Page 75 of Derivation

“My date?”

Gabi sat down next to her and looked pretty confused.

“You went out with Arlowe.”

“You thought we were on a date?”

“I didn’t know. I texted her, and she said you two went out together.”

“Yeah, to a gay bar where Arlowe met someone, and…” Gabi motioned to the room. “Do you see her anywhere?”

“She went home with…”

“Probably. She was just telling me the whole drive there that she wanted to get herself ready for a relationship, but then, a hot woman walked up to her, asked her to dance, and suddenly, they’re making out on the dance floor, and Arlowe is asking me if I’m okay taking my own Uber home. My guess is that they’re still there, or at the woman’s house, but I don’t know. And I told you that I wasn’t into Arlowe, Sarai.”

“I know.” She sighed.

“And she’s not into me, either. I asked her about that earlier today just to be sure that there’s nothing on her side because I don’t want her to think that I’m interested at all.”

“You two were just getting along really well this week, so I thought that maybe something had changed.”

“It hasn’t,” Gabi told her.

“Okay. Well, good, I guess, or whatever. I should go to bed. It’s late,” she rambled as she turned off the TV, feeling like she needed to get out of there fast.

“Can you tell me something first?”

“Possibly.”

“Why are you so concerned with Arlowe’s feelings for me and mine for her?”

“You just said you don’t have any for her.”

“Sarai, I’m serious. Come on.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt. Arlowe has been telling us over and over again that she’s ready and wants a relationship, but her actions don’t exactly back that up. I didn’t want you to think that she wanted more when she probably doesn’t.”

“So, you’re just trying to protect me?”

“Yes.”

“And it has nothing to do with the fact that you like me?”

“What?!” she asked, her eyes wide and her voice probably up an octave, which had Gabi laughing.

“You do, don’t you? Arlowe said–”

“Arlowe told you that I liked you?”

“No, she’s weirdly protective of all of your secrets. She just said that you’re a terrible poker player the other day because you can’t bluff, and now, I can see it.”

“See that I can’t play poker?”

“You’re not a good liar, and that’s basically what bluffing is, isn’t it?”

“I didn’t even say anything.”

“Sarai, your eyes got so big; like you’d gotten caught doing something.” Gabi smiled softly at her. “It was really cute.”