Fourth Comings_ A Jessica Darling Novel - Megan McCafferty [68]
“Well,” I began, “I know a growing body of research shows that falling in and out of love is the result of various chemical reactions in the brain.”
“Go on,” she said.
I was glad to have read up on this research before the interview. “Certain regions of the brain get flooded with different hormones depending on the stage of the relationship.”
“Go on,” she said.
“And MRI machines can take pictures of people’s brains as these chemical reactions occur.”
I must say that I was even impressing myself.
“And how is that information useful?”
“Well, I’m assuming that if some hormones are more active than others, it can affect your personality, and your approach to relationships. A brain scan can tell you what romantic type you are, which gives you a better shot at selecting complementary partners.”
Dr. Kate was pleased with my answers. “Exactly,” she said. “iLoveULab uses the latest advances in technology to create a MindLoveMap of the brain, which serves as a guide to matching couples who will fall—and stay—in love.”
Dr. Kate went on to explain that each iLoveULab client is put into one of four main MindLove categories, determined by what the MRI scan reveals as the prominent chemical system in the brain. Everyone falls into a primary category but manifests secondary or tertiary characteristics from the others. They are:
The Connector
Chemical influence: Serotonin, the mood-regulating neurotransmitter
Strengths: Well-organized, calm, considerate, gets along well with others
Challenges: Habitual, nonchalant, overly concerned with popular opinion
The Commander
Chemical influence: Testosterone, the male sex hormone
Strengths: Logical, success-oriented, bold, decisive
Challenges: Domineering, self-absorbed, uncompromising
The Creator
Chemical influence: Dopamine, the pleasure-seeking neurotransmitter
Strengths: Spontaneous, lively, theatrical, thrill-seeking
Challenges: Moody, addictive, takes unnecessary risks
The Communicator
Chemical influence: Estrogen, the female sex hormone
Strengths: Verbal, multitasking, insightful, innovative
Challenges: Overemotional, irrational, hypersensitive to criticism
“This is such a radical approach to matchmaking,” Dr. Kate said. “Our clients will appreciate how our systematic, scientific approach removes most of the guesswork from dating. Life is too complicated to wait for a serendipitous love connection. It might have worked for the boomers, but it doesn’t work for the millennials.”
I shook my head no.
“And affluent singles won’t hesitate to pay fifteen thousand dollars for our MindLoveMapping services.”
“Fifteen thousand dollars?!” I blurted
“Yes,” she said, stiffly uncrossing and recrossing her legs. “But is that such a price to pay for lifelong love?”
I closed my mouth and shook my head. Of course not.
“Still, I recognize that our services might be cost prohibitive to some.”
Dr. Kate went on to explain that at the onset, a greater portion of iLoveULab’s revenue—and the bulk of its Dating Base, as it’s called—will be made up of the thousands of customers who forgo the MindLoveMap brain scan and pay the more modest sum of five hundred dollars to fill out a Chemical Quiz—250 questions painstakingly designed to determine the client’s hormonal report without having to get inside the claustrophobic and costly MRI machine. For example, if you can quickly find the pattern in a random group of numbers, you’ve got a lot of testosterone. You’re a Commander. Or if you can easily determine from a photo whether a person’s smile is sincere or not, your brain is high in estrogen. You’re a Communicator. And so on.
“It’s not as accurate as the MRI MindLoveMap,” Dr. Kate pointed out. “But it’s an affordable option for most customers, and it’s still better than the personality-based questionnaires offered on inferior sites.” She wrinkled her tiny, upturned nose as if falling for someone’s sensitivity or sense of humor was akin to