Page 34 of Matched

“Yeah, alright. I’ve got you. JJ—I’ll be back. Get the next outfit ready.” He darted over the bed, pressing a kiss to Elliot’s lips. “See you in a minute, E.”

When we were in my room, Ander helped himself to my wardrobe, throwing my clothes all over the room as he decided on an outfit. I hadn’t exactly planned for him to style me; I’d just wanted… I guess a part of me felt guilty for the way I’d temporarily thought about Nate when something was happening between me and his sister, and I needed to assuage my guilt by making a proper effort. It wasn’t fair on either of us otherwise. Ander’s taste in clothing was similar to mine, and before he got together with Elliot, he’d been a bit of a player, so it seemed like getting his advice was a safe bet.

“What do you want out of this?” he said, holding up two of my T-shirts, studying them with his brows pulled together.

“Uh…it’s a date. We’ve met up a few times before on a casual basis, but there have been other people around. This…I guess it’s our first actual date.”

He nodded. “Okay. Where are you going?”

“The Coffee Collective. They’ve started doing late openings a few nights a week. I think they have different themed nights. Sophie suggested it, I dunno. It sounds like it’ll be casual.”

Throwing both T-shirts onto the bed, he scanned the contents of my wardrobe before opening the drawers at the bottom.

“Maybe this one with your jeans with the distressed bits.” He threw me a teal polo shirt Gem had bought me for my birthday that I’d never actually worn. “Wear that chunky leather wristband thing and your brown boots with it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. The teal will make your eyes pop.” He pulled a face, shaking his head. “Eyes pop. For fuck’s sake. I swear I never noticed anyone’s eyes before I started dating E, and now I notice everyone’s. Obviously, E has the nicest eyes, but yours are alright, too.”

I laughed as he headed for the door. “Thanks for that. Okay, I’ll take your advice and wear this shit.”

“Good. You can thank me later.” Stopping in the doorway, he tapped his fingers on the battered wooden frame as he studied me. “Is it gonna be weird, going out with Sophie when you’ve basically been on three dates with her brother?”

“What? No. Those weren’t proper dates. The first two were accidental—you know that—and the other one was just us meeting up as friends. And Nate’s straight anyway.”

His gaze turned calculating. “So are you…aren’t you?”

I shrugged. There was no point in lying to him. “I thought so, but I dunno now. Whatever, it’s irrelevant either way because I like Sophie.”

“Nate’s definitely straight?”

“Yep.”

“Hmm. Yeah. Probably a good thing he’s not into you. It could get messy if, y’know, you ended up in some weird lovetriangle with Nate and his sister. Although there was a time in my first year here when these two girls both wanted me, and they turned out to be related. It?—”

“I don’t wanna know.”

“Rude.” He grinned at me. “To be honest, I prefer not to think about my past. Elliot’s my future.” When I rolled my eyes, his grin widened. “It’s true. And if there’s anything you wanna talk about, you know all of us are here. I’ve been through the whole ‘realising I’m not straight’ thing too, so…”

“Thanks. There’s nothing to discuss, though. I’m going on a date with a girl I’m attracted to, and that’s the end of it.”

“Okay. Just thought I’d offer. Have a good time tonight. We want a debrief when you get back.”

“Uh, no.”

“Uh, yes. You’re the only single housemate left. You owe it to us.”

“Unlike you in your manwhore days, I never kiss and tell.”

Giving me the finger, he backed out of my bedroom. “You will.”

“I will not.” I shut the door in his face.

Time to get ready for my date with an attractive, sweet girl who was interested in me.

“This is nice. I’ve never been here in the evening before.”

“Yeah. It’s nice. More cosy.” I placed the sparkling mocktail down on the wooden table in front of Sophie before collapsing into my seat across from her. Dragging my Coke closer to me, I took a sip. The Coffee Collective was in the process of obtaining an alcohol licence, but they didn’t yet have one—henceus sticking to soft drinks. I had an early shift at the library tomorrow, anyway.

---