Page 50 of Friends Don't Kiss

Willow grunts. “Wait til she tells you why.”

All eyes zoom in on me. “Why?” is the collective question.

“I need to expand my horizons,” I answer.

Willow tilts her head at me. “Be more specific.”

I stifle a sigh. “I’m hoping to be accepted in a pastry school in France. It’s a short program.”

Grace frowns, genuinely puzzled. “But why?”

With all my friends narrowing their eyes on me, my motivation wanes. Mostly, I don’t want to hurt their feelings. They’ve always done everything they could to make me feel welcomed here. “I think I need something more to make progress in my business.”

“You need a storefront,” Ms. Angela declares as if that wasn’t the crux of my problem.

“She can’t get one,” Willow answers her, turning to me with an apologetic look. “Right?”

I freeze, ashamed to admit my failure. “It’s complicated,” I say in a voice way more assured than I’m feeling.

Before anyone can ask more, or maybe feeling my discomfort, Grace says, “Speaking of complicated, I hear Colton went to Maine with you this weekend?” Her eyes dance with unconcealed mischief. “He came back in some mood. Mom had to threaten to take away his serving of lasagna, just like when we were kids, if he was only going to grunt instead of speaking to us.”

Ms. Angela’s face lights up. “Is there some progress I missed?” Turning to me, she adds, “Did the fake dating finally turn into something more?”

I feel myself turn crimson.Yes, Ms. Angela, the fake dating turned into real petting and a real orgasm. “No, that’s—we shot that down. We had our fun messing with my family, but nope. No more.”

A series of disappointedawwsecho through the room.

I try to laugh it off. “Guys, really? It was fake!”

Ms. Angela pets my arm. “We were hoping it would turn into not-fake. You two look so cute together, you know. We were hoping…” She sighs and looks at Cassandra, who gives her an enigmatic smile.

Cassandra is rumored to have witchy gifts when it comes to matchmaking. I think she’s just perceptive and makes her move when she knows the relationship is going somewhere.

“Hey, the good news is, I decided it’s time for me to date for real,” I drop.

Grace, Willow, and my other friends clasp their hands. “Ethan just hired a couple of very handsome single men,” Grace says. “I can set up a dinner, make it look caj.”

Yeah, I don’t think so. Being introduced by a friend is too much pressure. Then there’s the question of the V-card. I’d rather keep that to myself and get it over and done with with a perfect stranger who won’t have anyone to open his mouth to.

Colton, I could trust. But Ethan’s new employees? Who the hell knows them? I don’t want to be the Monday morning topic around their watercooler at work. “I think I’m gonna get on the apps,” I drop.

Several gasps sound through the room, especially from the older generation. “I totally get it,” Cassandra, of all people, says. “See what’s out there. Just stay safe, okay? Drive yourself, meet in a public space, don’t agree to be at their place until you’ve met their friends and they’re… normal people.”

I should roll my eyes and come back with a snarky retort, but Cassandra’s motherly concern touches me. I’ve never gotten dating advice from someone older than me, but notthatold that they were out of touch with my generation.

“Oh and send someone a screenshot of the date’s profile to at least one of us,” Grace adds.

Willow is tapping on her phone. “What app do you want to get on? Can I make your profile?”

I unlock my phone and hand it to her. “Have at it.”

Another fist bump from Willow, then she points my phone at me and tells me to smile. “This one’s a good one,” she says. “Let me edit it.”

“Don’t make me look too cute. I don’t want them to have high expectations.”

Grace sighs. “Wow… Well, I hope this goes well. Or maybe it’ll make Colton see what he’s missing and wake him up.”

“What do you mean?”

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