A Hollywood Equation

"I was trying to be, at least." David replied. "I got hit with writer's block and I've been stuck trying to figure out what direction to take the book in for months. I tried to find a way to just push through it, but nothing I came up with worked out. That's when I got it in my head that I needed to do something that would shake my brain up. To get myself back on track. Switch things up so they were less familiar and I could break out of my patterns." David explained. "So I taped a map of the US to the back of my door, closed my eyes, and threw a dart at it. Fate decided that I should head out to sunny California."

Tiffany giggled at David's explanation and his good fortune since it sounded like he could have just as easily wound up heading for Alaska.

"Well, you're at a dating service. So, have you met anybody since you got out here?" the brunette asked.

"I've been out here for three months and I still haven't met a soul. LA is a tough town." David told her.

The answer made Tiffany sympathetic to his plight. Despite the glitz and glamor, Los Angeles could be a lonely place. It was one of the main reasons why she and Amy had started West Coast Cupid in the first place.

"What do you like to do for fun?" Tiffany asked while writing out her notes. "Any movies or TV shows you like to watch?"

"I mainly like to watch old movies. Stuff from the '50s and '60s, and '70s."

Tiffany raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's interesting. What kind of movies do you like?"

"I'm a big fan of Ray Harryhausen's work," David said. "You know, the stop-motion animation movies like Clash of the Titans. I still get a kick out of how impressive they looked considering the technology available back then."

"Medusa used to scare me as a kid." Tiffany admitted, earning a smile from the Michigan native. "Is there anything else that you like to do?"

David shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I enjoy going out to eat and trying new restaurants, but I'm not really a nightlife kind of person or anything. Never really saw the appeal of going to clubs or places like that when you could get drunk at home for way cheaper."

The two of them talked for another 20 minutes as Tiffany wrote down his preferences in things like music or his favorite books. She wanted to make sure that she got as much detail as she could gather on David's personality if they wanted to set him up with the right match.

Tiffany glanced down at her clipboard before looking up at David. "So, David, before we wrap things up, I have one more question for you. What kind of qualities are you looking for in a woman?"

David shifted in his seat, feeling a little bit uncomfortable. He had thought about this question before, but he wasn't sure how to answer it. "Well, first off she would have to be someone kind... and pretty." he said. "I-I mean she doesn't have to be beautiful or anything, just someone like you." Tiffany shifted her gaze from the legal pad to David and gave him a queer look. He instantly realized how what he said could be construed so he tried to clarify his statement. "N-Not that you're not beautiful. It's just that you look like a real person, not like a Barbie doll. She should also be someone reasonably intelligent. I mean... she doesn't need to be a rocket scientist or anything, just someone that's not an airhead."

"Like me?" Tiffany said jokingly.

Whenever David got flustered about something, his conversational skills took a nose dive in quality. The beautiful matchmaker definitely had David flustered.

"I-I don't think y-you're an airhead." David stammered. "I just mean that you know, s-somebody reasonably intelligent like you. I mean... someone intelligent like you. Can you take over talking before I make even more of an ass out of yourself? I-I mean myself!

Tiffany had a wide mischievous grin on her face by the end of David's babbling.

"No problemo, professor. Why don't we take the snapshot for your profile and you can head on out?" Tiffany said before leading David over to a sitting area with a camera on a stand already set up in front of it. Once the picture was taken, David's in-take interview was over and Tiffany walked him to the door.

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West Coast Cupid

The Next Day

Tiffany and Amy sat side by side on the couch in their office, surrounded by folders. Each one contained the profile of their male clientele at West Coast Cupid. Tiffany was always trying to make the best matches, but Amy was on a mission to make sure they found the perfect match for her best friend.

"Okay, let's start with the basics." Amy said, pulling out a stack of folders. "We're looking for someone that's between the ages of 30 and 40, lives near the LA area, and wouldn't recognize her from her work."

"That last one is gonna be a doozy." Tiffany said as she picked up a folder. "I mean she's Alyssa Milano for crying out loud."

Amy nodded in agreement as she flipped through her first folder. "Hmm, this guy is cute."

