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"This is so not fair," is the first thing Poppy says when I walk out to strut the potential bridesmaid's dress I could be wearing on her wedding day. "You're not supposed to look hotter than me."
"Pops, I'm wearing canary yellow right now, and it even has ruffles at the bottom. Believe me, you'll be the better looking one."
"You really mean that?"
"Yes, I do," I assure her. "You'll be the most stunning girl in the room."
"You better hope so," she huffs, slumping down on the gold rimmed sofa with a glass of champagne in hand. "Considering how much my dress cost me."
"George will be decked when he sees you."
"He better be or else I'm walking straight out of there." I laugh at her words. "You're bringing a date, right?"
"I—"
"Yes, she is." Emma stumbles out of her own changing room wearing the same dress as me. Canary really wasn't her color. "His name is Calum and soon he will be her boyfriend."
"Why did I not know about this?"
"Because," I glare at Emma. "It's not real. It's only an experiment to show Emma that I can stand a guy despite his flaws."
"So what's his deal then?"
"There isn't one," I say. "Yet."
"She likes him."
"No, not this one," I insist. "I will not fall for an experiment. I thought about making a story about the whole thing but even I realize how childish that is."
"You were going to write an article on the poor guy?"
"Yeah," I shrug. "It was Arden's idea but I think that would be taking it too far."
"An entire date and you didn't find anything wrong with him," Poppy marvels. "That's new. You have to go out with him again."
"If he calls," I tell them. "He's a guy if he's gonna ask me out again a he'll do it around three days after the first date, so not before tomorrow."
"How many dates have you been on this year?"
"A hundred and seventy three."
"You see why she has to do this, right?"
"Oh yeah," Poppy nods. "Just don't go breaking his heart."
...
"Scotty, there's a guy here to see you." I look at Arden quizzically since I don't even remember the last time someone came looking for me at work, let alone a guy. "Says his name is Calum."
Emma and I turn to each other in our cubicles at the same time, both of us equally as shocked. "What do I do?"
"Go talk to him." I feel my heart thumping in my chest as I stand out of my chair.
"Do I look good?" I ask Arden before I pass her.
"Yes, now go!" She pushes me in the direction of the reception which is now empty since Arden is now at my desk. When I arrive I see Calum leaning his forearms on the reception desk.
"Hi," I say as I walk up to him and he stands up straight. "What are you doing here?"
"You forgot this on Friday." He holds out my chapstick and I can't help the smile that takes over my lips.
"You came here for that?"
"Amongst other things."
"What are the other things then?" I take the chapstick from him.
"I don't know what name to put with your number in my phone," he says. "That's an issue for me."
"Scotty. My name is Scotty."
"Scotty," he tries the name out.
"How did you know to ask for me if you didn't know my name?"
"I can be very descriptive." He runs a hand through his hair. "I actually came here to ask you if you want to go out again sometime. The chapstick was just a sub par excuse to come here."
"Well what do you have in mind?"
"I was thinking something classic, like mini golf, and then for our third date we'll spend the evening at my place where I give you the cooking class of your life."
"What makes you think you're getting a third date out of me?"
"Because I plan on the second one going as well as the first one did."
"Confident," I smile. Ever since we met I can't stop smiling around him. "Let's see if it holds up."
"Great." Calum starts backing away towards the entrance with a smile matching my own on his face. "I'll text you the details later. Bye, Scotty."
He turns and walks through the glass doors leaving me to let out a breath I hadn't noticed I had been holding in the first place. I lean against the desk. "Bye."
...
I listened to Invisible and straight up broke down crying
