Run away!

Fuck, I've really screwed all this up! "I'm sorry," I say to Dennis with tears forming in my eyes. "I'm sorry for lying." As he looks on, a bit flustered, I flee back outside.

The whole bus ride back to the apartment, I'm replaying the whole exchange over and over in my head and figuratively kicking myself. What was that, Lilah? Pleasure model? Really? Should have just taken the goddamned assessment. That guy no doubt thinks you're a total dork, and he's probably right.

"Amber, is that you?" comes Tracey's voice when I open the front door. She appears at the entrance to the kitchen, a dirty rag in her hands. "Oh, hey, Lilah. Did you see Amber before you left? She wasn't around when I woke up."

I shake my head. She looks at me more closely, her green eyes full of discernment. "You...don't look happy. You went over to that 'BoSS' place you were talking about last night?"

"...Yeah. I...chickened out." That's easier to say than to try to explain my social maladroitness.

"That scary?" Tracey puts down the rag and comes over to place a comforting hand on my arm. "You know...there's still the afternoon, and I have the whole day free. How would you feel about going back there, but this time with me? We could do it together."

"You sure?" I say. "You know what it's for. What about... What about Robbie?"

"It's the funniest thing," she says, a smile curling her lips. "I didn't mention it to you before because I've been processing it myself, but...a couple of days ago, he actually asked me for an open relationship. So frankly...fuck him. Let him see what that really means."

"Huh," is all I can think to say to that.

"Well, what about it?" Tracey puts her hands on her bountiful hips. "You want to do this, or what?"