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“I am. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Are you on a date?” Lydia shouldn’t have asked because it was obvious.
“Oh, yeah. First date. One I should probably get back to. You look lovely, Lydia. Have a good night.”
Lydia watched Halle return to the stunning blonde before snapping her attention back to her own date, who was now watching her with interest. “Is Halle an ex?”
“What,” Lydia scoffed. “No, not at all. I told you she’s my sister’s best friend.”
“Sure.”
Sure. What did she mean by that? Had everyone started acting strangely, or was Lydia missing something obvious?
“Anyway, shall we order?”
Thirty minutes later, Lydia took the last bite of her cheese ravioli when she saw the blonde leave the restaurant, and Halle at their table by herself. Zoe must have caught Lydia’s wandering eye. “Do you want to invite her over?”
“No, we’re on a date.”
“Lydia, it’s fine. Your friend looks a little put out.” Halle looked perturbed. Had the date gone that badly? As she was about to wave Halle over, Halle stood, threw some bills on the table and stalked out, frustration painted across her face.
“Um… I’ll be right back, okay?” What was she doing following Halle out of the restaurant, leaving her own date alone? Not giving herself any time to second guess the decision, Lydia raced out to catch up to Halle.
Wrapping her arms around herself, Lydia scanned the street. Halle was a hundred metres away at the bus stop. Jogging to catch up and keep warm, Lydia ducked under the shelter. “Lydia, what are you doing here?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay. I saw your date leave, and you looked pissed off.”
“We had nothing in common. You should go back inside. It’s bloody freezing.” It was bloody freezing. Lydia could kick herself for not grabbing her coat. Again.
“But you’re okay? We’re okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Halle, something is up. I’m not blind. You and Fe have been acting weird around me.”
“It’s not you, I promise.” Halle lay a hand on Lydia’s shivering shoulder. “Please go back inside before you catch your death.”
“Can we have a movie night tomorrow? Just the two of us?” Suddenly, the need to solidify their friendship was the most important thing Lydia could think of.
“If you want. Come to mine, I’ll order in. Yeah?”
“Perfect. Okay then. Night.”
Hesitantly, Lydia gave Halle a quick hug before sprinting back to the restaurant. Zoe sat patiently, waiting, sipping on her wine. “Everything good?”
“Yeah, terrible date. But I think she’s okay. Sorry for running out on you.”
“Hey, I get it. She’s your friend.” The forced pronunciation of “friend” wasn’t necessary. Was Zoe being passive-aggressive?
“She is, and now she’s gone. So, shall we wrap this up and grab a drink at your place?”
Zoe raised her hand to the server. “Bill please.”
Back at Zoe’s apartment, things took a bizarre turn. As with the previous time they’d been together, Zoe seemed to take charge. She was aggressive, but in a way Lydia felt comfortable. That was until Zoe had her head between Lydia’s legs. “Do you find Halle attractive?”
“What?” Lydia panted.
“She’s hot. I’d understand. Maybe we could ask her to join us one night.”
