Page 18 (1/2)

“To Catherine?” she asks

“To Daisy,” I say, then auess Maybe I could copy and paste what I write to Daisy into Catherine’s box, for now”

Millie stares at , flat second, and then stands “Sure, Reid Send along their o very still

“Are you sure?” I point to her narrow eyes and stiff posture, so we’ve never seen on her, other than the ti, undisputed cha to Alex “You look like you’re going to kill hs but it’s a weird ha-ha-ha laugh Ato kill you” Millie slides hera thumb beneath the strap

“I don’t feel reassured,” I ad shallow”

The unfa, and beyond thatanother type of unease starts to wor on here? With Millieand the prospect of ?

“Why do you care who I reply to?” I ask as carefully as I can I’ry? And what does it ry Millie looks like?

“It’s just a fe,” she says “Why are ays expected to share the picture of us with our boobs out on the beach, but dudes can share the candid one with their slobbery dog?”

“I want to re opinions about what photos I share, too”

“You’re tripping because I didn’t want you to look like a McDonald’s ad?” Chris asks hi Grimace costume!” Ed yells, and about fourteen people around us turn to look

When I turn back to answer Millie, to tell her she’s right, that I need to give Catherine one

Chapter seven

et back to my office Seriously Copy and paste? What the fuck, Reid?

Dropping intoof peanut butter M&M’s I keep inmechanism, but since I already finished the bottle of scotch I used to keep there, M&M’s will have to do

Shallow isn’t a word I’d have used to describe Reid before today Manipulative? Maybe I mean, aren’t we all a little? Even a tiny bit self-absorbed? Sure, I’uilty of that one, too But shallow? No Which is why this feels like such a big thing, because ry about how quickly Reid prioritized his response to Daisy over Catherine, I feel disappointed

It’s not an emotion I’m used to where Reid is concerned He’s the one I called when I got a flat tire halfway to Monterey, the friend ill bring us each a sht of particularly heavy drinking, the person who refuses to speak badly about anyone, especially behind their back He’s unerringly thoughtful

Disappoint up the app again, I don’t even check ed into Catherine’s She has t requests, one of which looks like a reasonably noruy, and one I instantly delete

Eric is a twenty-six-year-oldto the app we’re an 84 percentsomeone who can do , and so I click ALLOW to let hi on, I open the profile page and click her—my—photo It’s a picture my sister took on my last trip home, and I picked it not only because you couldn’t clearly make out my face, but because no one here has seen it before I’d been watching the rain as it puddled outside the , and I look thoughtful, almost serene It’s no Daisy on a beach with her smile and her boobs, but it isn’t a bad photo Certainly not one that warrants a copied and pasted reply

The es Reid received from Daisy and Catherine were both brief, and the differences in our —98 percent versus 82 percent! I’ to think Reid is a fake scientist who doesn’t care about numbers Any preference he has for Daisy at this point is purely visual What a dick!

Is it crazy that I’m suddenly determined to make Catherine the winner here? To teach them a lesson? Not just for my own vindication, but for likeall of wouys, I’m sure they’d tell me my—Catherine’s—first step should be to choose a new photo Unfortunately, I can’t show my face, and a close-up down the front of my shirt wouldn’t be all that impressive, either, so I’ll just have toThis would be easier if I could be creative and tell a lot of stories, taking snippets I’ve heard fro the semishady as it is, I can’t lie Catherine’s stories have to be my stories, which means I can’t show him the easy, superficial stuff I’ve let hi deep

But first, Reid will need to reply

He’s already forwarded es from Daisy and Catherine It only takes a fewhe can paste into each of their boxes—I a letters tohim in a separate

Millie Morris

I have your replies Do you want theoddess And here is good

Millie Morris

HUGE SIGH

Millie Morris

For Daisy An 82 rew up in California If I’m not mistaken, your profile photo was taken at Ledbetter Beach? I’m an Associate Professor at UCSB, just down the road froone to a couple parties at the park, just off the beach, and even atteo well Let me just say thataround there soiant knockers, which her than those around you

Reid Campbell