Tiffany looked over at Amy's pick before quickly shaking her head. "Pass. That porn-stache is 20 years out of date." Tiffany showed Amy the profile of a dark-haired man in his late 30s. "Okay, what about this guy?"

Amy shook her head. "Nah, he looks too stuffy. I think we should match her with someone that's all about adventure and fun."

Tiffany sighed and grabbed another folder. "How about this one? He's an investment banker, but according to his profile he likes to go whitewater rafting and skiing."

Amy took the folder and flipped through a couple more photos the man had provided for his profile. She stopped at one in particular "He's also got a picture of himself holding up a cape buffalo that he shot. Alyssa is an animal rights activist. That'd be like taking an Atheist to go get baptized by the Pope."

They went through several more folders, rejecting potential matches for various reasons. One man was too short, another was REALLY into LARPing, and a third was a musician who toured too often.

"This is getting ridiculous," Tiffany said, running a hand through her brown hair in frustration and slumping back in her chair. "Why is it so hard to find a decent guy?"

Amy sighed. "I know, but we have to be picky. We want to find a guy she can build something with while not having to deal with him being starstruck by her fame."

"I'm starting to think there's no one out there for Alyssa."

Just as they were about to give up hope, Tiffany pulled out one of the remaining three folders from the pile and opened it. Inside the folder was the picture of a familiar-looking 30-year-old man with short brown hair and wire-framed glasses. Her eyes opened wide in surprise as she realized that she had just found the one they were looking for.

"I think I found our 'Prince Charming'." Tiffany said with an excited grin.

Amy took the folder from her and started reading the profile for David Haris. "He's a math professor at the University of Michigan? Someone's a long way from home.

Tiffany nodded in agreement. "Yep, but you haven't even gotten to the best part yet."

Amy read David's profile further. "He only likes watching old-school movies?" Amy said in surprise. "...David might not have ever seen any of Alyssa's work before."

Tiffany grinned. "I had the same thought. So do we set them up or not?"

Amy nodded in agreement. "I don't think we're gonna find a better pick."

Tiffany went to work compiling the package that would be emailed to David and Alyssa. Included in the email would be the contact information for, as well as photographs of, their prospective partners.

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West Coast Cupid

One Week Later

Tiffany and Amy were busy answering emails and filling out paperwork when they heard the buzzer signal for the front gate go off. Amy got up and walked to the front window of their shared office and spotted a Black Mercedes-Benz S-Class sitting at the end of their driveway waiting to be allowed in. She was about to yell out to their secretary to let their guest inside, but the 55-year-old woman was already ahead of her as the gates slid open and the car pulled inside.

Amy sat back down to finish writing her email and send it off when Gladys, their secretary, walked around the corner into the den area of the home which they had converted into their office. "Excuse me, ladies. Ms. Milano is here."

Amy smiled, eager to hear how things turned out for her best friend. She finished typing out the email and hit send before turning her attention to Gladys. "Could you escort Alyssa to the study and then get her some refreshments? Tell her that we'll be with her momentarily."

"Yes, ma'am." Gladys nodded before walking out of the room.

"Is it wrong for me to hope that David didn't even bother to show up for the date?" Tiffany said as she got up from her desk and walked over to stand by Amy.

"C'mon, Tiff, have a little faith." Amy said with a playful slap against her friend's arm before she stood up and the two of them walked out of the room.

By the time they reached the study, Gladys was just leaving the room, having served Alyssa a glass of sparkling water with lemons in it. When the tv star spotted them a bright smile lit up her face before she jumped up from the couch and rushed across the room to wrap her arms around the two of them in unfiltered joy.

"I take it that the date went well?" Tiffany asked sarcastically.

Alyssa squeed like a teenager as she hugged the two of them even more enthusiastically.

"Lyssie! It's getting kind of hard to breathe!" Amy cried out as she tried to break the actress's hold.

At Amy's words, Alyssa instantly let go of them. Though embarrassed by the momentary lapse in propriety, it wasn't enough to dim the happiness she was feeling in any meaningful way.

"Let me start by saying that you two are geniuses." Alyssa exclaimed. "Where did you even find this guy? Was he hiding under a rock or something?"

