Wine-Mate

November 28,2035

Curfew was fast approaching in the streets of New York. Times Square began to lull as I made my way down 44th street. The number of people on the streets was sparse. Too many businesses are closed permanently than ever before. So much loss for a city that was once filled with so much life. I remember the lights of Times Square before the virus. They were so bright that it felt like daylight even at 10 pm. Now they are dimmed and will soon be turned off completely by 8 pm when curfew begins. A new normal that I've grown used to.

I began to feel a bit winded while approaching the old building that once housed New Dramatist Playwright Center. It's late November, my cheeks burn from the cold air against my face. There were no signs of holiday decorations to be found. With a curfew in place, the city stopped seeing the point in decorating if there was no one out to enjoy it. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I'm relieved I've made it with 5 minutes to spare until curfew hits and the streets go dark. My eyes shift upwards to the Bright Cellars sign in the window. It's not unusual to see something that was once a family-owned Italian restaurant turned into a Bright Cellars Wine-Mate building. They never change out the old signs either, just put up a new one on the front door or in the windows. It's their way of never forgetting the original business that used to be there. They've taken over all sorts of establishments that have closed in different locations when the return to normalcy failed 3 years after the virus.

Once I've swiped my access badge the doors open, allowing me to enter the red-colored lobby. The building hosts Wine-Mate, an online quiz that once matched you with a bottle of wine now matched you with a soulmate based on your preference of wine. It sounded too good to be true, but I took the bait. Loneliness won that night 3 weeks ago as I'd spent over an hour answering too many personal questions about my likes and dislikes. How I liked my tea, and how I pictured my ideal day going. Somehow through all those answers that I'd given, they managed to find someone with a 95% match in my answers.

Pulling the strap on my overnight bag up above my shoulder, I signed in at the iPad mounted on the wall. No one is there to greet me as the glass doors opened after I’d hit the submit button. The red walls continued down a hallway of black doors that led into suites. Red was fitting since I'd been matched and labeled as a Merlot type. I wasn't surprised by that; I did love a good glass of Merlot. Wine and I had become closer friends over the years in isolation. The nerves start to get the best of me as I make my way down the eerily quiet hallway. Only the soft hum of the heater can be heard as I swipe my access badge again to open the door to my suite.

I was matched with Ben. A mid 30's handsome police lieutenant who praised from Staten Island. At least that's what he'd filled out in his profile. When I received the email that I'd been matched by my preference in wine and the answers to the quiz, I had to laugh out loud. What were the odds that some other Merlot-loving person would answer such questions similar in the way that I had?

I was optimistic but still surprised that he'd agreed to meet virtually for the first time over VR. The curfew and rules in place had made first dates in person something of the past. Though we weren't too far apart travel-wise, it was still against the law to travel into other boroughs to meet someone outside of your immediate family.

Letting out a shaky breath of air, I'd reached the no turning back point. My hand was clammy as I placed it on the handle and pushed the heavy black door open. The room itself was modern and chic. A queen-sized bed and end tables were against the left wall while a dark stained table and chairs were positioned in front of the right wall.

Setting my overnight bag down on the duvet cover of the bed, I realized I was close to being 10 minutes late. "Shit!" Hastily making my way to the table, I practically dropped down onto the chair. The VR controllers and headset in front of me looked expensive and complicated, but came with clear instructions printed on paper. "Okay, Ben let's do this," I whispered to only myself while placing the headset over my ears and eyes. Instantly as it booted on, I was back in Times Square, except this time it was as it used to be. Bright, busy, and alive. Before the virus.

"Ben?" I asked softly into my mic piece. My eyes scanned over the crowd of virtual people, but none of them looked like the man in the photograph that I'd seen on his profile.

"Hey, Prudence." My name was a family name that my mother had given me to honor her great aunt. Usually, I'd cringe even harder than I had, but his voice was soft and heavy with a Staten Island accent that I instantly recognized. Feeling my heart rate increase at the sound of his voice, I scanned the faces in front of me not even certain if they were people or just simulations to make the experience more real.

"Where are you?" I asked, feeling slightly foolish while getting up from my chair and almost stumbling over it.

"Over to your left, be careful don't hurt yourself jeez. Works better if you're standing." A hand waved in my direction and I saw him. Tall with an average build, mid-length dark brown hair, wide-set eyes, and a decent 5 'o clock shadow that suited him perfectly. He matched his picture, and for some reason that shocked me.

