Lovebomb Part 1

Cleo’s POV

Tiana was my best friend, my sister in everything but blood, and I loved her to death - but she was a stubborn woman. She had this idea that love was something that would just fall through her ceiling while she was reading a manuscript. In the real world, you had to go out and hunt it down. You had to market yourself. If I could win a case in a courtroom full of sharks, I could certainly find a man for my best friend.

I ignored her protests as I flipped open my laptop, the screen illuminating the dim room. "Instaconnect or Lovebomb?" I asked, my fingers hovering over the keys.

"What's the difference?" Tia asked, her voice dripping with scepticism.

"Instaconnect is for people who want to meet up in twenty minutes for something that involves very little talking," I explained. "Lovebomb, on the other hand, is for the long game. It’s got algorithms, personality quizzes, and a much lower 'creep' factor. That’s where I found Kyle."

I felt a little defensive about Kyle. I knew Tia’s 'red flag' comment about the photos came from a place of love, but she didn't know him. She didn't know the way he looked at me, or the way his voice dropped an octave when he talked about his family. Just because he wasn't an I*******m addict didn't mean he was hiding a second family. Probably.

"If you aren't taking no for an answer, then let’s go for Lovebomb," Tia sighed. She reached for her margarita and took a long, resigned gulp. "But if I get murdered by a guy who collects human hair, I am haunting both of you for eternity."

"Deal," I said, hitting the d******d button.

While the app installed, I took a moment to look at Tia. She really was stunning, though she never seemed to believe it. She had those big, expressive brown eyes - doe-eyes, really - and a mess of dark, bouncy curls that always seemed to catch the light. She had a natural, ethereal beauty that didn't require the layers of contouring I usually felt the need to apply. She stood 5’8”, with a presence that should have been commanding, but she often tried to shrink herself down. Not tonight. Tonight, we were making her visible.

"Okay, it’s ready," I announced. "Username?"

"TastyTia!" Marissa shouted from the kitchen.

The room erupted. "No!" Tia cried, burying her face in a cushion. "Absolutely not! I am not advertising myself as a snack."

"Okay, okay," I laughed. "You definitely are a snack though! How about just TiaRose?"

Tia popped up from behind the cushion. "Hey! I am not a snack - I’m a whole damn meal!” she glared at me jokily. “TiaRose...I like that. It gives people enough to know who I am without giving away my whole identity."

"TiaRose it is," I said, typing it in. “Oh, it’s taken. TiaRose98 will have to do!”

Next came the 'About Me' section. This was the part where most people failed. They either wrote a novel or said something generic. I needed something that captured the real Tia—the girl who cried at cat commercials but could also tear a plot hole to shreds.

"What should we put for the bio?" I asked.

"Loves books, hates spoilers, and is looking for someone who doesn't mind a girl who reads at the dinner table. Must love cats." Marissa joked, appearing with a fresh bowl of popcorn.

"And she’s a publisher," I added, typing furiously. "So you better check your grammar before you slide into her DMs."

Mari slid down next to me and grabbed the laptop from my hands. “Hey!” I glared at her as she grinned smugly.

“My turn!” She smirked.

I leaned back, watching Mari take over. There was a frantic energy in Mari tonight, a desperation to be anyone other than "Mummy" for a few hours. I knew she loved Ben, and I knew Ben was a good man, but eight years was a long time. They had started in Fellsdello as kids and stayed in Fellsdello as adults. Sometimes, I wondered if the walls of their life were starting to feel a little too close for comfort.