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TG-Harmony.com
A Vignette
by Sephrena Lynn Miller |
To say that I was nervous wreck would be the understatement of the year. I stared at the computer screen at the website. I had a feeling of guilt run through me as I read the webpage; TG-Harmony.com.
Why do I feel guilty? I am no different than other people. I want to find a match for me too. Seriously. But does this site discriminate like the others? I guess I would have to sign up to find out.
I blinked a couple of times and clicked the sign up button. As I began to fill out my profile information, the jingle of the commercial filled my brain...
"...I was skeptical about anything on the internet," I ran through my mind as I completed my name, birthdate, and address. "With TG-Harmony, they bring the matches to you! When you are answering those questions,"I gulped. "You are thinking about who and what you really are."
Yeah, a mtf transsexual. No surgery yet, but on hrt and living the real life test for two years. My biggest stopping point had been the cost of the surgery - some $40,000. Money that seemed like a lifetime away for a poor tg like myself. A pity. I sighed. Here it is. Question #1 What is your employment and list some of the positive and negative things about your current job. This was a huge question. Joy!
Okay. So I began typing out my answer. I am a writer. I write fiction for a living and get paid by the story. I describe my work as regular person exploring life through the eyes of various people and their situations. Sometimes they go through good things, sometimes, not so nice. Most of my characters tend to come out at least slightly better than when they started having gone through the gamut of trials and tribulations that was their story. The positives included exploring life situations and people through the medium and the downside is never to have met them face to face. It was all too true.
I then uploaded a three different photographs of myself in different profiles.
"...It's not like you have to go through a thousand pictures to find out who you are attracted to." Yeah I know how that is. Question #2 What sort of person do you seek? Particulars, Quirks, and little things. What about them attracts you? Whoa! That question is loaded! Geez. I actually had to stop and think about this one.
Brainy? Mmmm yeah. I like females more than males so yes. A brainy chick. She has to like music, things like a little classical, and soft rock. Background music was my favorite as I could clearly think while listening to that. My favorite background anime music, movie music, all of it really, tied together to enhance what I thought while I wrote stories. She did not need to be rich, yes I could probably support her off of my writing check, but I was saving for the operation :/ Hmmmm. I guess if I had to, I could push the operation back to make ends meet. Meeting who I dreamed of for a partner was worth more than the operation. The question is, Could she wait for me? That would be the key.
"...They have your profile, they have someone else's profile, and they match them!" Question #17 If you had to sum up your faults, what would be the most tragic of all and which would be the least? OMG really? They need to know THIS? sigh. Most tragic huh? I guess it has to be my shyness. It has kept me confined most of my life. I am not inclined to go out to meet others as it keeps me afraid of what others think of me. Yeah. This is what is so tragic. This is why I came to TG-Harmony in the first place. To meet someone. The least tragic of all... let me think. A fault. Well, that would have to be my apologies. Least tragic of all, I usually apologize for things, even when the situation clearly demands that it isn't my fault. Yeah, that's the least tragic of what I consider my faults.
"...At TG-Harmony we use the scientific system of 29 questions to help you find someone who is someone like you!" Great! I think? Question #24 Name some of your favorite movies, genres in the media industry and what about particular films strikes your fancy? Ummmmmm. Seriously? Youch! Okay. Favorite Movies... Okay Harry Potter, Avatar, Terminator, Last of the Mohicans, Titanic, etc. Genres, that is easy. Romance, Sci-Fi, Anime, Fantasy. I also jotted down some sentences for each movie and why I liked it and what was notable about it. I wasn't sure about mentioning Anime, but I said to myself, whoever it is I am searching for, I guess, they would need to like it also as it would give us something to talk about as well as connect with.
"...For the first time, I found someone that I can truly communicate with." Yeah, I would hope that someone is like me. Oh. Question #29 What gender term best identifies yourself and how do you see others? I chose lesbian and then female. The form actually allowed me to click on both answers and kept them so I went along with it. How do I see others? Well, depending on the person, I would like them to express their feminine side to me mostly because the male side is so, alien? Maybe foreign? Okay I will settle and use the term for "different." Click. The Webpage closed out. A screen said, "We will now analyze your statistics and begin running through the matchup process. You will be notified by email when we have gathered up several matches for you to select from." Great! I think?
