Page 65 of Beginning Fate

“You kind of do. I thought you were her mother at first,” Autumn confessed. “It’s not that you look bad, just not quite your age, either. Besides, you’re going on a date and then a party. Relax and enjoy it.”

“What she said. And be carefree and spontaneous for once. Have a great time.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being a bit conservative.”

“You really need a life, Lauren. Now’s your chance. Take a walk on the wild side.”

I snorted. “It’s just dinner, you guys.”

“With your true mate,” Autumn reminded me.

Kylie nodded her agreement.

Suddenly, I was more nervous than ever.

Denny

Chapter 17

I had seen Autumn and Kylie run into my room about an hour ago, but they hadn’t surfaced since. I was pretty certain I wasn’t going to get my room back in time to change. Remy finally took pity on me and let me borrow clothes from his closet.

“This isn’t a big deal. I just wanted to grab a fresh tee-shirt.”

“Jeans and a tee-shirt? On a date? To the restaurant you work at? Dude, you dress nicer than that to serve people eating there.”

I groaned. “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of this. It’s what I told her to wear, too.”

Braxton laughed. “She has backup getting dressed for this date. Trust me, she is not wearing jeans and a tee-shirt no matter what she told you.”

“Take whatever you want from my closet. We’re basically the same size,” Remy offered.

“Thanks,” I grumbled.

“What’s going on?” his friend Sadie asked.

Sadie had mated one of our DOG brothers her freshmen year. Pete was a senior at the time, but he’d gotten into a grad program and stuck around with her. They lived in mated housing, but spent a lot of time in the doghouse.

“Denny has a hot date tonight?” Remy explained.

“Wait, didn’t you say he found his mate?”

“That’s his hot date,” Braxton told her.

I just grinned. I was going on a date with my mate. I wasn’t stressed about what I was going to wear. I just wanted to be with her.

“Come on. I’ll help you,” Sadie volunteered.

I groaned.

Remy laughed. “She probably knows my closet better than I do.”

Sadie and Remy had been best friends since before they arrived at the ARC. So it didn’t surprise me to hear it. She probably picked out most of his wardrobe, too.

I didn’t argue with them. I let her drag me off to his room as she went through half a dozen options before settling on a pair of black jeans and a green button-down shirt that she said made my eyes popped—whatever that meant.

I wasn’t the type of guy that put much effort into appearances. Well, I wasn’t a slob, but more of a jeans and tee-shirt kinda guy unless at work where I was required to wear black pants-not jeans-and a white button up dress shirt with the black apron they issued me.

Even though I was in jeans and not slacks, it felt a bit too much like work attire to me. I didn’t bother telling Sadie that, though. She would only argue with me. If this was what one wore on a nice dinner date, then so be it. I just hoped the girls were correcting Lauren, too. If not, I was going to change, no matter what anyone thought.

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