You know what the problem is with being a journalist in the year 2022? Everything has been done before. If you think you've come up with an exciting new idea, chances are somebody has already done it.
The unfortunate truth is, no matter how obsessed you are with your job, no matter how committed, you have to really think outside the box. All this obsessing and hours spent journaling will inevitably lead to one thing- a serious hit to your dating life. In fact, if you're anything like me... it's pretty much non-existent.So... when a night of drunken brainstorming landed me in a position to date WHILE working, I didn't have much of a choice but to follow through. Although instant regret of emailing my boss an absurd idea hit me like a bad hangover, the idea took. I was going to write about something so absurd that it might just work; an idea that propelled me straight out of my comfort zone.My name is Kyla Adams, and this is my story of how I met my boyfriend through a series of mini-dates that took place in the elevator on the way up to my office.The game was sort of a mix of already existing dating shows. Think "The Bachelor" mixed with "Love is Blind" mixed with speed dating. That's right- the game is called "eleDATE," and it isn't a reality show. It's my real experience that I documented immediately after every "date." Buckle in, and see if you can guess which "bachelor" stole my heart.**********I stole a glance at the vibrant purple clock sitting on my desk. "4:00," it read."One hour left guys. We got this!" I encouraged. As I looked around at the tired faces of my friends, I knew we were all ready for the weekend.That's not to say we didn't love our jobs, because we definitely did. It was a literal dream job.We were journalists for "Clicked," an online platform where people went for all the hot gossip. This place was packed full of eager writers in their 20s and early 30s all trying to top one another to get the best scoop, do the best experiment, and ultimately write the best article.The more our articles were featured, the more we got paid- every man for themself, kill or be killed- that's how it worked here.The office building we worked in was huge, and each floor was separated by job title. The bottom floors were all about design. That's where the graphic designers played around to make sure the website stayed organized, interesting, and aesthetically pleasing.Then you had the photographers- literally the paparazzi of "Clicked." If the journalists come up with an amazing story, the photographers were there to get the shot to capture it. Then you have the videographers, the media specialists, the product testers- yes that's a thing, and in the middle of the building is the break room. It was a large area with lounge seating, TVs, vending machines and cafeterias.Then, as you move up the floors you get to the editors, and the writers near the top.The writers are also separated by floor. You have the celebrity gossip column, the TikTok trends, cooking, shows and movies, drugs and alcohol, sex, world records, debunked, life hacks, home and decor, and of course where I write- love and dating.It's our job to be ahead and to write articles that keep the readers coming back to us. Each floor has a spokesperson to attend our board meetings, and for my section, I'm that person. That means, every week at 4:30 I needed to go and report to the man in charge- Dakota Kramer.Dakota is one of the youngest CEOs in North Carolina, and he's the one who started this business. He's as easy on the eyes as he is intimidating, but he's also smart and knows a good article when he reads one.Luckily, I happen to be on his good side. I was one of the first journalists he hired and I had been featured several times since then. In the beginning, Dakota and I actually went out a few times before he knew how successful he would become. Once the popularity of the site blew up, he had to step it up as the boss, hire more writers, and eventually our relationship fizzled out.Now, he was cold and professional, and spent his time hiding away on the top floor of the building."Good luck pitching to Kramer," my friend Cole said. "I heard he's been in a mood today."He didn't know my history with Dakota; nobody did. I didn't want anyone to think he was giving me special treatment, because he definitely wasn't. I was a workaholic and I knew that if my story was featured that week, I truly earned it."Oh shut up, she's gonna be fine. Besides, it's her birthday this weekend so if he's a dick again she can drown her sorrows in alcohol," Lydia chimed in from her desk across from mine.I shook my head. "Yeah, it'll be fine; And noooo way Lydia. I told you- tonight's going to be chill. Nothing crazy. I have some writing I gotta do this weekend, so I can't be hungover."My friends exchanged a look but I ignored them as I gathered up my things."Well, he can't be too harsh," Ellie piped up. "You look hot today in your birthday outfit."I shook my head, heading towards the elevator. I did dress up nicer today. I was going to go get drinks