I saw the dots move about, then stop, then start again. What was so hard about this request? It was one button she had to push.

Me: Never mind. I’m done. Good luck to you.

Shorty: Wait!

A heavy sigh filled with frustration escaped my lips. My phone rang as I put a piece of brie in my mouth. Shit. It was her. I didn’t think this through. I was in PJs, but I shouldn't look too unprofessional if I swallowed my food and kept the video on my face.

“Hello.” I eyed the screen to see a beautiful blonde staring back at me.

“Hey, I’m sorry about the mix-up earlier. I’m Sonya.” She was confident and not afraid to show off her body in that teeny, tiny, tight shirt.

I didn’t remember Shorty being Sonya, but it made sense.

“It’s okay. Care to tell me why you lied to me?” She had made me look stupid chatting up someone else by not telling me what she was actually wearing.

She pointed to herself. “No, I didn’t lie. Technically, I pretended to be someone else, but that wasn’t lying.”

Did she not know the definition of the word? What was she playing?

“That makes no sense. Are you Shorty or not?” I was too old and tired for these games.

“Yes and no.” She moved her head from side to side, and I glared, hoping for a solid answer.

“Give me that.” Someone else took the phone, and the woman in the gray shirt appeared. Her eyes were wide, like she was frightened, but there was an edge in her voice that sounded like anger. “I’m sorry for my cousin. She set up this meeting but didn’t tell me. So when you showed up at my table, I didn’t know who you were or what you wanted.” She offered a half-smile, and I noticed the slightest dimple in the corner of her mouth, making her seem even more innocent.

“So, you’re Shorty?” I needed to figure out what the hell was going on.

“No. I mean, I guess.” She narrowed her eyes to someone off-camera, probably the blonde. “I’m Shiloh, and my cousin was trying to be helpful in her own way, but sometimes she misses the mark.”

Matrix could be like that, too, but I wasn’t sure he was technically trying to help as much as mitigate situations that my big mouth got me into.

“Well, I’m Caz, and I host a show called My Unscripted Life. The audience voted for me to be your flight attendant.” As much as I wanted to get out of this situation, it wouldn't be so bad if this was her energy all the time.

There was something relaxing about her. She was poised but quiet. Usually, people caused me anxiety, but everything about her, from the muted color of her hair and wardrobe to the tone of her voice, was calming.

“Yeah, Sonya filled me in. I’m not looking to hook up with anyone, so this probably won’t be good for the show. But I appreciate your time. I wish you luck with helping someone else.” Her words took me by surprise, but not as much as my own did.

“I’m only doing this if you’re in. If not, I’m canceling the segment this week.”

“You can’t do that. Your audience will miss you,” Sonya called out from the side, and Shiloh stared at me with puppy-dog eyes as if asking if it was true.

“It doesn’t matter. I only agreed to do it for Short—Shiloh, but if she doesn’t want to, then the gig is up. There will be a vote for something else next week.” It was weird to say that because I’d been doing this show for a decade and never missed a week.

And, to be honest, I couldn’t afford to miss a week. As much success as I had, I still had bills on top of bills from years of being careless and letting someone else dictate my finances.

“I don’t want to upset anyone.” Shiloh’s voice was small, like it had been at the coffee shop.

I hated seeing her shrink down like that. “Fuck that. If you don’t want to do it, don’t do it. Who cares about everyone else? You shouldn’t put your boundaries at risk to please others.” I was unsure why I was now trying to talk her out of it, but I wouldn’t put anyone in an uncomfortable situation for money’s sake.

“See, this is why you need her. She can help you be assertive.” Sonya stepped back into view. “I want you to help Shy grow a pair and then help her use them to get lai⁠—”

“Will you stop?” Shiloh shook her head while closing her eyes, and I wanted to save her from embarrassment.

“Do you want to talk privately?” Even if Sonya meant well, she was making this painful.

“I don’t know.” Shiloh shrugged, and Sonya jumped in.

“She does. I’ll text you her sch—” Shiloh pushed her away to shut her up.

“Will tomorrow work for you?” Her gaze locked with mine, and I sensed a hidden strength inside her.

“Yes, why don’t you give me your number, and we can work out the details?” It was time to cut out the middleman and figure out what we would do.

I wasn't sure how I found myself on this ride, but strangely enough, I wasn't upset about it.

Chapter 6Shiloh

It aggravated me when I first learned that Sonya and Devon interfered with my life, but I had been texting with Caz for the last two hours, and it was nice. I had never had a close friend before. I wasn’t saying that was what we were. But having someone other than family to talk to was a welcomed change.

Caz was opposite me in many ways, but she also seemed like a kindred spirit in others. She was bold but reserved. It was a weird combination, but it worked for her, and I hoped I could learn to be more like that. I didn’t want to be exactly like her because my personality wouldn’t allow me to be that firm, but if I could get a smidgen of her confidence, I would be happy.

Caz: I know most of the basic stuff about you, but what exactly are you looking for in someone else?

Sometimes, our conversation felt like a questionnaire for a dating app, but during our casual chat, it felt like a real friendship could form. But I was still keeping my guard up because this was a job for her, and I didn’t know if she felt the same vibe I did.

Me: I don’t have a type.

That wasn’t technically a lie. I definitely had someone in mind who was the epitome of perfection in my eyes.

Caz: That’s bullshit. Everyone has something they want. Even if it’s not looks, something attracts you to another person. If you won’t tell me, I can’t help you. I don’t care if it’s some weird fetish. This is a no-judgment zone.

It was that directness that I wished would rub off on me.

Me: I don’t have a weird fetish. I like who I like.

Caz: Okay. So who is that? I’m going to be honest. The only thing I know about men is how to repel them. So I might not be very helpful to you.

It took me a minute to realize what she thought.

Me: What gave you the impression I was after a man?

My style was pretty basic, which didn’t show my queer tendencies, but I figured she would have picked up on that. I could tell right off which team she preferred to bat for.

Caz: So you’re after a woman? That will make my job much easier. I know how to speak tongues. She put the winky eye emoji face with its tongue out.

It reminded me of Sonya. Only when Caz did it I laughed instead of rolling my eyes.

Me: I just want to talk—no tongue necessary.