"We have our methods." Tiffany answered vaguely. "From the look on your face, I guess the two of you really hit it off."

"Oh god, last night was amazing! He was just so...real! He was like a little puppy that you want to hug and cuddle with because he's so adorable." Alyssa replied, the fondness of that night dripping off her every word. "First off, he took me to this place off of Rose. The food was really good, but to him, it was like we were dining at a 4-star restaurant. There were no booths, just an open floor arrangement, so I was a little nervous at first. I thought someone might recognize me and blow my cover, but nobody in there even gave me a second look. It was perfect."

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Rose Ave, Los Angeles

Last Week

A cab pulled up to a charming building with a warm, golden glow emanating from its windows. The sign above the door read "El Jefe," and a giant mural of a flamboyant bird decorated the building's exterior. Alyssa paid the driver and stepped out onto the sidewalk. She'd never been here before, but this was the address David had sent for the location of their dinner, so she was willing to give it a shot.

She smoothed out her dress and took a deep breath before walking up to the restaurant's entrance. Due to traffic, she was running a few minutes behind. She was hoping that it wouldn't give David a bad impression of her as she wanted things to go right between them. Once inside, she was a little surprised to learn of David's choice for dinner. El Jefe wasn't some fancy 4-star place like she'd been expecting, but more of a 'Mom and Pop' type of restaurant. The walls were painted in deep, warm colors, and the décor was a mix of modern and rustic Cuban influences. Dim lighting and upbeat salsa music created a lively atmosphere.

"Hi." Alyssa said in greeting as she walked up to the hostess. "I'm supposed to be meeting someone here tonight. His name is David Harris."

The hostess looked at the seating chart for a moment before quickly finding the assigned table she was looking for. She took Alyssa's jacket and hung it up in a closet behind the booth before she guided Alyssa around the dining room and towards a table off to the side of the room. Alyssa wasn't surprised to find David already seated and waiting for her, but he didn't appear to be bothered by her tardiness. If anything, he looked excited as he stood up to greet her.

"Alyssa?" David asked.

"It's nice to meet you, David." she replied as she held her hand out in greeting. "I'm sorry for being late. Getting ready and then the traffic was just.. ugh."

"Completely understandable," David said while shaking her hand. "I only got here a few minutes ago myself, so there's no need to fret over it." Their handshake started to go on a little too long as he got lost in Alyssa's appearance.

David's gaze traveled up from the golden open-toed stilettos on her feet to the beautiful violet, backless cocktail dress that glittered shades of purple shimmers under the restaurant's light. All of it was held up by a simple yet elegant gold wrap-around belt that gave her a revealing but soft look.

Alyssa only smiled at his awed expression, happy with how taken aback David was by her appearance tonight. Not that she had much to complain about either. Though he was dressed in a more casual manner than she was, with a simple light blue button-up and a pair of black khakis, the look worked well for him. Though the horn-rimmed glasses made him look kind of bookish, overall Alyssa was just as impressed with David's appearance.

"You look stunning." David eventually said.

"Thank you." Alyssa replied. "You look very handsome as well."

The two let go of one another as David walked around to the other side of the table, pulled out the chair next to her, and held it steady as Alyssa slid into it.

"Thank you." Alyssa said, smiling up at him. "You're a true gentleman."

David blushed as felt his nervousness notch up. He did his best to try and hide it as he sat back down across from her and picked up his menu.

"So, have you been here before?" David asked, breaking the silence.

"No, I haven't." Alyssa said while looking over the menu. "Do they have vegetarian options here?"

David was a little surprised by Alyssa's dietary reveal. He started to become more nervous as he worried about whether or not he had screwed up their date before they could even get their drinks. However, Lady Luck was in his corner tonight as under the chicken dishes he spotted a variation of Arroz Con Pollo.

"What about the Arroz Con Pollo?" David offered.

"Isn't pollo Spanish for chicken?"

"Yes, but on the menu they have a vegan option where they replace the chicken with something called... tempeh." David said with a frown. "It's listed as a vegan alternative, but I've never heard of tempeh before."

