Eliza’s tone is resigned as she says, “It’s official. The three of us are now single without any prospects on the horizon.”

I’ve gotten together with my best friends, Eliza and Lexi for a girls’ night, which is saddened by Eliza’s recent breakup. Eliza is the type to actually fall in love, even though keeping a man in today’s world is practically a futile venture.

The leather of Lexi’s couch is cool on my bare arms as I sit back and cross my legs to bounce a stiletto-clad heel. “I’m sure the elimination of men sounded like a good idea at the time,” I say. “But someone forgot to anticipate what would happen to our sex lives.”

A few years ago, an unexplained plague swept the world killing off more than half of the male population while leaving women uninfected. I suspect the illness was initiated by the first female president of the United States, Courtney Stone, but no proof has been found.

“Well,” says Lexi, “With most world leaders being women now, peace does seem possible for the first time in history.” Lexi was recently appointed as the head of the newly-formed sexual relations department by President Stone.

I sigh as I think about my dry spell. “Peace won’t last for long if I don’t get laid soon. I’m about ready to kill from sexual frustration.”

Lexi says, “Mandy.” A drawer in her side table scrapes open as she yanks it. She waves the latest government-issued electronic dildo at me. “There’s always one of---”

I cut Lexi off by holding out my hand in a stop signal. My pulse quickens in annoyance at the suggestion of using a sex toy. “It’s not the same, and you know it.”

“True,” says Eliza. Her eyes glisten as she lowers her voice to a whisper. “There’s nothing quite like the touch of a man, and the warmth of his skin. And the way it feels to be kissed.”

I whisk a tissue out of the box sitting nearby and hand it to Eliza. “I know, sweetie. Cry it out.” But while I’m sympathetic to my friend’s pain I wonder why women still have hope of finding a lifelong relationship with a monogamous man these days. Sure some are still committed to it, but they’ve become a rare commodity. I learned a long time ago that it was best to focus on the physical and for one day at a time. But even with that attitude finding a man is getting harder and harder. I turn my attention to Lexi and sigh as I contemplate the toy she’s holding. Most women use them for sexual satisfaction these days. “Now would be a good time for you to share what’s going to create a new sexual revolution, because Eliza’s not the only one that needs some good news.”

Lexi takes a deep breath as her eyes twinkle with excitement. “This is still in the development phase, and it’s supposed to stay a secret, but it’s too good not to share with you guys.” She clasps her hands as her voice gets higher. “We’re going to launch an alien dating site!”

A year ago planet Eroscia suddenly appeared in the solar system, and life was found. The beings are similar to humans, and when pictures of the creatures were leaked to the press there was a sigh of female pleasure heard around the world. The solidly-built, muscular male specimens with attractive facial features and nearly flawless skin, aside from the green tint, made hearts flutter. And when it was learned that females are nearly extinct on Eroscia, both governments rushed to figure out a way for the two species to solve each other’s problem. Some people suspect Courtney Stone has been holding up negotiations because she has no desire to bring back the very people she tried to eliminate. Even so, women have been patiently waiting for the two governments to hammer out the rules of interplanetary interaction.

I say, “Sweet! Sign me up.”

Lexi’s feet tap lightly over the hardwood floor of her apartment as she walks to her desk. “Let me show you the site. It’s almost ready for beta testing.”

Eliza blows her nose loudly into her tissue and sniffs before she asks, “How long until it goes live?”

“Maybe a year. We want to make sure Eroscians are as compatible with humans as we think they are.” Lexi plops down on the couch between me and Eliza with a whoosh.

“Are you looking for beta testers?” I waggle my eyebrows at her as I reach for my wine and finish it off. “I’d be happy to check compatibility in every way.”

Lexi’s fingers click on her keyboard as she says, “We have strict guidelines, but you are definitely on the list of people we’ll screen. In fact, I set up your profile this afternoon and I’m still logged into the site as you.”

“Really?” I let out a small squeal. My insides quiver with the memory of a real man’s flesh filling me. “Can you get Eliza on there too?”

