2061. Online dating

Clyde and Patricia were not a couple. In fact they had never met. In fact they lived in different towns in different parts of the country.

One day Clyde decided to go online and try to find someone interesting he could chat with and perhaps fall in love with and spend their lives together. Patricia did the same thing. They both registered with the same online dating organization. It was wholesome and genuine.

Patricia spent an enjoyable evening chatting with a man called Herman, and Clyde spent an enjoyable evening chatting with a woman called Claudia.

Things warmed up a bit over time and Patricia and Herman would spend every night chatting; the same for Clyde and Claudia.

Patricia asked Herman if he wanted to meet, and Claudia asked Clyde if he wanted to meet. It was always less suspicious when the woman asked because one never knows with men asking to meet whether they’re predators or not. Upon being asked to meet was when Herman and Clyde both got up and ran, because Herman’s real name was David and Clyde’s real name was Michael. Both had posted photos that bore a striking resemblance to a relatively unknown model whose photograph had been scanned out of a fairly dated women’s magazine.

So to cut to the chase, Clyde and Claudia have never met, and Patricia and Herman have never met. Nor have Clyde and Patricia ever met. Nor have David and Claudia nor Michael and Patricia. Nor for that matter have David and Michael, nor Patricia and Claudia.

These days, Michael is living with Veronica, David is living with Denise, Claudia is living with Charlie, and Patricia is living with Jethro. Charlie and Jethro used to be known online as Selwyn and Bruno. Perhaps you have run into these people over the years?