Page 25 of Friend Zone to End Zone

Hannah’s apartmentwas buzzing with chatter when Arianna led me inside. I’d never been to a viewing party for a reality TV dating show before, so I hadn’t known exactly what to expect. But I had not expected to walk into a room full of women standing around in formal dresses with wine glasses in their hands.

Wow.

This was way different from the “viewing parties” we had at the Dragons’ stadium the Monday after a game.

I looked down at my casual T-shirt and jeans. “Why didn’t you tell me to wear a suit?” I whispered to Arianna as she led me farther into the great room where about twenty different women turned their heads to gawk at me. “I thought you were just dressed up because you like to be the most fashionable person in the room.”

It was either that, or she knew I liked her as more than a friend and was using that dress tonight as yet another way to dangle the carrot of what I wanted but couldn’t have right in front of me.

She looked over her shoulder, her big brown eyes running the length of my body before meeting my gaze and saying, “You look great.”

“I know that, of course,” I said, shooting her a flirtatious wink. “But I definitely look like the guy who didn’t get the memo.”

“It’s fine.” She waved my words away. “The dressing-up thing was all kind of last minute. Some of the girls at the salon got to talking about how we should dress up like we were at one of the show’s rose ceremonies. I really didn’t think everyone would do it.”

But upon looking around the room, at the women whispering amongst themselves as they stared me up and down, it was clear that they took theirFinding Your Soulmateviewing parties seriously because every single one of them wore a dress I’d expect at a charity ball.

Arianna looped her arm through mine. “Come on. Let’s see if Hannah has any pineapple on that fruit tray and see if we can get you to loosen up.”

I let her pull me to the kitchen island where the words, “Will you accept this rose?” hung in a banner. There wasn’t any pineapple on the fruit tray, which was basically a crime in my book, but there were heart-shaped cookies with little toothpick arrows in them, little pizza biscuits with pepperonis positioned in just the right way to make them resemble a red rose, and wine glasses already half-full of rosé wine.

“You ladies really do take this show seriously, don’t you?” I asked Arianna as I put a few chocolate-covered strawberries made to look like tuxedos on my plate.

“Never underestimate Hannah’s obsession with this show.” Arianna put a dollop of ranch veggie dip on her plate. “She believes in it so much that she actually sent in an application to be on a future season.”

“She wants to go on reality TV?” I raised my eyebrows. “Does that mean she actually believes the romance is real?”

“Oh yeah.” Arianna grabbed a glass of rosé and took a small sip. “Though I think she’s really hoping to go on the summer spin-off version since it takes place on a private island and there are equal guys and girls looking for love.”

“It’s more fun to fight for the hearts of twelve guys than one?” I glanced over to where Hannah, the tall blonde-haired, blue-eyed owner of the Dolled-Up Salon was currently chatting with a group of women.

“There are better chances at least.” Arianna shrugged.

I was just about to suggest that we eat our refreshments at the kitchen table where Jada and Ethan were already sitting when Hannah seemed to notice us and walked over.

“Hey,” Hannah said, wrapping an arm around Arianna to give her a side hug. “I love your dress. Is it from one of the companies you’re an ambassador for?”

Arianna looked down at her dress, which fit her like a glove, then back to Hannah. “It is. Do you like it?” she asked. “I was thinking about taking some photos here tonight with all the girls to post to my Insta with my promo code.”

“That’s a great idea,” Hannah said. “Make sure to tag me in it so if the show’s producers happen to see it, they’ll see how supportive I am of the show and they might look at my application a little more seriously.”

Arianna laughed. “I doubt I’m famous enough for the people atFinding Your Soulmateto notice my post, but sure, I’ll tag you. Maybe I’ll even add a note about how you’re single and looking for love while I’m at it.” Arianna winked.

Hanna laughed, too. “Do it.” Then glancing at me with a sly smile, she said, “Speaking of looking for love, Arianna tells me you two have a little scheme going.”

I narrowed my eyes. “A scheme?”

“Oh, yes.” A half-smile lifted Hannah’s burgundy-stained lips. “She told me all about how she’s going to find you a girlfriend so you won’t want to leave Denver for San Francisco.”

I took a sip from my rosé. “I didn’t realize that she was doing it to keep me here.”

Arianna met my gaze, and in a quiet voice, she said, “I figured I have to try something.”

I studied her face for a moment, searching for any hidden meaning behind her words. And there was a vulnerability in her dark brown eyes that hadn’t been there a moment before.

But I couldn’t know if it was because of the reasons I wanted, or if it was just because she didn’t want to find a new best friend.

“See anyone you might be interested in?” Hannah gestured at the women chatting on the couches, breaking Arianna’s gaze from mine.

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