there, staring at her phone, unable to work up the nerve to make a profile. As though Beca was reading Chloe's mind, a text came in.

Beca: Got an online girlfriend yet?
Chloe: Too nervous
Beca: I'm heading over
Beca: We'll figure this out together

Chloe continued to stare at her phone, unsure what to do, until her doorbell rang.

"Okay, online dating wingman, coming in!"

"Hi, Beca. How are you? It sure is nice to see you," said Chloe.

"Sorry. I got excited. Show me what you have," said Beca. She grabbed Chloe's phone. "Chlo, you have to sign up for a profile first."

"What if I don't match anyone?"

"Then you try a different app. I think you're off to a good start with this one. It's probably best to avoid the men and curious straight women."

"That's why I chose it."

"Okay, let's make this profile interesting." Beca typed in a few things before handing Chloe her phone.

"You put 'cool gay aunt' in there?"

"It shows you don't hate children!"

"But it makes me look like I want them."

"Oh. Yeah. Didn't think of that. We'll leave that out."

"Dog Mom to Billie by day, Animal Doctor by night," said Chloe. "I like that."

"Okay, let's take a profile pic. With Billie. That adorable pup should get you a few dates."

Chloe began her special high-pitched voice reserved for the dog. "Billie, come here and see Mommy. Good girl!" Billie climbed into her lap. She went back to her normal voice. "How's my hair? Do I look okay?"

"You look great, Chloe," said Beca. She snapped a bunch of pictures. "Here. You pick."

Chloe chose the one where Billie was looking at the camera and her hair wasn't too weird.

"Ready to go live?" asked Beca.

"Ready as I'll ever be," said Chloe.

"You're live. Now, let's find you a match," said Beca.

Chloe flipped through a few pictures, swiping left on all of them.

"Chloe, sweetie, you need to swipe right on somebody. It's a date, not a marriage contract."

"I know."

"Then why are you still swiping left?"

Chloe froze when she saw the next picture. The woman was gorgeous!

"Swipe right, Chloe!"

"Okay, I'm swiping," said Chloe. "Now what?"

"I think you have to see if she swipes right on you, and then you can talk."

"What do I do then?"

"So, I was reading up on this on Reddit last night. In the 'actual lesbians' subreddit, someone suggested sending the gif from the movie Matilda where Miss Honey lowers her glasses."

"Hold on. You're referencing a movie? And why were you on the 'actual lesbians' subreddit?"

"First off, I've seen the gif in, like, a hundred memes. And I saw Matilda when I was a kid. We read the book in third grade and the teacher showed us the movie. Also, the 'actual lesbians' subreddit title is sort of a joke. It's for bi girls, too," said Beca, smirking.

"You're bisexual?"

"Yup."

"How did I not know this?"

"Because I was never out. I mean, I wasn't exactly in the closet, either. I just haven't dated a woman since I became famous. I started dating Jesse shortly after my first album dropped. Nobody questioned me about my sexuality, so I didn't volunteer the information."

"I guess that would explain why you didn't seem surprised I mentioned being the cool gay aunt?"

"I swear I spend so much time in the LGBTQ+ areas on Reddit that I don't even flinch when someone tells me they're anything other than straight."

"Does Jesse know?"

"Yup. He was hoping it would lead to us having a threesome," said Beca, rolling her eyes. "To each their own, but that's not really my thing."

"She swiped right!" exclaimed Chloe.

"Send her the gif!"

"Just that?"

"Yeah. The girl on Reddit swears by it. Said she has it down to a science," said Beca. She scrolled through the Reddit app on her phone. "Look. According to this user, you're telling them you think they are sexy. Hopefully, they think you're funny, and you're referencing a lesbian icon as well."

"Well, here goes," said Chloe, tapping her phone to send the message.

"Are you going to look for more?"

"No, I think this is a good start."

"Let me know if she answers."

"She just did. She's impressed, I think?" Chloe showed Beca the girl's reply. It was a gif of Chris Pratt looking impressed.

Chloe laughed when she saw the next message.

"What?" asked Beca.

"It says 'Am I doing this right?' I guess she's new too."

Beca sat next to Chloe. "Tell her, 'Yes.'"

