Double date request

Chloe’s thumb trembled as she opened the full message. The bedroom felt suddenly smaller, the afternoon light too bright against the pale walls. Aaron’s text filled the screen:

“Hey Chloe. Thank you again for everything last time. It worked—the guys have been leaving me alone. But Edgar and the others are still skeptical. Tyler (the short fat one) wants proof it’s real. He’s asking for a double date this weekend. Him, his cousin or whatever, me, and you. Just dinner and a movie or something casual. This will be the last thing, I swear. After this, they’ll believe it and it’s over. Please? I know it’s a lot but you’re the only one who gets it.”

Her stomach twisted. A double date. With Tyler—the cruel, overweight bully who had leered at her chest and called her a slut while she was on her knees. The memory flooded back: the hardwood floor, the jeering laughter, Aaron’s hands in her hair, the bitter taste that lingered no matter how hard she scrubbed. She locked her phone and pressed it to her chest, breathing shallowly. Her reflection in the mirror showed wide blue eyes and flushed cheeks. The yellow tank top clung to her curves, the same innocent outfit she’d worn babysitting Mark what felt like a lifetime ago.

“No,” she whispered to herself. She didn’t want this. She had Josh, their new home, the future they were planning. Pretending once had nearly broken her. A whole evening in public—smiling, touching, playing the part—felt impossible. But Aaron’s words echoed: This will be it. One final act of kindness. He was still that awkward, desperate boy who poured his heart out while Mark napped. Her naïve compassion, the same trait that landed her in endless embarrassing situations, tugged at her again.

The bedroom door was closed, but she could faintly hear Josh laughing at something on his laptop in the living room. Guilt clawed at her. She should tell him. But how? Hey babe, remember that favor for the kid I babysit? It turned into me sucking his dick in front of his bullies, and now he needs a double date. The thought made her nauseous. She couldn’t burden him with that. Not when everything was finally settling into place.

Her phone buzzed again. Another message from Aaron:

“I know you probably hate me. I still can’t believe you did that for me. But Tyler keeps saying it was fake, that no hot girl would actually be with me. If we do this one thing, he’ll shut up for good. Please Chloe. You’re my only friend right now.”

Chloe sank onto the bed, knees drawn up. Her long blonde hair fell over her shoulders as she buried her face in her hands. She was breathtaking even in distress—perfectly toned body, gentle curves that turned heads everywhere. But right now she felt small and trapped. The shorts rode up her thighs as she shifted, and she tugged them down self-consciously, as if someone might see.

She typed back slowly: “Aaron, I don’t think I can. That night was already too much. I have a fiancé. I love Josh. This feels wrong.”

The reply came fast: “I know. I’m so sorry. I hate asking. But Tyler said if we don’t do this he’ll start everything again—worse. Rumors at school, telling everyone I paid you or something. This double date is his idea. He wants to see us act like a real couple. Dinner at that Italian place Friday night, then maybe mini-golf or a movie. \Four people. Totally normal. After this, I’ll never ask again. You’re saving my life here, Chloe. You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met.”

Chloe’s heart ached. Kind. Naïve. That’s what everyone said about her. The girl who tripped into embarrassing situations and still smiled through them. She thought of Mark’s giggles, of how Aaron had opened up about the bullying while they set up Candy Land. She pictured Josh’s trusting face down the hall. Her thumbs hovered.

“I need time to think,” she sent.

Minutes passed. She paced the bedroom, straightening pillows that didn’t need it. Her phone buzzed.

“Please. Just this once more. I’ll do anything you want after. I can even pay you back somehow. Babysitting money or whatever. This will be it, Chloe. Last favor. Then I’m out of your hair forever.”

She sat again, rereading the thread. The reluctance sat heavy in her chest, but so did the sympathy. Aaron was still awkward, overweight, and lonely. One more evening. Dinner and a movie. She could play the part—hold his hand, laugh at his jokes, endure Tyler’s stares. Then it would end. Josh never had to know. She could shower afterward, scrub the shame away like before, and move on with her life.

Her fingers moved before her brain fully agreed.

“Okay. But this is the last time. Friday night only. Dinner and whatever, but nothing more. No repeats of last time. I mean it, Aaron.”

The response was immediate, filled with emojis and gratitude:

“Thank you thank you thank you!!! You’re amazing. I’ll pick you up? Or we can meet there. Tyler wants us all to arrive together so it looks real. I owe you everything.”

Chloe’s stomach flipped. Pick her up? Meet in public? She quickly typed back: “I’ll meet you at the restaurant. Text me the address. And Aaron… no one can know about this. Especially not Josh.”

“Promise,” he replied. “You’re the best girlfriend ever… even if it’s pretend.”

Chloe stood in front of her bedroom mirror, smoothing the fabric of the deep red dress over her hips. The dress was elegant yet form-fitting, with a modest neckline that still hinted at her generous curves and a hem that fell just above her knees. It hugged her perfectly toned body, accentuating her narrow waist and the gentle swell of her breasts. She fastened a delicate gold necklace around her neck, the pendant resting just above her cleavage, then added sparkling diamond earrings that caught the light with every movement. A sleek gold purse and matching gold pumps completed the look—classy, feminine, and far more dressed up than a casual double date required. She wanted to look like the devoted girlfriend Aaron needed her to be, but inside, reluctance churned like a storm.

