The Soulmate Equation

River picks up Jess to attend a cocktail party hosted by two important GeneticAlly investors—Trevor and Caroline Gruber—who want to meet Jess; other donors are also interested in meeting her after having read the Tribune article. Jess smells cologne when River bends down to kiss her, and sexual fantasies continue to flood her mind. When he compliments her grapefruit scent in return, she works to suppress her desire, as she is still uncertain where he stands.

During the car ride, Jess considers her situation—and how much River and GeneticAlly stand to gain if their relationship works. River asks what she’s thinking about, and she tells him that she’s questioning her choices. He admits he is too, and she asks him to explain. River wonders if Jess is making decisions based on him or money, and she says she feels the same way about him. Without coming to a conclusion, she compliments the way he smells and he tells her how good she looks in her new dress, paid for by GeneticAlly.

Jess and River arrive at their destination and head up to a penthouse apartment. In the elevator, River clarifies that, while his sisters are financial investors, they are also genuinely interested in their relationship. He wants Jess to know that, even though almost everyone at the party has investment in them, not everything “is for show” (187). He put cologne on for her, not for any other reason. Before they enter the room, River tells Jess how much he hates these kinds of events. Jess realizes that River isn’t a mean person, but a shy one. Understanding River’s personality better, she takes his hand; they both take a deep breath before River rings the doorbell.

Jess and River are met with applause before hosts Trevor Gruber and his wife, Caroline, introduce themselves. As Jess and River are handed drinks, Caroline tells the former that everyone wants to meet her. Before she can be steered into the crowd, Jess grabs River’s hand, which becomes increasingly sweaty as they move “from group to group, like a bride and groom at their reception” (194). The pair fields intense questions about their relationship: When one guest asks Jess what she would do if she were to get a Diamond Match with someone else, she feels sick to her stomach. She escapes to the bathroom, her heart pounding.

When Jess exits the bathroom, she finds River waiting for her. He tells her that he needed some time to himself as well and confesses it’s uncomfortable having his personal life on display for everyone, since he’s normally a private person. River suddenly asks about Juno’s father and Jess’s parents, expressing his condolences when she explains everything. She feels vulnerable and jokes about having “a truckload of baggage” (198). River dismisses this, complimenting Jess for taking charge of her life. As they walk down the hall, an older couple calls out to them. River introduces them as Johan and Dotty Fuchs, calling Jess “my Jessica” (199) in the process. Married for 63 years, the Fuchses are GeneticAlly’s first ever Diamond Match—with a score of 93. Jess becomes uncharacteristically emotional.

Jess and River head back to the party, with the former telling the latter how much she likes the Fuchses; she also finds that she can’t take her eyes off of River. Everyone begins clinking their glasses and demanding that Jess and River kiss. As all eyes turn to them, River does just that. He pulls Jess close, and she lets out a moan. The sound brings him back “into awareness” (204) and he stops, but she knows they both want more. Although there is commotion all around them, they are transfixed by each other.

Despite Jess’s busy schedule, she meets with a new client on Tuesday—wanting to be financially prepared for when her time with River comes to an end. The hotel where Jess and her client plan to meet overlooks both Shelter Island and the Grubers’ building—and Jess’s mind turns to River’s “searing kiss” (205). The meeting goes well, and Jess heads to the back patio to take in the view, continuing to think of the kiss. She’s pulled out of her reverie by a phone call from Scripps Mercy Hospital, telling her that her grandmother has been admitted. Jess arrives to find Nana Jo in a bed and Pops holding her hand. Pops explains that Nana Jo fell while bowling. A doctor explains that they have to operate on her fractured hip, and she’ll have to spend a few days in the hospital to recover. Jess excuses herself to figure out how to pick up Juno from school; Fizzy is out of town and her mother isn’t reliable. As if on cue, River calls and offers to pick up Juno and take her to ballet.

A few hours later, Nana Jo goes into surgery and Jess waits with an anxious Pops. As the two share stories about Nana Jo, River and Juno arrive with flowers and sandwiches. When River departs, Jess feels a mixture of “Gratitude and lust and fear and longing” (214). However, she later runs into him in the lobby as she’s carrying a sleeping Juno home. He tells her that he wanted to wait and see how Nana Jo fared. Jess thanks and compliments River, and he responds by telling her she’s doing a great job with Juno. At Jess’s car, River leans in to kiss her, but she doesn’t respond and feels cowardly. But as he turns to leave, she grabs him and kisses him back. She feels a “concentrated, building intensity” (219) she’s never experienced before. River pulls away, and Jess feels “a tether connecting something inside her to him” (220). When she suddenly realizes Juno could have been watching, she comes to her senses and thinks it’s “all moving way too fast” (221)—but River regards her warmly.

Jess returns to the hospital the next day, finding Pops standing by Nana Jo’s bed, watching her sleep. She offers to get him coffee and heads to the cafeteria, trying to reassure herself that Nana Jo is unlikely to die. She sits and composes herself, feeling overwhelmed by how much she has to do. Jess asks Fizzy to pick up Juno and finds River back at Nana Jo’s room. Nana Jo is awake and talking with River, who lightheartedly encourages her and Pops to get tested to see if they’re a Diamond Match. River hands Jess a coffee from Twiggs, and she looks away as their most recent kiss flashes in her mind.

