Searching for Mr. Darcy

Scene Nine

George waited at Maisie's desk with a cup of coffee.  As she approached, he stood and extended it out to her.  "Hey there, social media star," he said.

She grinned.  "So, I guess you saw that stupid page, huh?"

"Hard to miss it, everyone I know was sharing it."

Maisie sipped the coffee.  "Mmm, is that hazelnut?"

George nodded.  "Heard the traffic report on the way in, figured you wouldn't have time to stop this morning."

So sweet, just like George.  Maisie smiled and took another sip.  "Thanks.  What's on the agenda this morning?"

"Oh, no you don't.  Don't change the subject! We have to talk about this."

"About the page?"

He nodded vigorously.  "If you're looking for a husband, I'm sure I can help you out."

"Ha. Ha."  She sat at her desk and booted up her computer.  She hadn't checked her work email all weekend, which wasn't like her, and she was sure there would be a huge backlog to get through before the staff meeting.  "I'm not looking for a husband, exactly.  I was drunk when I made the page."

"And yet it still exhibited perfect grammar and spelling."  George sat on the edge of her desk, blocking a good portion of her computer monitor so that she had no choice but to pay attention to him.

"The thing I don't get," she lowered her voice, as more co-workers filed past them on their way to various cubicles and offices, "is why it's getting so much attention.  It's just a silly page, with a silly title.  Like, who cares about my love life?"

George smiled.  "Or lack thereof?"

"Exactly.  Why do people even give a shit."

He shrugged.  "Why did people care about that stupid Damn, Daniel video, or that ugly dress-"

"-which was white and gold."

"It was blue and black, but I refuse to have this argument with you again.  The point," he paused and poked Maisie's shoulder, "is that people latch on to weird things.  If I were to make a study of internet virality, I'd guess that at a certain point, people share because everyone else is.  Herd mentality."

"But why do people share in the first place?"

He shrugged again. "How the hell should I know?"