Grocery shopping after an uneventful day at work.

You log off for the day and send quick texts to Sofía, Lisa, and Sara to check if they are ready to leave work. However, you intentionally do not mention that you invited your coworker for dinner.

You: I'm so sorry about the coffee date.

Lisa: It's ok, we can have it another day. TBH I look forward to dessert tonight more!

You: I promise I will make it up to you!

Lisa: You owe me a dinner date!

You: Yeah. I'll see you in a bit!

Lisa: CU

"Ready?" you ask Christine, putting away your phone as you stand up.

"Yup!" she beams, grabbing her purse.

The two of you walk out of the studio, not conspicuous to your other coworkers of your dinner plans, and head out to the parkade where you had parked your car.

"What are you going to make for the potluck?" Christine asks as you hit your fob to unlock the car doors.

"I actually haven't decided yet," you reply as you slip into the driver's seat. "I'll figure something out at the grocery store!"

"You're quite the home cook, huh?" she smiles. "Your roommates are very lucky!"

"Yeah..." you nod with a chuckle at the thought your roommates appreciate you for more than just your food.

The two of you chat about the office politics at work while you drive to pick up Sofía at her office.

"Hola!" Sofía greets you when you pull up to the curb in front of her office. She opens the back door after noticing someone is sitting up front with you. "Who is this pretty lady?"

"Hi, I'm Christine!" your coworker chirps at the compliment, turning around to offer her hand to shake. "I work with Mark."

"I'm Sofía and I live down the hall from Mark," your neighbor replies. "Are you an addition to the carpool?"

"Carpool? Oh, no! Mark invited me to the potluck dinner!"

"Oh really?" Sofía purrs. "What are you going to make?"

"I'm not much of a cook like Mark so I'm just going to buy some dessert at the grocery store," Christine replies. "What about you?"

"I was going to bring some dessert as well," Sofía answers.

You stifle a chuckle at the double entendre of the word 'dessert' that the girls are oblivious to the inside-joke meaing you have with your roommates. The three of you chat for a bit talking about work while you drive to Lisa's store, where she is patiently waiting outside by the curb. Sofía slides over to make room for Lisa as she gets into the car.

"Oh, hi!" Lisa greets your coworker. "We have another passenger for our carpool!"

"I'm Mark's coworker, Christine!"

"I'm Lisa, Mark's neighbor from across the hall," Lisa smiles.

The girls chat among themselves while you concentrate on the road, heading to Sara's office. Your roommate is waiting and as you pull up you see her smile at you but her face changes to a frown when she sees Christine sitting in the front passenger seat.

"Hey, who's this?" Sara scowls as she gets in, nudging Lisa to the middle of the rear seats.

"I'm Mark's coworker, Christine!" Christine replies with her sunny disposition, ignorant of why your roommate is in a bit of a fowl mood.

"That's my roommate, Sara," you quickly add.

"Why is she coming home with us?" Sara asks gruffly.

"I invited her to our potluck dinner," you reply as you pull back out into traffic. "We're going shopping first before we head home, okay?"

"Sure..." your roommate grumbles.

Christine gives you a questioning look and you respond by rolling your eyes. She nods.

You drive to the small family-owned grocery store near your apartment building, finding their selection and service much better than the big supermarket chains. When the five of you enter the store, one of the male clerks stares at your entourage as you push the shopping cart.

"What are you going to get for the potluck, Sara?" you ask your roommate while you check the freshness of the vegetables.

"I dunno," she shrugs as she handles a long, thick eggplant. "Dessert, I guess?"

"I guess I'll be the only one making dinner," you sigh.

"Yup!" she nods and drops the eggplant into cart before joining Sofía and Christine at the bakery section.

"I'm going make something," Lisa smiles as puts another eggplant into the cart. "I'll finally get to make dinner for you -- eggplant with tofu and garlic sauce!"

"I look forward to it!" you smile back at her.

"I look forward to dessert," she giggles, glancing over at the other three girls who seem to be getting along fine despite their initial introduction.

"Yeah..." you mutter, wondering if you can handle all six girls after dinner.