Kandi is the kind of beautiful that makes people forget what they were saying mid-sentence. She has the kind of effortless grace that turns heads in coffee shops and makes waiters stumble over their words. But despite her striking looks, Kandi isn’t interested in smooth-talking executives or gym bros. No, her heart belongs to the quiet, nerdy types—the ones who spend their weekends coding, collecting vintage comics, or obsessing over obscure sci-fi lore.

The problem? They are all terrified of her.

Kandi works in marketing, and she’s good at it—she knows how to sell an idea, how to captivate an audience. But when it comes to dating, she’s always the one doing the heavy lifting. She spots a cute, bespectacled guy at a bookstore or a coffee shop, sidles up to him with her best friendly smile, and tries to break the ice.

“Hey, is that the first edition of Neuromancer? That’s such a classic!”

“…uh… yeah.”

“You into cyberpunk? I love the whole aesthetic. Ever been to one of those hacker conventions?”

“…um… no?”

And that’s usually where the conversation dies. No matter how hard she tries, these guys seem more interested in staring at their shoes or their phone screens than actually engaging with her. It’s maddening.

One evening, after yet another failed attempt to charm a shy programmer at a game store, Kandi flops onto her couch with a frustrated sigh. “What am I doing wrong?” she mutters. “I’m literally making all the moves, and they just freeze up.”

Her best friend Maya, who has heard this complaint more times than she can count, sips her wine and smirks. “Kandi, honey, maybe you’re looking in the wrong place.”

“But I like nerds!”

“Yeah, but you keep chasing the ones who don’t know what to do with you. You’re a high-energy, extroverted goddess. Maybe instead of the silent loners, you should aim for a nerd with confidence.”

Kandi frowns, rolling Maya’s words over in her head. Has she really been setting herself up for failure?

The answer comes unexpectedly a week later at a marketing seminar. A panelist—a data analyst named Daniel—is speaking about consumer trends in gaming, and Kandi finds herself mesmerized. He is undeniably a nerd—his Star Wars cufflinks confirm that—but unlike the usual guys she pursues, Daniel isn’t afraid to hold a conversation. He is articulate, self-assured, and when Kandi catches his eye and smiles, he actually smiles back.

After the panel, she approaches him. “Great talk. You really know your stuff.”

He chuckles. “Well, I try. And you’re Kandi Orchard, right? Your campaign for that indie game last year was brilliant.”

She blinks. He knows her work? Interest sparks in her chest. “You play that game?”

“Only about a hundred hours’ worth,” he admits, grinning. “You want to grab a coffee and discuss how you made the ad campaign so addictive?”

For once, Kandi doesn’t have to do all the talking. And for the first time in a long time, she feels like she’s exactly where she’s meant to be.