When Jess walks River out, he hands her printouts for Juno’s roller-coaster project. The gesture, along with his other recent acts of kindness, makes Jess’s mind “unexpectedly mute” (228). She worries she and Juno will feel abandoned if the relationship doesn’t work out—so, she thanks River in a flat tone that confuses him. Jess explains that everything he’s done isn’t in their contract, and she doesn’t want him to think she’s taking advantage of him. He apologizes for potentially making her feel uncomfortable. As River begins to walk away, Jess explains that his financial stake in their match’s success makes her nervous; she especially doesn’t want Juno to get hurt. River tries to comfort her by bringing up the cocktail party and explaining that DNADuo can match them, but it’s up to them to make the relationship work. In her mind, Jess knows River is “everything she ever wanted in a partner” (231). Holding Jess’s hand, River continues, telling her that he wants to spend time with her and support her. He also admits to wanting her in bed. Despite being enticed, Jess worries about the consequences of falling in love with River. He sees she’s overwhelmed and leaves, saying she knows where to find him when she’s ready.

Jess and Nana Jo both insist that Pops take a break at home. He returns in the afternoon as Nana Jo gets out of bed for the first time for an hour of physical therapy. By the time Jess leaves, she’s exhausted and wants to see Juno before she goes to bed. On the drive home, her thoughts turn to River, and she feels emotional. After dinner with Juno, Fizzy asks Jess about River picking up her daughter the day before. The question prompts Jess to tell Fizzy about her conflicting feelings for River. Fizzy gives Jess a speech about how asking for help and wanting to spend time away from Juno aren’t selfish acts. She knows Jess worries about ending up like her mother, but reassures her that they’re nothing alike. She asks Jess what she would do tonight if she could do anything, and Jess responds that she’d go to River’s. Fizzy tells Jess to go, but she doesn’t know where River lives—only for the former to reveal his address on a piece of paper given to Juno.

River is surprised to see Jess at his door but immediately kisses her. They start to undress each other, and Jess is overcome with desire. Staring at River’s half-clothed body, she wants to “dig in, bite, consume” (241). Jess puts a condom on River, and they make love. Afterwards, River asks if she can spend the night but she can’t. She marvels at how much she disliked him only a month ago. They both admit to having fantasized about each other, and Jess assures him that reality exceeded her expectations. They sit on a couch and briefly talk about Juno’s father, with Jess sharing that he signed away his paternal rights.

Jess and Juno bake oatmeal cookies for Nana Jo and discuss her return home in a few days. The doorbell rings, and Jess goes to answer it. She opens the door to reveal River, thrilled to see her in sweats. She asks if he wants to come in and he kisses her, sending heat throughout her body. He compliments her apartment and gives Juno a secret handshake when she greets him. He asks to speak to Jess in private, and Juno goes to her room to clean it.

Once outside, River pulls Jess close and kisses her. She worries Juno will catch them, but then wonders how much she should keep from her daughter anyway. She realizes Juno has a sleepover tomorrow and invites an enthusiastic River to stay over. They are interrupted by a phone call from Brandon Butkis, who tells them that the Today show wants to interview them tomorrow. Jess’s mind races, trying to figure out how to manage a trip to New York, but River insists that they film locally because of the recovering Nana Jo. Brandon says he’ll try to make it happen. River tells Jess that his sisters are in town and invites her to dinner with them tomorrow as well.

The chapter ends with a transcript from the Today show, with host Natalie Morales briefly describing GeneticAlly and DNADuo before interviewing River and Jess. River explains that DNADuo is based on 3,500 genes and insists that the already high number is “likely just the start” (260). He also discusses DNADuo’s potential to expand beyond dating into finding the right employee for any given job. Natalie then introduces Jess, who explains she did the test on impulse. At the end of the interview, Natalie and co-host Savannah Guthrie explain that GeneticAlly is launching in May—and could be a game-changer.

As Jess and River prepare for dinner with the latter’s sisters, the former has a brief panic attack. She explains this meeting isn’t something she’s ever done before. River admits he’s never introduced anyone to his family either, but reassures Jess that she’s going to get along with his sisters. He looks at her with something “like adoration” (264), and they enter the restaurant holding hands. At their table, River introduces Jess to his sisters, Natalia and Pilar—and they both hug her, telling her she’s pretty. Jess observes that the two clearly love their brother, but also enjoy poking fun at him. Pilar shows Jess an old (nearly unrecognizable) photograph of River with “a bowl haircut and headgear” (267). The sisters tell Jess about how a young River used to spend his summers helping and watching soap operas with their grandmother, their Abuela. They thought he might end up becoming a soap opera star, but using DNA to make love matches also makes sense to them.

On the drive home, River tells Jess that his sisters loved her. Jess herself felt comfortable with them, like they were “old friends” (270). She feels happy, and tells River that she likes him; he returns the sentiment. Back at his place, they discuss River’s love of soap operas. She asks when his interest shifted from this to genetics, and he explains that it happened after Abuela passed away when he was 14. His parents didn’t get along, and his father wanted him to learn how to make a living. He also wasn’t happy about River continuing to watch soap operas to stay connected to Abuela. In the end, River tells Jess that he was always interested in science and decided to pursue it. Jess suggests that perhaps his sisters are correct—that DNADuo is a way to stay connected to his grandmother—and he agrees.