“Mmhmm,” Dr. Goodman hums.
“My job is to find those similarities and flaws in clients and pair them with well-suited matches,” I continue. “This way, people can bypass all the wondering and initial skepticism. I’m there with clients through the new moon, I mean, the beginning of their relationships so I can better understand the dynamics of their interactions.”
“Sorry, but whoever’s speaking right now, you really don’t think two opposites can balance each other out?” the voice of the man who spoke before me calls out.
I turn to face him, but the man’s already seated, his face lost among the crowd. “Only if—and that’s a big if—both people are willing to keep that balance in check and are open to transformation. It won’t just happen. Change is hard and requires work. Certain flaws can be dealbreakers,” I respond.
“Your point being what? That opposite traits are flaws?” the man yells again.
“Complementary traits and opposite traits are not one and the same,” I say loudly so the man in the back can hear me. “If you’re looking for excitement in your life with someone who is wildly different from you because you can’t be with someone so similar to yourself, well, then, best of luck to you.”
Take that, Opposites Attract Guy.
“And if you’re scared to be with someone who’s too different, I respectfully wish you all the best,” the man says, his tone assertive but not unfriendly. My jaw drops as I face back toward the front.
“Thank you both for the dialogue. I appreciate the passion. You give us a lot to think about,” Dr. Goodman says as she repositions herself behind a podium. “Now, to go back to something else that was mentioned: love versus lust. Let’s explore that.” She resumes her presentation while I take notes.
After the session, I meet up with Alisha. While waiting for her, I watch as attendees shake hands, embrace in hugs, and tap their phones. I slide my fingers down my heart-patterned lanyard and admire the dangling glossy badge printed with my name and fancy new title.
I’ve played Cupid for over three hundred clients. It’s a beautiful thing when two people come together from various corners of the world and are matched based on their truly complementary personality traits, just as the moon and Earth complement one another. With as many people as there are out there, finding your person can be overwhelming, to say the least.
I love creating love and seeing relationships go from a spark to a raging bonfire. Sure, sometimes the fire goes out in relationships, but sometimes, even after a few missteps, the embers still glow hot, and the fire remains in a steady state of potential, needing just a single gust of air to reignite. It’s all part of the process of finding and falling in love.
Alisha startles me when she sweeps her arm around my shoulder.
“Happy first day! That should really say CLO!” she says in a singsongy tone. “Chief Love Officer. How do you feel?”
I laugh and nod my head toward a bouquet of overfilled giant heart balloons, the glistening red foil practically bursting at the seams. “Like that. I’m so excited I could burst.”
Alisha laughs. “How was your session? I learned about so many different attachment styles in relationships, I feel like I just got out of therapy.”
“I was put on the spot but I’m always eager to talk shop,” I say. “Ready for lunch? Randall says he’ll meet us there.”
“Can you get a couple of quick shots of me? This outfit’s a bit over-the-top,” she says, referencing her puffy red sleeves, “but it matches the color palette of my feed.”
With Alisha’s phone, I snap a few photos, crouching low to capture every angle. When she’s not busy matchmaking, Alisha runs her Instagram account where she features first-date outfits styled and modeled by her. With over thirty thousand followers, Alisha’s in tune with what’s happening in the social media world. Her expertise will be invaluable for our upcoming marketing efforts.
We stroll through the outdoor veranda to the stage kitchen where countless cookbook photoshoots have undoubtedly taken place. Situated next to the long community tables is a photobooth with the words Love at First Aura scrawled across the side.
The woman at the booth gives us a warm smile as we pass by. “Welcome. Would you be interested in trying Love at First Aura? First we read your aura, then we find you a match based on your aura color.”
Alisha looks fascinated by their concept. “I love how spiritual this is. Get in!” she says, nudging me.
“What! No!” I use both my arms to push off the booth. “Great concept, though!”
“Come on!” Alisha begs. “I’ll bet you’re a deep blue and violet. Don’t you want to know who you’ll match with?”
I laugh. “Good one. Aura compatibility isn’t quite my thing. Besides, it’s not about me. Love is in the air, Alisha. Can you feel it?” I raise my hands and spin around.
She raises her eyebrows in amusement. “For everyone but you, I suppose.”
I let her comment roll off my back. Many moons ago, I did love being in love. I used to fall in love easily. Too easily. Now I know better. I’m wiser. More careful.
Randall is already behind the counter picking out his lunch, which is standard conference to-go fare, a turkey and cheddar sandwich with a bag of chips and an apple. I cherish every single bite because, even though the bread’s stale and the apple’s bruised, I’m surrounded by people who are trying to bring more love into the world. Today might as well be a holiday in my calendar.
“These sandwiches are cut into hearts!” Randall says, looking amused. His expression morphs into confusion. “What do they do with the crusts, though? Seems wasteful.”
We eat and wander, stumbling upon the designated booth section for online dating and digital apps, or in other words, Dating Purgatory. With new apps popping up all the time, I feel at ease knowing that Lunar Love focuses on in-person matchmaking where clients aren’t caught straddling the fine line of ghosting or playing the waiting game. Because we’re hands-on with our clients, no one is ever left wondering about the status of their love lives. Humans deserve more than being relegated to names like users and being worthy only if they contribute to data and bottom lines.
Alisha, Randall, and I wind through people waiting for free swag from online dating apps both big and small. I hear founders and CEOs pitching their products to the media, interested customers, and potential job candidates. In the midst of the chaos, I hear the words Chinese zodiac spoken by a person at one of the booths. I stop in my tracks as Alisha bumps into me from behind. A chip flies out of my hand and under the heel of a man’s sneaker.
“Oof! Are you okay?” she asks. “What’s up?”
“Did you hear that? Someone just said Chinese zodiac.”
“Maybe you were thinking out loud again, and you heard yourself say it,” Randall says as he looks around the crowded room. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“There it was again!” I say, leading them closer to the row of booths. As I push my way through the crowd, I can see just enough of the company’s sign over people’s heads.