Amy's Story

— -- Amy has a few simple requirements for her prospective daters: you are "single / a non-smoker / have graduated college / live alone / like animals / are not overweight / are confident / do not live with your mother / are professionally employed / don't own any video games / don't drink beer on a daily basis / don't spend sunny days watching sports / go to sleep at a reasonable hour / are a morning person / don't listen to rap music / don't have bad breath / are taller than 5'6" / are funny / polite / attractive / straight / and willing to take me out this Thursday afternoon!"

Any takers?

"Sometimes I'm concerned about Amy," says Sarah, her younger sister and dating confidante. "She's so determined to find somebody who fits this perfect mold and it doesn't ever seem like that guy exists!" Amy, though, is undeterred. "I'm almost 28, and I've been dating since I was 14. I want to make babies eventually, and there's only a small window of opportunity. I need to find the guy, like, pretty soon. There are 8 million people in this city! Why is it so difficult?"

Born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Amy is an uncanny mix of cute, Midwestern charm and New York attitude. One moment, she's listening attentively to her date describe his boring job; the next moment, she's leaning over the table and kissing him out of the blue. Why wait? "Now I know he's a good smoocher and I can go out with him again."

For Amy, only one thing ranks higher than the "kissability" factor: potential marriage material. "I have to remind myself to keep my objective to find the right guy, and to buy a house in the suburbs and have kids jumping on the bed. That's the plan. As soon as I realize I don't want to raise my children with them, they're out."

Enter Chris, professional poker player. Potential marriage material? Maybe. Smoochable? Most definitely. What's a sweet Midwestern girl to do?

ABC's documentary series "Hooking Up" follows 11 women through a year of online dating. The series debuts Thursday, July 14, at 9 p.m. ET.