with some of my friends from work- aka the "love and dating" writers. There were 10 of us, but where my desk was set up I mainly talked with Lydia, Cole, Ellie, Rory, and Hayden.We were a close-knit group and they always knew how to keep things interesting at work. Cole and I had become friends first. He was someone that I knew I could always count on and we still are super close. Next I met Ellie and Lydia, and the 3 of us clicked instantly- the 3 amigas. Rory joined our squad when he and Ellie started dating, and Hayden joined shortly after. He always knew how to have a good time.Now, the 6 of us were pretty much inseparable.Anyway, I knew I'd be getting done with my work around the time I'd need to leave for drinks, so I just wore my dress here.I wasn't super tall- only about 5'5" so my red dress flowed long enough to be appropriate for work. It was fitted, but not so much that it was skin-tight, and it was modest enough to look "business-chic" instead of "party girl."I entered the elevator, hitting the button for 50. The top floor was literally all for Dakota. I shifted in my black strappy heels and smoothed a hand through my long strawberry blonde hair, waiting for the door to open. I wasn't sure why I always got so nervous to come up here. I literally did this every week and still, it never got any less awkward or intimidating.I had just finished with my self-soothing talk when the elevator doors pinged open and I was met with the large, elegantly decorated floor that was Dakota Kramer's office.The slate-gray tiled floor was immaculate and shiny, and the click of my heels echoed as I made my way towards the large desk situated in front of a huge window. The window wall was my favorite part, as it revealed a bird's eye view of the city.Dakota sat motionless in his black, leather, swivel chair, his eyes locked onto the screen in front of him."Mr. Kramer?" I asked. My voice sounded odd in this deafening silence."Oh yes, Kyla. I forgot you'd be coming in today," he said, breaking his attention away from the screen to scrutinize me."I come in here every Friday sir," I pointed out.He stared at me for a brief moment and I was nervous to break eye contact. He was very put together, always wearing a button up shirt of a different color and pattern. Sometimes he had a tie, but today he didn't and left the top 2 buttons of his shirt undone to embrace casual Friday. The white material of his shirt strained tightly across his biceps and brought out the deep olive color of his skin. I continued to look at his dark eyes- they were so dark they were almost black in color and they were surrounded by a field of thick lashes. His chocolate brown hair and eyebrows were dark enough to match the stubble that grew on his chin and around his full lips."I know," he finally spoke. "I guess time just got away from me." He jumped up to round the front of his desk and grab the reports from my hand, "What do we have going this week in the love and dating section?"I took a step back so that I could look up at his face. He was tall, so without lifting my eyes to meet his, I would be face to face with his perfectly muscled chest."We have a lot this week and some people are teaming up together to experiment, but one of the topics that I think you'll really like is 'do glasses make a difference'?"Dakota lifted his eyes from the files to meet mine. "Interesting. Can you elaborate?""Ellie and Rory are going to go to the clubs one night without wearing glasses and the next night wearing a big framed pair to see if the way they are treated or how they get hit on changes," I explained.“Hm," he pondered, "Okay. I like that one."I continued walking him through the remainder of our topics - "Is Chivalry Dead in 2022? Ways to Spot a Catfish on Tinder, Going Out With a ‘Heroin-Chic,’ What Gay Men Really Want, Try These Things on Your Significant Other..." I read."And I was thinking that I'd research the different stats on the dating sites. Like, what's the most common age group, race, gender, and overall success rate including Bumble, Tinder, F******k Dating, Coffee Meets Bagel, Hinge, and The League," I concluded.He nodded in understanding, although I saw his eyebrows furrow as if he was deep in thought about something."Kyla, come take a walk with me," he finally said."Um... okay?" I agreed. I watched as he turned on his heel, walking slightly ahead of me as I tailed behind.He stopped when he reached the stupid basketball hoop he had on the other side of the large room, picking up one of the balls."Here, catch," he shouted, as he quickly threw a small basketball at me."What the heck?!" I squealed, holding my hands out to catch it and squeezing my eyes tight.Unfortunately, the ball bounced off my palm and went rolling back towards Dakota."See? You didn't expect that, did you?" He smirked."No. I definitely didn't," I huffed, unsure what he was getting at."And how do you feel?" He asked, stepping towards me, "Intrigued? Alert? Eager to hear more about why I threw that at you?""More like confused and waiting for you to make your point," I quipped."I'm just saying that what I just did was unexpected; ergo - not boring.""So you're saying my idea is boring?" I asked, offended by his point."I'm saying," he said, holding up a lean finger, "that you don't ever write outside of your comfort zone."I didn't know what to say so I just watched as he took even more steps towards me, closing the distance between us.