Page 32 - Unlikely Stories 5

Mix and Match with Max and Mitch

Max and Mitch laughed, shaking their heads at the memory.
Barbara opened her briefcase and extracted a notebook, a pen and a
large document folder.
“That is very interesting,” she said, “and a detail of human interest
that readers of Up-to-Dating will find fascinating. I would like to thank
you both for taking the time to grant me this interview.”
“Our pleasure!” beamed Max.
“Publicity is wonderful!” chortled Mitch.
“Yes, of course.” She struggled to achieve a tone both businesslike
and in concert with her subjects’ levity, settling for a note of bland
conciliation. “M&M is the most successful computer-dating service
ever launched, according to independent audits. You have the highest
rate of matrimony with the lowest rate of bad dates in the world—
and not just in Asia, which you now dominate. I understand you are
about to extend your reach beyond the Eastern Hemisphere. That is
quite an undertaking, so you must be confident that you can crack an
extremely competitive market in the West.”
“Oh, yes. Most certainly. We shall be rolling out our North
American service in six months, then in the U.K. and Benelux, finally
breaking out into France, Germany, Spain, Italy and all the rest. We
have been gearing up for this foray since we moved our operation to
Singapore three years ago.”
With her head down, she finished a rapid scribble and realized she
did not know which of the partners had spoken.
“So you have big plans, almost a gamble—is that an exaggeration?”
Mitch shook his head vigorously, grinning all the while. “We do
not gamble. In the free market, the best product shall prevail.”
Now it was her turn to smile. “It is not for me to question the
assumptions behind your optimism. If you have triumphed in South
and Southeast Asia—as well as Japan and Korea—then I am certain
you have a much more nuanced idea of how business is done in the
real world. But I will gladly quote you: Americans love to hear their
mythologies confirmed by multi-millionaires in other countries. Now,
just what is it about Mix and Match that sets it apart from the other
online dating services?”
Max smirked and wagged his forefinger in front of his face. “Oh,
Miss Seville, we could not be telling you our trade secrets! Have you

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