Lexi says, “We’re all on it already.” She sets the laptop on the coffee table with a thud. “Why wouldn’t I share my job perks with my two besties?”

A list of possible matches for me is displayed on the computer. “Whoa,” says Eliza as she clicks on an image, and a guy’s smiling face fills the screen. “TS-461 has eyes that could steal my soul.”

“Read his description.”

“Perfect for the independent woman, TS-461 is eager to please, but does not require constant supervision.” Eliza frowns. “What are these guys, dogs?” She continues to read. “He has above-average intelligence and should be paired with an intellect to match.”

I groan at what is clearly an amateur attempt at ad copy as Lexi says, “I told you it was still pre-beta.”

“Give me that.” I lift the laptop and click on the edit button. I speak as I type. “TS-461 yearns for a strong woman in his life to tantalize his mind.”

“That’s good,” says Eliza. “But don’t they have names?”

“Yeah. About that,” says Lexi. “They’re impossible to pronounce, like most of their language. They use sounds even our best linguists can’t master. Fortunately Eroscians are all learning English and the men in the program speak it.”

I study the image of the alien. “This is going to come across too cold if they don’t have names,” I say. He’s the kind of guy I like, with muscles that are well-defined beneath his dark, skin-tight shirt that looks painted on, and he has a pair of arms that appear as if they could lift me up like a feather. Hell, he’d be anyone’s type. “Let’s call him Caiden. He can tell his match to call him something different later.” I continue to speak as I write. Caiden’s credentials make him sound like he’s one of those guys that’s good at everything he does, and after a few tweaks from my friends, I’ve created a profile that will get this guy a girl.

I stare into the alien’s blue eyes and think Eliza was right. His gaze could steal a soul, and I want him to take mine. “I’m totally hooked on him now,” I say. “Caiden’s bound to be snatched up in an instant.” My heart flutters as I imagine a deep male voice. The warmth of his arms around me is such a vivid thought I’d swear he’s touching me. But that’s crazy, and I shake my head at the absurdity.

A green button glows at the bottom of the screen and taunts me with its words, ‘initiate match.’ Suddenly I want Caiden with an ache I’ve never felt before, and the button clicks when I impulsively jab it.

A progress bar pops up along with a pie chart and begins to rattle off numbers. I gasp. “Oh my god!”

Lexi asks, “What did you just do?”

“I hit the submit button.”

“Oh my god is right.” Lexi snatches the laptop away. “You activated a match.”

What? “I thought you said it was pre-beta.”

“It is. But this feature went live today.” Lexi sets the computer back on the coffee table with a clatter. She mumbles. “This is bad. This is so, so bad.” Lexi’s bottom thuds on the table when she sits to face me. “Hang on. This might actually be okay. If you aren’t seventy-five percent compatible no contact will be made. Otherwise,” she sighs, “I’m so fired.”

Eliza says, “Then you might want to start searching the want ads. Look.”

I glance at the screen to see the pie chart at thirty-nine percent while the progress bar is at forty. Crap! I’m no math whiz, but a quick calculation makes me think we’re going to hit seventy-five easily. My stomach lurches, and I reach over to the laptop. Buttons are hard under my fingers as I pound quickly trying to hit each one. “Can’t we cancel this thing?”

Lexi crouches over the computer to protect it from me. “Stop! You’ll break it.”

As Lexi hugs the machine against her chest a bell chimes and a female voice announces, “Congratulations! Mandy Thorne and Caiden TS-461 are a match.”

I gulp hard to swallow down the bile that burns in my throat, as the rest of my body betrays me. I wonder if my fear is based on the fact that alien-human compatibility hasn’t been tested, because a date with Caiden couldn’t be all that bad, could it? A tingle of physical attraction races through my veins for the sexy alien. Wasn’t I just complaining about not having a man in my life? What am I afraid of?

Its not like I’m committed for life. After all, this is just beta testing. A roll in the sheets with a sexy alien sounds like fun, and I really do miss a man in my bed. I sigh, because I mean, lets be real, that’s the only part of relationships I like anyway. And since Caiden doesn’t need supervision...I smile and ask, “What happens now?”