“Listen, Kyla. You're a great writer; I'd even say one of my best. BUT, you play it safe and only write stories based on research.""Research is what I'm good at, Sir... I know how to find information a lot of people don't," I justified."I realize that, and that's great, but your articles haven't been very interesting lately. You write for "love and dating." These articles are supposed to be fun and personal; you're supposed to go out there and write about your own dating experiments and experiences. I mean... that is if you have any," he added, starting to walk away now back towards his desk.I scoffed, following quickly behind him as I was even more defensive now. "Excuse me? Are you saying that I don't date? Because I do. I date.""I stand corrected," he said, pulling out his chair to sit back down."I mean, I know I haven't had one in a little while, but...""Woah Kyla, it's none of my business what you do with your personal life," he cut me off. "But, it's your job to come up with something unique and interesting to write about, and a lot of the best stories come from people willing to put themselves out there.""I...""Shhh..." he said, cutting me off again. "Take the weekend, really think about it, and bring me a pitch on Monday of something fun and personal.""Um... okay. I'll try my best," I responded, feeling weirdly small standing here while he scrutinized me."No," he stated, "You are going to come up with something amazing, or you're fired.""What?!" I exclaimed, my composure breaking. "Are you serious, Dakota?"His eyes widened when I used his first name. "Yes. Be careful, Kyla. We may have a past, but I'm still your boss. Monday it is."I had nothing else to say. I just nodded and walked to the elevator."Oh, and Kyla?" He called from behind me.I turned to look at him; he was staring from where he sat at his throne."Happy birthday.""Oh my god he said that!?" Lydia exclaimed, brushing her long blonde hair away from her face.I nodded my head, resting it in my hands. "It was so humiliating guys. And if I don't come up with something incredible by Monday I'm screwed!"Cole reached a large hand out, rubbing it across my back in a comforting motion. "You're a great writer Ky... we'll think of something. He's not gonna fire you."I smiled at my friend. Cole was sweet, and truthfully he was the total package. He was tall and fit, although not as muscular as Dakota. He had a dimpled grin and baby blue eyes with dirty blonde hair and tanned skin. Cole had always been there for me. I'll be the first to admit I've thought about taking things further with him, but I could never bring myself to breach the subject. Now I appreciate our friendship so much I would really hate to jeopardize that. Besides, Cole hadn't ever made a move so I was fairly certain he wasn't into me anyway."You know what? Let's get some shots," Hayden
There wasn't a better idea out there. This was actually happening.After a full Saturday night and Sunday of researching and brainstorming, we were not able to come up with anything remotely as unique as eleDATE. Besides, Dakota was a stubborn man, and once he made up his mind about something it was damn near impossible to change it.When my alarm went off on Monday morning, I felt physically ill. My stomach was in knots. I knew that there were some logistics that needed to be worked out before I could actually begin the dates, but I was still dreading meeting with Dakota to discuss the idea.I sifted through my closet, deciding to wear my black pencil skirt, black strappy heels, and a short sleeve, olive blouse. I figured I'd dress nice today to try and keep a fake sense of confidence while pitching my stupid idea.Once dressed, I threw some curls in my long hair, pulling it into a messy bun at my neck. I pulled some pieces out of the bun, curling them loosely to frame my face. When
I had officially become a hermit. Last week was a mess of me planning my article, stressing about dating, and feeling as though I was the one on the "outs." Since Lydia and Ellie were in charge of finding men to participate, they weren't at their desks much. Even Rory, Hayden, and Cole didn't really spend a lot of time with me as they were helping to read through the questionnaires. It kind of felt like the 5 of them all had this inside joke now, and occasionally they would shoot looks my way or try to smother laughter at some of the answers. So, by the time the weekend rolled around, nobody wanted to drink with me for fear they'd let the secrets slip. Thus, ironically, I had become even more antisocial than I was before, even though this whole experiment was aimed at increasing my social capacity. I was laying on by side, buried under my duvet while I stared at the clock on my nightstand. I watched the minutes, knowing that in just 2 minutes my alarm was going to go off, and I wo
