Not That Easy Read Online Free PDF Page A

effort.”
    â€œBut I’m okay with casual hookups,” I pointed out. “That’s kind of why I’m doing this.”
    â€œOh fine, get Tinder,” sighed Emma. “Just do this as well. Please? For me?”
    â€œFine,” I said. “Tinder can be my backup if this fails. So which online site shall I join?”
    â€œDefinitely OkCupid,” said Lara. “I’ve heard PlentyOfFish is more of a sex-only site. Besides, I’m on OKC and I’ve seen so many normal people on there. There’s an option where you can search for people who have degrees—it’s amazing. One week I only searched for people who have PhDs.”
    â€œExactly,” cried Emma. “On Tinder you have no idea what anyone does, so you could end up going on a date with some old perv, or a chav with shaved eyebrows who works in construction.”
    â€œWhat’s wrong with construction workers?” I asked semi-offended. “One of my uncles in Greece is a builder.”
    â€œOh my God, no, I don’t hate all builders,” said Emma, “I love when the hot ones go topless. But I’m talking about the sexist ones who yell out ‘Oi, sexy’ at girls on the street. You know?”
    I shook my head at her. “You do realize that’s like the most ancient stereotype ever, and you’re just as bad admiring their abs?”
    â€œNo, I get what you mean, Emma,” said Lara. “You want to date someone on your level, which is why OKC is great.”
    I raised an eyebrow at her, wondering when my friends had gotten so snobby. I’d be happy shagging a homeless guy so long as he was hot and chlamydia free.
    â€œI mean, I still get my fair share of messages from chavs with topless selfies who spell
your
and
you’re
wrong,” continued Lara. “And quite a few just asking me when I’m free to fuck them . . .
But
, I’vealso seen so many people I know on there, and loads of them went to uni, which makes me think we would at least have stuff in common.”
    â€œSo have you gone on any dates?” I asked her, knowing she would have already told me if she had.
    â€œWell, I’m still casually seeing Jez, but I started panicking I was wasting my prime years by dating a weed addict with commitment issues, so . . . I went on three last month,” she replied.
    â€œOh my God,” I shrieked. “Three dates and you didn’t tell me? What the fuck, Lara?” She hadn’t told me about breaking Jez’s penis either. Why was Lara hiding things from me?
    She blushed. “I guess . . . oh I don’t know, I was kind of scared you’d judge me for being on a dating site.”
    â€œJudge you? Hello, I’m the girl who stuck a bottle of bubble bath up her vagina and didn’t know you could get chlamydia from blow jobs.”
    She snorted. “Yeah, fair point. Have you got rid of the chlamydia by the way?”
    â€œThe doctor gave her some pills, she’s fine,” interrupted Emma. “Anyway, I’m done with talking about STIs. Lara, tell us your dating stories.”
    â€œNo, wait! First, tell me why you thought I’d judge you,” I said, ignoring Emma’s frustrated sighs. I still felt weird Lara hadn’t said anything about all this. Oh God—maybe it was because she felt she couldn’t because I’m so virginal and new to sex?
    Lara fidgeted on the sofa. “Oh, I don’t know, I guess just because most people who use dating sites are old so I was a bit nervous you’d all think I was desperate or that it was a bit weird. But it just makes so much sense to date online,” she said. “Like, you don’t have to bother with the cringeness of going to a bar and hoping you meet someone, then being depressed if you don’t. Or the pathetic hope that every cute guy on a park bench will come and ask you out.”
    I nodded in