Page 28 of My Favorite Sin

Sure. Would you like to go on a double date?

Liam

Sounds fun. Let’s do it.

Our messages are replaced with an incoming call from Dan. I answer him immediately. “Did you know Felix gave Liam my number? Liam called me last night and?—”

“Shit.” Dan clears his throat, his voice deeper than usual, like he’s just woken up. He swears again, the word low and spoken to himself, sounding furious. “How did the phone call go?”

“It went surprisingly well. I tried to forget about Liam being a potential date. But this morning he texted, asking to take me on a date Saturday night.”

“No.” The word is firm. “Tell him a date is moving too fast and you want to know him as a friend first.”

“Okay, but here’s the thing. You weren’t answering your phone, so I already replied. I didn’t know how to get out of the date without sounding disinterested in him. So… I thought of the next best thing. We’re going on a double date.”

Dan takes a moment to register my words, and when he speaks again, he’s just as pissed off as when he first answered the phone. “We? As in, you want me to bring a date too?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Fuck, Ally. I don’t date.”

“Surely there’s someone you can bring.”

He groans. “I wish you would have waited to respond so we could discuss a better solution. This is not at all how I envisioned this would go.”

“I couldn’t just leave Liam’s message on ‘read.’ And this isn’t what I envisioned either, but I think I did pretty good coming up with this plan. What would you have done differently?”

“Left him on read and spoken to me first.” Another groan. “Shit. Now Ihave to find a date.”

“Oh, yeah, like you’ll have a real problem with that. Okay, I need to get to work. Call me tonight.”

“Not happening. Sorry. I’ll be too busy trying to find a date I have no interest in.”

“Dan,” I laugh. “I thought nightly phone calls are our thing. Are you stopping our thing?”

“Don’t be all cute. You’re in my bad books right now.”

Dan hangs up and a rush of heat spreads through my chest, my clit, at how he called me cute and scolded me. My hips grind against the chair, seeking out pleasure. Jesus, what is wrong with me? I just agreed to go on a date with another guy. I’m trying to move on from Dan.

I force myself to continue getting dressed for work, fixing my hair and applying a little makeup. This date should hopefully be a success. I’m pleased with how I took charge, pushing myself out of my comfort zone while still molding the circumstances of the night into something that will create the least amount of anxiety for me.

No one-on-one situations. It will be me, Liam, Dan, and… Dan’s date.

I let out a breath of annoyance. I’ve never liked seeing him with other girls. Maybe I didn’t think this plan through properly.

My pen taps against my work diary with speed as I try to psych myself up. I survived a phone conversation with Liam; how hard can it be to talk to Violet?

I stare at her back, the two of us sitting at our desks on opposite sides of the staffroom. It’s five p.m. Monday afternoon and we’re the only ones in here, finishing up work for the day.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

There’s got to be something I can say to Violet that will help bridge the gap and help us become friends.

“I have a date this weekend,” I say into the silence of the staffroom, hoping she won’t think this topic is inappropriate at work.

My pen taps faster at her lack of response. My teeth grind. Did I not speak loud enough?

Violet glances over her shoulder, peering around the staffroom. “Are you talking to me?”

---