"No."

"What?"

"Okay, Beca. I really appreciate you helping me get started, but I really need to do this myself. I can't have a conversation with her when you're looking over my shoulder."

"Come on, dude. It was just getting good!"

"Beca, I'm not answering her until you leave."

"At least tell me her name?"

"Aubrey. Now, OUT!" Chloe pointed toward the door.

"Yes, ma'am," said Beca. She made a little saluting gesture toward Chloe as she exited the apartment.

Chloe took a breath, thought for a minute and responded.

C: I think so
A: ?
C: I'm new to HER
A: Oh
C: So, you're an attorney?
A: Yes. You're a vet?
C: Yes.

Chloe realized she needed to add something or the conversation was dead in the water.

C: Do you like animals?
A: I do, but I don't own any

Chloe decided to just dive right in. A conversation had to be easier in person.

C: So, I guess we should plan on a date?
A: How do I know you're not a crazy person?
C: I'm not
C: You can find my picture on the website for the emergency animal clinic
C: I'm the only redheaded female vet on the site

Chloe waited a few minutes before getting a response.

A: Okay, fine, I believe you
C: How do I know you're not crazy?
A: Look up Posen Squad
A: I'm the one who's not a guy
A: The old guy is my dad ;)
A: The young guy is my older brother

Chloe looked up the law firm and saw that Aubrey was part of a team of lawyers with her father and brother. They appeared to deal with medical malpractice. She clicked Aubrey's picture to see she'd graduated from Yale and specialized in birth injury cases.

C: Why birth injuries?
A: My best friend growing up had a child with cerebral palsy
A: She was my first case
A: I found out the doctor hadn't performed a cesarean in time
A: Now her daughter has money for a lifetime of care
C: That's amazing
C: So, a date?
C: I should warn you I keep weird hours.
C: I work the 6p-2a shift
A: Yeah I saw
A: Animal Doctor By Night
A: Ever have off on weekends?
C: Some
A: When is your next day off?
C: I'm off today
A: LOL eager much?
C: You asked
A: Okay
A: I can meet you for coffee in an hour
C: I can do that. Where?
A: Urth Caffe
A: In Orange
C: See you there

Chloe debated on whether or not to share the news with Beca. On one hand, she was excited about her date. On the other, she knew Beca would be back over in a heartbeat. She could use someone to help her decide what to wear, but she also needed a few moments to gather her thoughts. She eventually decided she'd text Beca after she'd had some time to think, and they could talk over FaceTime about what Chloe would wear and how to do her hair.

Chloe sat, thinking, for a bit. She tried to remember the last time she'd been on a first date. It had been with Kori, back in her vet school days. That had been okay, as first dates go. She didn't know much about Aubrey, so she figured they could just get to know each other. That was easy enough.

She texted Beca, asking to FaceTime. Beca had wanted to come over and help Chloe prepare, but Chloe was adamant that she could handle doing this over FaceTime. The two connected, and the first thing Beca did was have Chloe show her some outfits.

First, Chloe grabbed a pink blouse and black pants. Beca gave them a shrug.

Next, she grabbed a red button-down shirt with carousel horses printed on it. Beca gave an adamant shake of her head.

Chloe spent another minute flipping through her closet before grabbing a blue checkered sleeveless dress.

"That one!" exclaimed Beca. "It really brings out your eyes. What shoes are you wearing?"

"I was thinking of my wedge sandals."

"That looks cute. Now, hair?"

"I was going to go with brushing it out nicely."

"Sounds good."

"Okay, Beca. I'm going to let you go."

"Promise me a selfie before you leave."

"Okay."

Chloe got ready, choosing to keep her makeup fairly neutral. It was, after all, a coffee date. She sent Beca a selfie, receiving an almost immediate "thumbs-up" approval, and headed to the coffee shop.

She arrived about five minutes early and immediately spotted Aubrey seated at a table near the door, wearing a pink dress. She was relieved that the woman was just as pretty as she'd been in her profile picture. She'd heard multiple stories about people putting up fake profile pictures and worse.

"Hi! I'm Chloe. You're Aubrey, right?"

"Hi! Yes. Should we order?"