Just dinner, she told herself. Then it’s over. She had texted Aaron earlier confirming she’d meet them at the restaurant. Josh was out with Ethan for the evening, giving her the window she needed. The lie about helping Lily sat heavy on her conscience, but she pushed it down. One last favor.

The Italian restaurant was dimly lit, candles flickering on checkered tablecloths. Aaron waited near the entrance, his button-up shirt tucked awkwardly over his overweight frame. His eyes widened when he saw her. “Chloe… you look incredible,” he breathed, a flush creeping up his neck.

She offered a gentle smile, though her blue eyes betrayed her nerves. “Let’s just get through this.”

Tyler and his girlfriend Kayla were already seated. Tyler, short and heavyset with a cruel smirk permanently etched on his face, leaned back in his chair. Kayla was pale and mousy, with stringy brown hair, acne-scarred skin, and a perpetual scowl that made her features look even sharper. She wasn’t attractive by any measure, but her mean energy matched Tyler’s perfectly.

“Well, look who decided to play dress-up,” Tyler drawled as they approached. “Trying hard for your loser boyfriend, huh?”

Kayla snorted, eyeing Chloe up and down with open jealousy. “Red dress? Diamond earrings? Who do you think you are, some kind of princess? Aaron must be paying you good.”

Chloe’s cheeks burned, but she slipped into the booth beside Aaron, her gold pumps clicking softly. She reached over and took his clammy hand, squeezing it lightly for show. “We’re just happy to be here,” she said sweetly, her voice gentle despite the knot in her stomach. Aaron’s fingers tightened around hers gratefully.

The dinner was painfully awkward. The waiter took orders while Tyler dominated the conversation with crude jokes. “So, Chloe,” he said, chewing loudly on breadsticks, “Aaron tells us you two are serious. How serious? You letting him hit that every night, or what?”

Kayla laughed meanly, stabbing at her salad. “Bet she’s faking it. No way a girl who looks like that actually wants him.” Her eyes flicked dismissively over Aaron’s bulk. “She’s probably embarrassed just sitting next to him.”

Chloe forced a laugh, leaning closer to Aaron so their shoulders touched. The red dress rode up her thigh slightly, and she tugged it down self-consciously. “Aaron’s sweet and kind,” she replied, her tone warm but strained. “That’s what matters.” Under the table, her gold purse rested on her lap like a shield. Aaron beamed beside her, clearly in awe, while Tyler and Kayla exchanged skeptical glances.

The conversation dragged. Tyler kept probing—asking about their “first date,” how they met, whether Chloe had met Aaron’s parents. Kayla chimed in with barbed comments about Chloe’s outfit being “try-hard” and questioning if the diamond earrings were real. Chloe played along as best she could: smiling at Aaron, feeding him a bite of her pasta when prompted, even letting him rest a hand on her knee. Each touch made her skin crawl with reluctance, memories of that night flashing behind her eyes. Her heart ached for the naïve kindness that kept landing her here.

Dessert arrived—tiramisu that Chloe barely touched. Tyler wiped sauce from his chin and grinned. “This has been… enlightening. But I still think you two are full of shit. How about we take this back to my place? Got a basement setup with games, drinks. More private. We can really see if you two act like a couple when no one’s watching.”

Chloe’s pulse spiked. “I don’t think—”

“Come on,” Tyler interrupted, his eyes lingering on the way her red dress clung to her chest. “Kayla’s down. Right, babe?”

Kayla shrugged with a nasty smirk. “Sure. Let’s see what the fake girlfriend is really made of.”

Aaron looked at Chloe pleadingly, his voice low. “This will be it. Just a couple hours. Then they’ll believe us for good.”

She hesitated, fingers tracing the gold necklace at her throat. Every instinct screamed to leave, to go home to Josh and forget this ever happened. But Aaron’s desperate eyes, the promise that this was the final ask… Her kind heart won out again.

“…Okay,” she whispered reluctantly. “But not too late.”

Tyler’s grin widened. They paid the bill and piled into cars. Chloe followed in her own, gripping the wheel tightly as she trailed them to Tyler’s house on the outskirts of town. The gold pumps pressed against the pedals, her diamond earrings glinting in the rearview mirror. The red dress felt tighter now, constricting.

Tyler’s place was a modest suburban house with a finished basement. As the four of them descended the stairs, the atmosphere shifted—more isolated, heavier with expectation. Tyler flicked on dim lights and gestured to the couch and game setup. Kayla dropped onto a beanbag with a mocking laugh, already pulling out drinks.

Chloe stood awkwardly in her elegant red dress, gold accessories catching the low light, heart hammering with dread. Aaron hovered close, grateful but nervous. Tyler and Kayla watched them like predators circling prey.This was supposed to be the end. But as the door clicked shut behind them, Chloe couldn’t shake the feeling that the night was only beginning.