"Is this you? This is how you look?" I moved my hands up and down to emphasize what I was referring to. My cheeks grew hot with embarrassment at how foolish I sounded.

"Yeah, technology is insane. I mean my beard is a little different since my avatar was made, but this is me. Are you, you?" He raised a quizzical thick eyebrow at me as he got closer.

"I... yes. I had to upload a picture of myself and then my body was scanned here two weeks ago when you agreed to meet - "I paused a moment, realizing how bizarre that sounded after the words had already come out of my mouth. "You're right technology is too insane now."

He looked up and around at the buildings and lights in our own personal Times Square. "I miss the city like this. I hope you don't mind that I picked the setting before you logged on." His eyes met mine, and for a moment I forgot that we weren't physically in this place.

"I'm not from here, but it's my home," I confessed, daring, and willing myself to move closer to him.

"Where are you from? Do you even like Merlot, or did you play the system to see what you'd get?" He questioned with a slight smile. We were close now. I could see his features perfectly. The slight crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, a beauty mark above the right corner of his mouth, and his wide doe-eyed blue eyes. I was attracted to him. I hadn't expected to be, but I was.

"Is this an interrogation? I'm from Baltimore. I was a teacher, but when the virus came, we lost most of our funding, so I was let go then moved here, and no I answered honestly like we were supposed to." It was my turn to give him a skeptical look.

He held his hands up in defense. "So did I, just wondering is all. I'm not interrogating you. I'm sorry about your job." He looked truly sincere as the setting changed on us and we were suddenly transported to a steakhouse. "You like a good porterhouse?" He asked with a smirk while motioning to the awaiting table in front of us.

"Thank you, I miss it. I love porterhouse, but this isn't a real place, Ben." I tried to argue but he was already sitting down.

"Who says it ain't? There should be a bag on the table and a bottle of red." He tucked a cloth napkin into the front of his black button-down shirt, and I couldn't help but snicker at such a thing.

I lifted the VR headset slightly and spotted the bag and bottle of Jetbird wine. My favorite, but he couldn't have known. Using the wine opener that was next to it I wasted no time in pouring myself a decent amount into the glass before lowering the headset back over my eyes. "You have impressed me," I admitted while placing the glass to my lips.

"Yeah? That's a first usually everyone says I intimidate them. That tends to be a deal-breaker I guess." He shrugs his shoulders and cuts into the steak with ease. I watch him for a moment as he looks out the window with a view over the Hudson. "Man, I miss how simple everything used to be. Don't you?"

"Yes, I miss the holidays in the city. The tree lighting and New Year's Eve." I let out a sigh, remembering my early 20's when I'd visit the city with my college friends. How I got kissed by a stranger at midnight on New Year's Eve and then dumped by him five months later.

"Those are the busiest times for crime. I've never been to any of those events when I wasn't on the clock. Until now." He set his silverware down, and before I could object, he'd already pulled the cloth napkin free from his shirt collar. Almost instantaneously we were in a crowd in front of Rockefeller Center. Jingle Bell Rock played loudly as all eyes were focused on the un-lit Christmas Tree in front of us. Snow flurries fell freely from the sky and I could feel a chill as the heat in my suite turned off.

"I'm glad all this doesn't give us whiplash," I commented, pleased to find him standing right beside me looking up towards the tree. He seemed distracted now and I wondered what it would feel like to hold his hand. "Ben…"It came out as a whisper, gaining his full attention. "I wish I could touch you." His features softened at my confession.

"Me too." He replied while holding my gaze.

The cheers from the crowd pulled us out of our trance as we looked up to see the tree already brought to life by the lights. "You missed it." I frowned, thoroughly disappointed that he didn't get to witness the wonder of the tree lighting.

"I'll catch it next year." He teased with a wink. I knew next year would be no different than this year. Once again, we were back in the center of Times Square before I could even blink.

"Our time is almost up." I hated to leave him, but there was no choice. VRC dates did not come cheap. "Will I see you again?"

"Yes. Sooner rather than later." He ran his fingers through his hair, and I wished I could make him materialize at that moment just to kiss him goodnight.

"I'll see you soon." My hand gave off a weak wave and he offered me one in return.

"See ya, Prudence. Don't hate on your name so much alright?" In an instant, he was gone before I could even properly say goodbye.

Authors Note: the journey continues…