"Woah-" a male voice rang out. I felt two arms gripping me at the waist. Instinctively, I grabbed hold of the man's arms to stable myself. "You okay?" He asked. I nodded, "Yes... sorry about that. This blindfold really... I mean.. thank you," I stuttered out. God I was nervous. He chuckled a low, melodious laugh. "I get it. You're good." He released his grip from my waist and I let my hands slip from his muscled arms. Then, I felt the elevator begin to move and I knew this date was started. "So... what's your name?" I asked, stupidly, not knowing how to stand or if I was even facing him."Um... I'm not actually supposed to say. Kind of defeats the whole purpose of the blindfold," he answered. Duh. I could feel my face heating beneath the blindfold. "Oh... right. I'm sorry. I'm just a little in my head right now."There was a moment of silence. It wasn't that he was being awkward, but I could literally feel the awkwardness radiating off of me. "How about we just rapid fire some f
The minute I returned to my seat at my desk my friends were already there, blasting me with questions. I waved them off, not wanting to forget anything about what the man in the elevator had told me about himself. I flipped open my laptop, opening up my OneNote and typing furiously before my memory faded:Bachelor 1: Likes steak, medium rare2 dogs- golden retrievers Likes golf Favorite animal- tiger Large family- close with them Guitar? Thinks I'm pretty Seemed tall and muscular Smelled nice Made me feel calm; easy to talk toHow good was this date out of 10: 8"He told you you're pretty!?" Lydia squealed from behind me, causing me to jump. "Quit reading my notes," I said, closing my laptop. "They're private." She scoffed. "There's no such thing as privacy in our little cubicle. You know that." "Yeah," Hayden chimed in from his desk. He used his feet to push his rolling chair away from the desk so that he was now facing me. "So spill it Ky." I knew I wouldn't be able to
Cole and I slowly made our way to the bar, and I held tight to his hand as he lead the way through the crowd of swaying bodies. Once there, I was lucky enough to find an open bar stool. I pushed myself onto it, ignoring the fact that it was sticky with spilled drink residue. I supposed it didn’t really matter anyway, since I was already coated in alcohol.Cole stood behind me and to my right, leaning forward to place his arm on the bar top, caging me in slightly. "Your shirt is a mess," he said, taking note of the brown soda stain running down the front of my white, cropped t-shirt. Of course I had chosen to wear white; bad call on my part. "I know..." I sighed. "I loved this shirt too." It was much quieter by the bar now, and I could actually hear what Cole was saying to me despite the ringing in my ears from the loud concert music. When the bartender came over, I ordered our drinks and Cole asked for a soda water. I cocked an eyebrow at him. He didn't like soda water... and I
Waking up in the morning, I felt strange about going into work. I wasn't even as nervous as I had been the day before, but I couldn't stop thinking about how Cole thought "eleDate" was a bad idea. I mean, I had thought it was a bad idea before I started it, but after my first date I was actually coming around. It bothered me that Cole expressed a negative opinion after it was too late to do so, and I didn't understand why he was so worried about it. Either way... the dating had to go on. I wasn't excited about it as I pulled my white blouse and black jeans from the closet. I was a little bit hungover- or just super tired from getting home so late on a work night- so I didn't feel like dressing up too much. I paired it with black close-toed heels and some gold jewelry before heading to my car.When I arrived, Ellie was standing at the base of the elevator, blindfold in hand. "Morning," I greeted, my tone indicating that I did not want to be here. "Hungover?" She asked. "Eh... not
When I arrived back at my desk, I was quick to shut down the many questions from my friends with an “I don't wanna talk about it." "Ooo bad one, huh?" Lydia asked, swiveling in her chair so that she was fully facing me now. "Yeah. He was creepy. I thought you guys were gonna pick men that I'd actually like?" I accused. "We tried!" Lydia defended, "I swear, nobody was creepy towards us." “Can confirm,” Ellie agreed, “they all seemed normal enough.”"At least you won't have to date him again," Rory chimed in. "That's true," I sighed, opening up my laptop to type in my notes. Bachelor 2:- CREEPY- Awkward - Need to Eliminate - how good was the date out of 10: 0“Did you tell Mr. Kramer how bad it was?" Ellie asked. I nodded, turning my attention back to her. "I did, yeah. But then I took some of it back." "Why would you take it back?" She pressed."Because he said he was gonna have a talk with the guy, and I really don't want that. This article isn't supposed to cause drama or