Karina Manta is a writer and professional figure skater. Her work can be read in the Modern Love column of The New York Times and her YA memoir, On Top of Glass (Knopf, 2021). She is on Instagram @karinamanta and on Twitter @KarinaMantras.

Eve Makes a Dating Profile

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Name:

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fathers shouldn’t be allowed

the sole responsibility of

naming their children. call me

what you want to call me.

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Age:

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i hardly remember most of my birthdays,

so I don’t know if the charred

 candle wicks have conjured anything

 i wanted. somehow i still arrived

at twenty-seven.

maybe it’s like that for everyone?

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Location:

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you either find a way to learn

to love the place you’re from,

or you hate it forever.

right now, i am trying

to get the fuck out of florida.

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Education:

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i’m smart enough,

i’ve learned to lie here.

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Occupation:

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i’ve been a waitress, a barista.

i worked on a farm for about six months.

i’ve been thinking

about getting my real estate license.

a few years ago, i had a brief stint

on reality tv. maybe that’s why my face seems so

familiar?

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Seeking Men, Women, or Everyone:

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we’re all lonely.

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Sign:

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i can’t call my mother

and ask her what time i was born.

if i had to guess, maybe a gemini rising?

but a pisces moon?

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Upload a Few Photos:

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this one is me

wearing my favorite outfit. this one is me

on a friend’s uncle’s boat, pretending

 i own the lake. this one is me on my back,

looking like the first woman you’ve ever seen.

Favorite Pick-Up Line:

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just tell me you could make me

feel like god.

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Perfect First Date:

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you can pick the restaurant. i’ll probably

show up a few minutes late because i can’t bear

being the one to walk up and claim the reservation.

i don’t have practice possessing

that kind of authority. when i arrive, i’ll let you

think for a second i was made for you. i’ll let you

order me a drink. if i’ve had enough

sips by the time the waiter comes around,

maybe i’ll even feel brave enough

to try a new food.

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Do You Want Kids:

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i don’t know.

What Type of Relationship Are You Looking For:

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this could be the world,

or it can end whenever we want.

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