This isn't weird.

Ready

"I don't know where we're going to dinner, but wherever it is, I highly doubt that atmosphere will call for sequins," Millie said, exasperated.

"Fine," Tess grumbled, stepping back into the closet and hanging the sparkling dress back where she found it. She rifled around for a moment, then reappeared with a slinky turtleneck sweater dress.

"Tess, I love you, but no," Millie shook her head. "I am not going to wear one of your sexy going out dresses tonight. I'm just going to wear jeans. I'll put on a nice blouse, some earrings. It'll be fine."

"Oh, come on, Mills, you have to dress up a little!" Tess insisted. "Arthur is like, the sweetest human being you have ever gone on a date with, don't you want to make him feel like he's worth the effort?"

"I've seen you go on multiple first dates in your sweaty gym clothes."

"Exactly! Now, am I going to have to put makeup on you myself?"

"It really feels wrong to see you being all supportive and approving of someone I go out with. I think I should cancel."

"Millie."

"Ugh. "

"Why aren't you excited? Arthur is awesome. You love hanging out with him."

"Sure, I guess."

"That's it?"

"Sorry, Tess," Millie said with a shrug. "It's just... weird timing, I guess. I'm not really in the mood to go on a date."

"What's weird about the timing?" Tess asked.

"Nothing. I mean-okay, obviously not nothing, but... I guess I haven't had a chance to, um, catch you up on... things." Millie heaved a sigh. She'd put off the conversation for as long as she could. Without further cajoling, she recounted to Tess the details of what had transpired on Saturday night. She tried to seem impassive as she briskly summarized the events, but she blushed as she skimmed over part about making out in his bed, and tears were rolling down her face by the time she reached the end of the story.

"So, um.... Yeah," she said, sniffling. "I got one look at her and I just... ran as far as I could. Then I called Arthur, and he picked me up and listened to me cry about it all night, then, um, when he was dropping me off, he asked me on a date. And for a minute, it kind of made me feel a little bit better about myself, but... I'm still hurting, and I need time to sit with that before I can be remotely date-able."

"Don't be ridiculous," Tess replied. "The sooner you start hooking up, the sooner you'll get over him. That's just science."

Millie recoiled at the thought. "I don't know. Arthur is amazing, but I just... I don't know if I can feel that way about him."

"Give it a chance," Tess insisted. "You never know." She rummaged through her closet one last time before grunting with frustration and giving up. "Oh, you know what you should wear? That little yellow dress."

"No!" Millie said sharply, then scratched her neck and added, "Sorry, it's just, um... Ben really liked that dress."

"In that case, we should burn it," Tess muttered. "Fine. Wear jeans, then. But you at least have to wear a push-up bra."

"Fine, Tess. If it will get you off my case, I'll wear my pushy-uppiest bra."

It took another thirty minutes to find a lacy, soft pink blouse that Tess deemed acceptable for a date ("What's the point of the push-up bra if you're just going to cover them up?" she said repeatedly as she vetoed every other option), then thirty more for Tess to force Millie to stay still long enough to do her make-up ("Nuh-uh, no. I draw the line at a smoky eye. Just keep it simple," Millie demanded shortly before the heated argument over appropriate shades of lipstick broke out). By the time hair and accessories were perfected, Millie felt like a Barbie doll in the hands of a particularly fixated child. When she looked at the finished product in the mirror, she admittedly did feel rather pretty, but whatever pleasure that gave her was quickly dampened by an immediate desire for Ben to see her like this.