"Sure," said Chloe. The two got in line to place their orders.

Aubrey ordered a black coffee, and Chloe bit her lip for a second before ordering. After taking a moment to decide she'd place her normal order and let Aubrey decide whether or not to judge her, she said, "Spanish Latté Granita, please."

Aubrey's lips curled into a small smile, but all said was, "Do you want anything else? My treat."

"Citrus ginger scone, please."

"Make that two."

Aubrey paid for their food, grabbed a number, and the two decided on a table closer to the back of the restaurant.

Chloe decided to dive right into the conversation. "So, tell me about yourself."

"I grew up here in LA. As I'm sure you saw on the law firm's website, my father and older brother are attorneys, and we practice together."

"Did you always want to be an attorney?"

"Well, aside from a brief period of time in kindergarten when I wanted to be a purple unicorn, yes," Aubrey said, chuckling. "I saw what my dad could do for people, and I loved the idea that I could do that as well."

"Did your father and brother go to Yale as well?"

"My dad, yes. My brother, no. He went to Harvard," she said. "Rebel."

Chloe snickered. "I suppose so."

"I come from a long line of Yale graduates, but I am the first woman in my family to go to Yale. I think my brother wanted to do his own thing. And, it low-grade annoyed my father that he had a son at Harvard instead of Yale."

"That's funny."

"Yeah. My mom is a homemaker. She's been trying to talk my dad into retiring for years, but I secretly think he continues to work because she drives him crazy!"

"I think I like your dad already."

"So, that's me. What about you?"

"Well, I grew up in Portland, Oregon. My dad and sister still live there. Mom died four years ago of breast cancer."

"Was she sick for long?"

"About a year. It was tough."

"I'm sure. How did you end up in LA?"

"I followed a girl after I graduated from vet school. We split soon after I took the job at the emergency vet clinic. She said it was my work hours, but I really just think we'd grown apart. Looking back, I think I followed her in a last-ditch effort to save things."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. We don't talk anymore, but I don't harbor any ill-will. Life's too short. Enough about my ex, though. I was the first woman in my family to graduate college, so my attending vet school was really surprising. My sister married her high-school sweetheart right after graduation, and she got pregnant with Kate a couple of months later. She's a stay-at-home mom of three kids now. Kate is eight, Matt is six and Charlotte - we call her Charlie - is four. I don't see everyone as much as I'd like, but I adore being the cool gay aunt."

"That's cute. Do you want kids of your own?"

Chloe shook her head. "No. I love my sister's kids, but I see what she goes through. I'll stick to being a dog mom," she said. "I hope that's not a dealbreaker."

Aubrey said, "It's not. I haven't decided whether or not I want kids."

"Good," said Chloe.

"So, have you been here before?"

"Not this location. It's really nice, though."

"It's my favorite one. I like the ambiance."

Things continued nicely on the date. Chloe learned that Aubrey had been part of an a cappella singing group at Yale called Redhot and Blue. She loved singing and still kept in touch with other alumni of the group. Chloe told Aubrey all about her moving to LA, adopting Billie, and her work at the emergency animal clinic.

At the end of the date, Chloe stretched out her arms for a hug at the very moment Aubrey offered her hand for a handshake. Both women pulled back their hands.

"I'm a hugger. Sorry, I thought…" Chloe stammered.

"It's okay," said Aubrey. "I really enjoyed your company, but I didn't feel a...spark if that makes sense?"

Chloe thought for a moment before responding. "I guess I didn't either," she admitted.

"We could still hang out, though, as friends, if that's okay with you?"

"I think that would be awes."

"Awes?"

"Awesome."

"Right," said Aubrey, putting her hand out for a handshake again. "Friends?"

Chloe shook Aubrey's hand. "Friends."


Chloe texted Beca when she got home.

Chloe: I'm back from my date.
Beca: And?
Chloe: We enjoyed each other's company
Beca: But…
Chloe: But we decided to just be friends
Beca: What happened?
Chloe: ️ Just no spark
Beca: Fair enough
Beca: Gonna swipe right on someone else?
Chloe: Not today
Chloe: But I will
Chloe: I've had enough excitement for today