She agrees to go.

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" John asked, sounding more unsettled than she had meant to.

Ariel shrugged, slipping her form-fitting dress over her head and smoothing it out over her body. "I just thought there had to be a reason you've been so uptight lately. Has the Boyfriend not been stepping up lately?"

John glanced down at her lap. She had lived with her boyfriend, whom Ariel never referred to by name, for three years now. They loved each other, and the sex was great -- that is, when they were having it. Ever since starting grad school, neither of them had had much free time.

"That's it, isn't it," Ariel said, leering at her. "Want me to go talk to him?"

John looked up. "What?! No, no fucking way. It's mostly me, anyway, not him. Fine."

"Fine what?" Ariel asked, though her grin seemed to suggest that she knew already.

"Fine I'll go. Nice job of bullying me into it, by the way."

Ariel beamed at her. "I try. Now, let's go back to your place so we can find you something hot to wear. That red dress you've got should do the trick. Come on, we've only got a couple of hours."

John watched Ariel walk out of the room, her dress clinging to the contours of her butt.