Date

"So I have this friend that was asking about you," she said.

"Asking about me?" I asked. "Asking about me how?"

"You know...the girly stuff," she said.

"What...what about it?" I asked, skeptical.

"What it was like and all that. My friend is kind of into it."

"Seriously?" I asked.

"Yea. I mean, you know you and I are never doing anything like that, right."

"I...I know," I looked down. She'd made it perfectly clear we were never going to be more than friends, that we were never doing anything sexual or romantic. She was happy to help me dress, but no more.

"So I just thought...why not set you up with someone more willing to...you know..."

"I...I'd love that," I blurted out, years of sexual frustration weighing on me.

"I thought so," she said, "I assumed. I set something up for Saturday, I asked my boyfriend and he was happy to go on a double date."

"Saturday? God, you're serious."

"Totally."

"Is your friend cute?" I asked, not even sure that it mattered.

"Totally hot," she said.

"Hot?" I asked, perked up.

"Totally," she said. "You into it?"

"Y...yea," I said, shly.

"Cool, I'll confirm," she said, taking out her phone, sending a text. "All set, we'll meet them at 7."

"So...what...what's hot?" I asked.

She smiled. "Six three, muscular, masculine. He's amazing."

"H...he?" I gasped.

"Yea, he," she said. "What did you think I meant?"

"I...a...a girl," I stammered.

She chuckled. "Hon, we've talked about this, you're not what girls go for. I keep telling you that you don't have to hide it."

"H...hide what?"

"That you're gay," she said.

"I'm not," I insisted.

She shrugged. "Better get used to it then," she said, "guys are your future."