"Tempeh is an Indonesian food that's made from fermented soybeans. It's kind of like tofu." Alyssa explained as she found a picture of what was labeled as Arroz Con (No) Pollo. The picture was of a real-world example of the dish, which looked delicious. "I'm gonna go with the Arroz Con (No) Pollo with a side of roasted potatoes. What about you?"

"I think I'll try the Arroz Imperial with a garden salad." David answered. "I've thought about getting it whenever I stopped by, but I never pulled the trigger and ordered it. Tonight's a night of firsts, so why not try something new."

Alyssa shot a beautiful smile at him in response. "I agree 1,000 percent."

Their waiter stopped by and got their order with the two of them ordering a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to go with their dinner as well.

"So, Alyssa." David said, breaking the comfortable silence between them. "What do you do for a living?"

"Me?" Alyssa replied as she grasped for a reasonable-sounding lie. "I-I'm a... a travel agent." she said with a smile. "I love helping people plan their dream vacations."

David nodded, seemingly impressed. "That sounds like a very rewarding job. What was your favorite place to visit?"

Alyssa thought for a moment, trying to come up with a convincing answer. "I love Europe." she finally answered. "There's so much history and culture to explore there."

David's eyes lit up. "I've always wanted to visit Europe." he said. "Maybe you could give me some recommendations."

Alyssa nodded, feeling the weight of her deception. "Of course," she said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "I know all the best places to stay and the must-see attractions." She told him before switching the topic of conversation. "So what about you, David? What do you do for a living?"

"Well, I'm a math professor. Before I moved out here to California, I was teaching at the University of Michigan."

"Wow. A long way from home, huh?" Alyssa said with genuine surprise.

"Well, I was writing a book about Chaos Theory and I got hit with a bad case of writer's block." David explained. "I thought that coming out to California would shake things loose and let me get back to writing. It's had... mixed results."

"Forgive my ignorance, but what is Chaos Theory?" Alyssa asked. "I don't think I've ever heard of it before."

"Oh." David said in surprise. "Well, Chaos Theory is the study of complex systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions. It's all about how small differences in the starting state of a system can lead to vastly different outcomes." he explained.

Alyssa listened attentively at first, but as David delved deeper into scientific jargon, she felt her eyes starting to glaze over. She tried her best to stay focused, but it was clear that the technical terms were going right over her head.

Noticing her difficulty, David realized he needed to simplify his explanation.

"Okay, let me put it this way," he said, gesturing with his hands. "You know that scene in Jurassic Park where Ian Malcolm is dripping water on the back of Ellie Sattler's hand telling her about how it will always slide in a different direction? Well, that's basically what Chaos Theory is all about. It's the idea that a small change in one part of the system can have huge ripple effects throughout the whole thing."

Alyssa's face lit up with understanding. "Oh, I get it!" she exclaimed. "So it's like how one tiny decision can change the whole course of your life."

David nodded, relieved that she was following along. "Exactly! It's all about the interconnectedness of things, and how seemingly unrelated events can have a huge impact on each other. I'm like a less sexy version of Jeff Goldblum."

"Don't sell yourself short. I think that you look very handsome tonight." Alyssa chuckled.

"Me? What about you?" David grinned. "I still can't get over how amazing you look tonight. You could be like an actress or a model." David said in between bites of his meal. "Has anyone ever told you that before?"

"Not in those words, no. But thank you," she replied with a genuine smile at his compliment.

As the conversation shifted away from Chaos Theory, Alyssa and David found themselves talking about their shared interests and experiences. David talked about his love for hiking and how he often went on solo trips to remote locations. Alyssa shared stories of her travels around the world, always mindful of keeping her real profession out of it.

"I've always wanted to travel more." David said wistfully. "But with my work as a professor, I don't get as much time off as I'd like."

Alyssa reached across the table and placed her hand on top of David's. "Well, if you ever need a travel buddy, you know who to call." she said with a smile.

David felt his heart race at the gesture. While he was the kind of guy who started babbling when he became flustered he wasn't an idiot about interactions between people. Though she was subtle, he couldn't believe that someone as beautiful as Alyssa would be flirting with a geek like him. He took a sip of his wine to calm himself down.