A few months ago, I decided that I was done with online dating, and was ready to delete my dating profiles. I had made up my mind that it doesn’t work, and I was tired of wasting my time – or so I thought.

After a long talk with my support group, I decided on a different approach. I was taking this online dating thing way too seriously when it should be fun. And just like that, I dove back into the online dating scene. And Honey, I’m so glad I did.

On March 16, everyone in Chicago was waiting to hear if the city would be on lockdown. During that time, I got an alert from my dating app. And when I checked it, I had 5 messages from some of the sexiest men in the Chicagoland area! YES!

I was starting to think that it was a great idea to redo my profile because my selection of men was getting better and better. First up was Kevin, who is a 37-year-old divorced father. The conversation started out well. He was new to online dating, and we hit it off more like friends. It took him two weeks to ask for my number, and we’ve only talked a couple of times since. I decided to add him to my text buddy list. Meanwhile, I was still getting my fair share of weirdos. You have to watch out for the guys who are over 50 with wannabe sexy profile pics. One fool jumped in my inbox talking about, “Hey Juicy! You got them baby-making hips.” I will not be part of anyone’s COVID-19 coochie list!

“You have to watch out for the guys who are over 50 with wannabe sexy profile pics”.

I’m not going to lie, some of the guys I met were the opposite of what I was looking for. Darren was a bore, and Robert couldn’t hold a conversation if his life depended on it. And I can’t forget James, who used Ebonics like it was his native language. But then I met Todd –tall, dark, and handsome, with a smile that could make you forget about it all. Oh, and did I mention that he’s 39, has no kids, and is gainfully employed with benefits? Yes! Like a gentleman, he asked for my number after about 30 minutes of online chatting. Needless to say, I happily gave him dem digits.

Todd waited two days before he called. But when my phone finally rang, we talked until the wee hours of the morning and planned our first date for the following evening. With the city on lockdown, we had to make it virtual. I was a nervous wreck, but the evening was wonderful. Over the next several weeks, we talked and video chatted every day. But during one of our many conversations, Todd blew my mind when he informed me that he was looking to become a Buddhist. He seemed to have a solid relationship with God, believed in Jesus, and was serving in the church. This made me wonder if it’s possible to date someone with different spiritual views. I will let y’all know after my next date with Todd. Stay tuned.

Catch up with Elle’s Quest for Love in our Fall issue. If you are on a quest for love and willing to share, please email us at contact@bacemagazine.com with the subject “Love Quest”.