I know on the other dating sites, they screen out people who might be tg and exclude them from being sought after. I was desperately hoping this dating site would live up to its name. God I Hope so! Sit back. Relax. Do some typing work. And check back nightly.
Most of the day sauntered on by while I was working on a long science fiction project and nailing down an entire chapter in the process. Several times during the day though, I felt like I was being watched and peered through my window outside at the woods and stared intently trying to see if someone was watching me. I couldn't shake that feeling, but, I never did see anything. Finally, being annoyed, I closed the blinds and pulled the curtains too.
A week later, I received an email back from TG-Harmony.com. Excitedly, I clicked it. They had come up with 11 matches with the most prominent up top. A woman who says she likes other women and mostly the same stuff that I do. Amazing! Her name is Leila Sanchez. They gave me a link to send her an email to accept and find a mutual meeting place. It also says that she is also over in a nearby city. Okay. I clicked the email and filled out a time and a few restaurants to potentially meet at. After a couple of email sends, we agreed upon meeting at an Outback Restaurant. It's a fairly common restaurant with a varied bunch of appetizers, so it should have something we both would like to eat. The date was setup to meet the day after tomorrow there. Well, now its time!
I had taken a bath and done my hair up the night before and proceeded to get ready for my big date tomorrow. My hair was below my shoulders so it did require extra maintenance. I kept it long, smooth, and no split ends! My face looked normal and set for me to apply makeup just before heading out. So all I had to do was dry my hair tonight. Hair today, gone tomorrow. Or so the saying goes.
Driving up to the Outback, I pulled up into a normal parking spot and parked my GMC Envoy. Yeah, I am the type that drives an sports utility vehicle. Bite me. I double checked my make up, and satisfied, snapped my purse shut and entered the establishment. The waitress greeted me and seated me in a window seat. I left her with the instruction a woman would enter asking for Miller, party of two. She left. I began to look around.
The restaurant was basically empty except for a couple of people and a biker whom was sitting a few tables away. The waitress came back with my iced tea and a menu. I began to look at it. I was basically sitting with my back to the door so whoever it was that was coming would really surprise me. I started perusing the menu. Burgers, Steaks, Crab, Lobster, salads... lobster? okay yum! Can add a lobster tail to a dinner for an extra $20? I think most likely, I would like that.
"Is this seat taken?"
I looked up. A Brunette latina with very slightly curly bangs and a feminine business suit with slacks stood beside my table. She had a faint smile and her perfume had a cherry jasmine sort of essence to it, like some sort of fruit. It smelled really nice!
"Ummmm..."
"Am I your date? I believe that I am. Leila Sanchez?" The photograph I had of her on file did not do her justice as she was an absolute model. I smiled as I tried to get out and stand up but she put her hand on mine. "It's okay. I can sit down. I appreciate the thought, however!"
Yes. This person was an absolute brain.
"So,"she began,"How have you been today?" She looked at me as she settled down her purse and pulled a menu closer to her to look at. She was all of 5' 5", very well dressed, and a brimming attitude.
"I think my day has gotten fantastic. I went from zero friends, to at least one." I felt a shy smile creep upon my face and kind of looked down. "And I think your dress suit is absolutely gorgeous. A sort of business attire?"
"Well thank you Ms. Miller! I wear this style of clothing to work as an FBI analyst,"she continued."I did not have much time from getting off work to meet you here, so I came unprepared."
I look up at her. "You are totally prepared in my book. You can dress up like that every day as far as I am concerned. Style suits you. Light beige colors? All you. You accent jewelry? They fit the image. Your perfume? Its a cherry, umm slightly pepperish cashmere?"
"Wow. You are almost right," she laughed. "It's "Juliette Has a Gun." It has cherry, pepper, cashmere and a jasmine like note. You were nearly spot on."
