Free Step F*#K (A Stepbrother Series Book 1) by Scarlett Ward Page B

you.”
    “I was kidding. This site is cool because the screening questions and profile stuff they want from you is really comprehensive. This isn’t the casual encounters section of Craigslist. I’ve actually met several guys through this site and they’ve all been very kind, intelligent, and great in the sack.”
    “You do online dating?”
    “Of course. Most people these days do. You can only meet so many people out in the real world, you can only be so many places at once. The way I see it is, you’re really limiting yourself if you stick only to the real life interactions. The last guy I met on here was from La Jolla. Chris, remember him? The surfer with the Welsh Corgi? I hardly ever go to La Jolla, and even if I did, the chances of me running into him there are probably not that great. But you hop online and look at all the connections that open up. You might feel like your options are totally limited here, but that’s just because you haven’t branched out. You’re not willing to explore other possibilities.”
    I take another sip of the wine and give a cursory glance to the laptop screen. She did choose a decent enough picture; it’s one she took herself, when we were at the beach. I’m wearing a pink halter top dress and my hair, which is long and brown and usually a bit unruly, is twisted up into a top knot and looks fairly decent, and my tan has darkened enough to camouflage the sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of my nose, which I’ve never liked despite pretty much everyone telling me how adorable they are.  
    “What’s up with the beautifuldreamer ?”
    “That’s your screen name. You can change it if you want, but I thought it was fitting. It is one of your favorite songs, after all.”
    “I don’t know if I’d say it was one of my favorites; I just like it. We heard it that other day at the store and I told you I liked it, not that it was my favorite.”
    “Well, whatever. It makes you sound appealing without being overly slutty, which is not going to attract the kind of guy we want.”
    “I don’t even know what kind of guy I want!”  
    “But you’re not totally against the idea.”
    I sigh. “No,” I admit. “I guess I have been thinking that it wouldn’t be bad to try going on a date or two. But not just with anyone . . . I wanted to wait and meet the right guy.”
    “Oooh look.” Megan clicks the mousepad. “Someone wants to chat. SexyStranger258 .”
    “Seriously? I’m not chatting with someone who refers to himself as SexyStranger . Doesn’t that mean he’s probably totally unsexy?”
    “Let’s find out.”
    She clicks a few more times and then there’s a guy’s profile picture. He’s actually rather handsome, with thick, close cut brown hair and bluish green eyes. His profile says he’s twenty-five.  
    “Not bad,” Megan says. “Here, you should reply. I’m getting more wine.”
    She plops the laptop onto my lap. I stare at the screen.  
    Hey, I see ur new here. Cute pic. Love a girl with freckles! Most girls around here just try to disguise them.  
    I click back to my profile picture and scrutinize it. What, was he looking at the picture with a magnifying glass?  
    Thanks , I type back. My friend actually just signed me up for this site.  
    Ah, nice friend you have.  
    I actually don’t know that much about online dating, never done it before.  
    It can be a decent experience, if you’re with the right person. I think I could be the right person for your first time.  
    “Uh, I think this guy thinks I’m a virgin,” I say to Megan.  
    You wouldn’t be my first time, I type. I’ve had sex before.
    It’s only after I hit send that I realize he was referring to it being my first time doing online dating.  
    Lol. Wasn’t implying that. But good2know.  
    I groan. “That’s it,” I say as Megan walks back over, jelly jar practically overflowing with wine. “I’m done with this.”
    She reads our conversation so far and bursts out