Shiftr Swipe Left for Love (Hope Valley BBW Online Dating App Romance #5)
By: Ariana Hawkes
Chapter One
“Lauren, I barely even know how to use email,” Dina said. “I don’t think this ‘app’ dating, or whatever you call it, is going to work for me.” She flung her phone down on the sofa, and gazed around her cozy, tastefully-decorated apartment. She’d long ago resigned herself to being single, and she’d worked hard at making her surroundings as comfortable as possible. She wasn’t even sure that she wanted to disturb the calm that she’d created for herself.
“Dina, when’s the last time you had a date?” Lauren asked. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were sparkling with amusement.
“Um, there was that time when I went out for dinner with the guy who works at the DHL office,” Dina said.
“And how long ago was that?” Dina counted on her fingers.
“Maybe a year ago?”
“Exactly!” Lauren said, in a tone of satisfaction. “Dina, you can’t sit here alone, night after night, wasting your life, when there are so many great guys out there you could be having fun with.”
“I don’t know. I just feel so inexperienced at the dating game. I thought things were going to be forever between Trey and me. And we met at high school, so we didn’t ever had to deal with any of that artificial, awkward dating stuff.”
“And how many guys did you date before the DHL guy?” Dina joined her thumb and index finger together into an O shape. Lauren stared at her, her huge brown eyes open wide.
“You’re saying you’ve never been on any other dates?” Dina shook her head sheepishly.
“Girl, we have to fix that right now! And you can stop looking like I’m trying to force you to go to the dentist, or something. Dating guys is so much fun,” Lauren said. Dina took a gulp from her glass of white wine.
“I’m too old for this. Internet dating is something kids do. You know, people who actually look good in photos.” Lauren’s eyebrows shot up, halfway to her hairline.
“You have some crazy-ass ideas about things! You’re a stunning, curvy woman. Look at you! And you’re 36; you’re in the prime of life.”
“Yeah, that’s why Trey left me for somebody almost two decades younger than me,” Dina said, her voice sharp with bitterness.
“He left you for an intern in his office, right?” Dina nodded. “Trey left you because he’s a weak man, and he couldn’t handle a strong sexy woman like you. That’s why he was chasing after teenagers. Now, let’s forget about this *. He is over with. Will you at least try online dating? I promise you that there are lots of guys out there who will be so excited to meet you!” Dina glanced down at her phone.
“I don’t know. I –” Lauren took Dina’s hand, her eyes soft with compassion.
“Dina, I’m your best friend, and I love you. I wouldn’t be suggesting this if I didn’t think it was a good idea.”
“I know,” Dina said, and let out a long breath. Her hand crept over to her phone and she picked it up again. “Ok, I’ll try it, but just for you. Tell me what I need to do?”
“Great!” Lauren came to life. She was at her best when she was helping people out. She took the phone from Dina and began installing several different apps. When she was done, she showed Dina her handiwork.
“Ok, an app on a phone is just like a button that helps you access a website real fast. So, I’ve installed Matchmakr for you,” she said, pointing with an immaculately-manicured fingernail to a pink icon with a heart on it. “It’s a good app, and lots of people like it. And there’s definitely a lot of guys on there. And this one – ” She pointed at a blue icon with a white wedding cake on it. “It’s called Find the One. It’s a great one for people who know they’re ready to settle down, and are not just casual dating. I haven’t used it myself, but it does have a good reputation. We can look at both of these, but there’s one I just wanted to show you first.” She pointed at an orange icon featuring what looked like an animal paw print, but the pad of the paw was in the shape of a heart. It was called Shiftr. She glanced sideways at Dina, and Dina noticed that her friend seemed unusually tense. Lauren placed her hand on her chest. “Dina, I know in my heart that this is the perfect app for you. But I need to ask you one thing: please be open-minded about what I’m going to show you. Can you promise me that?” Dina stared at her in confusion.
“Sure?” she said, shrugging her shoulders. Lauren pressed a purple-tipped finger on the little icon and the app opened. Dina shuffled closer, her curiosity piqued.
“In a moment, it’s going to ask you to sign up, but first it’ll let you take a sneak peek at a few of the guys.” Lauren selected a couple of options, and suddenly the screen of Dina’s phone was filled with the naked upper body of one of the best looking men she had ever seen.
“Wow!” Dina breathed. The guy’s torso looked like it had been sculpted from marble, every muscle honed to perfection. He had shaggy brown hair, a strong jawline, and sexy eyes in an unusual amber shade. Lauren broke into a grin.
“See what I mean already, huh?” Dina nodded, too stunned to speak. Lauren flicked her thumb upwards, and a second guy filled the screen. He was also bare-chested, and his torso was the equal of the first one. He had dark brown hair, and mischievous-looking pale green eyes. Lauren flicked her thumb up again, and a guy with short black hair appeared. He had a lovely, handsome face, with delicious, chocolate-brown eyes, short black hair and a hint of a goatee. He had a sturdier body than their previous two, and his muscles looked powerful and meaty, like he did heavy, manual work for a living. “Girl, you’re practically salivating,” Lauren said, with a wicked cackle.