"Love it."
"It's supposedly for women of power." She non-chalantly laid out with a smile. Oh. She is layering her opening for me. She now looked down at the menu. Her personality really tugged at my heart.
"I can believe that." I commented. "I write stories all the time from Science Fiction to fantasy. I have fifteen published works and I make a living from their sales."
"Oh? I also write in my spare time. I write alternative stuff for an offbeat site as a hobby. BigCloset TopShelf? Ever heard of it?"
Ummm yeah. Just yeah. I know that site. I actually partially run it! Ummmmm. What do I do?
"Ummm, yes in fact I do. I kind of partially run it as a Moderator."
"You do? Seriously? So cool!" The way she phrased cool made it sound like she dragged it out vocally in shock. Actually, I am more than shocked that she posted there at all. I decided that later on tonight that I would look her up on site and see her hobby. We looked over our menus and I decided on a lobster tail and six ounce steak dinner. Leila decided to go for the oriental chicken salad. Between us both, we settle to try a Samuel Adam's Summer Ale to split between us and our teas. The waitress left.
Leila looked up at me and began,"I have a closet as big as a room. Inside it I keep all of my clothes. Like six racks. I haven't been through them yet to decide how to pare them down, but at some point, I will have to. It's a hobby of mine also. I spend on clothes."
"A fashion Czar. Wow."
"Absolutely! Women have to be proud of their clothing. I am with mine!"she giggled.
It was now that I had to explain quite a bit about myself and my work to her. She seemed to like what she heard and stared into my eyes. It was captivating. We both had an amazing dinner. I came to find out she earned a ton more money than I did. She dabbled in various TG tales on the site and one of the titles she mentioned I do remember seeing before. Her job, her hobbies, none of that really mattered to me really. I was so smitten that I would do whatever it took to support her. That is saying something!
Anyways, that lobster was just so scrumptious with the butter oil, that I savored the taste long after my last bite. Leila gingerly bit down on her salad, which seemed to be way more than she could possibly eat. She took dainty bites. And the Summer Ale, a distinct unique beer flavor to go with the meal too. It was just an amazing experience. I listened on as she described her family, family life, and work life. It seemed so fulfilling to me. Mine, well, I was a little on the pale side as I described mine.
She was a normal woman, yet powerful in her projection of herself and quality. I did find out that she had signed up for TG-Harmony to try for an alternative relationship as well. This entire experience had a sort of magical quality to it: that extra "something" in the air? It was electric and special. I got it. I felt it. I am quite sure Leila did also, as when we finished, she was extremely happy and eager for another go.
I quickly paid for the meal, leaving a 10% tip and escorted Leila to the door. We settled to meet again Friday night closer to her place at a Starbuck's. That sounded like a great place to meet as it was built inside a Barnes and Nobles. I waved her goodnight and it was then she surprised me. She leaned up close to my face and kissed me. She had taken the initiative and grabbed it. She took our first kiss and smiled.
"I like you Sephrena. I believe I do like you. See you Friday."
"Bye Leila!"
She opened her car door and looked at me. "Be seeing you."
She then drove off in her Volkswagon Jetta. Wow. I am still reeling.
Later that night, I looked up Leila on our website and did see in fact that she did belong! In fact, she wrote a teenage tale called "The Makeup Squad." Her writing was top notch. OMG! How did she get on our site? How had I never seen this writing before? Unbelievable! She had a quality that matches StacyinLove's writing with the realism of Tanya's tales of transitioning. I could get to like this!
Anyways, I brought the browser back to TG-Harmony.com. I thought about the site. Yes it lived up to its potential! It did deliver! And it does work! The other dating sites were kind of shallow compared to this. How could I not like the results TG-Harmony delivered?
Somewhere, in a store shop's backroom, a man in a bathrobe sat at his pc. He stared at Sephrena Miller's profile and Leila Sanchez's.
His latest victims!
Or... customer's.
He closed out his browser.
He would decide later. After all, he was a wizard at this.
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