Things Come to a Boil During an Impromptu Double Date

It had been a month since the pool party. Lara had created an online profile on the dating app Hinge in an attempt to find a distraction from the young man who occupied her waking thoughts and whose memory made her knees weak. It had not gone well. Indeed, she had had more than her share of matches. But, they were all pale comparisons to Greg, and most of them made her wish she could escape midway through their first date, never mind enteraining the idea of subsequent outings.

Currently, she sat across from Jeff. An accountant in his early forties, he was in decent shape, though not athletic; he could hold a conversation and wasn't a horn dog creep like many of her matches, and most importantly, he was stable. He was precisely what Lara needed to move on from the chaos swirling in her mind; that was why he was the first guy she had matched with that she had consented to go out with again. In fact, this was their third date.

However, no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts drifted back to the last man on earth she should be thinking of, Greg. Lara picked at her meal at the upscale Italian restaurant, utterly failing to focus on Jeff's conversation conversation. Jeff may be the kind of man any sensible woman would be thrilled to date, but since the pool party, the memory of being held by Greg and the taste of his lips made the mother anything but sensible.

"Can you believe the client thought that was a legitimate deduction?" She heard Jeff ask.

"Crazy," Lara answered without enthusiasm.

"I know!" Jeff replied, completely oblivious to Lara's disinterest. "Then I said well, if you want me to lose my license and you to spend a few years in the pen for tax fraud, we can put that down. Let me tell you that shut them up real quick."

Lara spaced out again as Jeff continued to talk about his work. Fuck why couldn't he be more exciting, she thought as she took a sip of her sweet red and gave her would-be boyfriend a fake smile of encouragement.

"So, what do you think about catching a movie?" Jeff asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Lara blinked, realizing she had barely registered what he'd been saying. "Oh, that sounds great," she lied. She wanted to make an excuse to go home, but she had promised she would do everything in her power to make whatever this was work.

Jeff smiled, clearly pleased that she was on board. He had no clue of the turmoil beneath her calm exterior, and for that, Lara was grateful. The last thing Lara's ego needed was for him to suspect that her thoughts were miles away and to dump her.

They finished their meal and made their way to the local theater. The marquee advertised Zero Hour Strike, the latest action flick, which excited Jeff more than it did Lara. She would have preferred a nice period drama, but in the end, she didn't care; at least it would be a distraction.

Lara's heart suddenly skipped a beat as they entered the theater lobby. Greg was standing by the concession stand, laughing with a few friends. Her stomach tightened, and his eyes found hers before she could process her emotions.

Greg's face lit up with surprise and unmistakable happiness. He quickly excused himself from his friends and made his way over to her, his grin wide. "Lara! I didn't expect to see you here."

Lara tried to maintain her composure, but the way he said her name sent a shiver down her spine. "Yeah, Jeff wanted to watch that Zero Hour movie," she greeted him, her voice warm despite the nervous flutter in her chest. She hoped name-dropping her date would put Greg off, but she could not help but undermine her ploy by looking deep into the boy's eyes and breathlessly adding, "It's good to see you, too."

Before Greg could respond, a figure appeared at his side, looping her arm possessively through his. Trista, looking every bit the part of a confident young woman in a snug dress, pulled him close. "Hi, Mrs. Thompson," Trista said with a smile that was more of a challenge than a greeting.

Lara felt an inexplicable surge of animosity toward the girl, a feeling she didn't want to acknowledge. She managed a polite smile. "Trista, it's nice to see you, too. I'm surprised you're together after that fight you had at the pool party."

"Oh, we made up," Trista said with a hint of venom in her reply. "Quite a few times. I showed Greg precisely what he would lose if he kept that stubborn streak."

Greg felt the tension, his eyes never leaving Lara's. "We're here to see Zero Hour Strike as well. Maybe our seats will be close together."

Trista's look soured when Greg said that, but it lightened when Jeff walked up beside Lara with a large tub of popcorn and a couple of large sodas. "Are these two young people friends of yours?"

"Jeff, this is Greg; he's Ben's best friend, and beside him is his friend Trista."

Trista's grip on Greg tightened, and she gave Lara a look that could only be described as smug. "Greg's girlfriend, actually."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jeff, an accountant. If either of you ever needs tax advice, let me know."

Trista's eyes rolled at Lara's date's corny reply. Greg reached out and shook the man's hand. It struck Lara how much taller and built Greg was from Jeff. Not only did he have the flower of youth over him, but he was just more masculine than her safe accountant.

"Well, I'm sure it'll be a great film," Lara replied, her voice level but her mind racing. She could see the subtle shift in Greg's demeanor, the way his excitement dimmed whenever he turned his attention to Trista.

Jeff, blissfully unaware of the undercurrents, checked his watch. "We should probably head in. The movie's about to start."

Lara nodded, eager to escape the awkward encounter. "You're right. We don't want to miss it." She gave Greg one last smile. "Enjoy the movie, you two."

Greg's eyes lingered on her as she and Jeff made their way into the theater, and Lara could feel the weight of his gaze long after they'd taken their seats. She hoped she could focus on the movie, but as the lights dimmed and the previews began, her thoughts were still with Greg.

Jeff had chosen seats higher up in the theater, giving them a clear view of the screen—and, unfortunately for Lara, of Greg and Trista who sat a few rows below. Try as she might, Lara could not stop herself from glancing down at them. As what came as no surprise, Trista seemed determined to make her possession of Greg apparent.

As the movie played, Trista leaned close to Greg and whispered in his ear; she rested her hand on his thigh and laid her head on his shoulder. She laughed softly at something he said, her fingers trailing up his arm. Lara felt a surge of annoyance as Trista's behavior became more blatant as if she were marking her territory.

Greg, for his part, seemed unimpressed with Trista's advances. The way he responded made it clear his mind was elsewhere. Several times throughout the movie, he turned his head, scanning the theater with his eyes. Finally, he found what he was looking for when his gaze settled on Lara.

Lara's heart raced when she caught him looking, but she **** herself to remain composed. Jeff, wholly absorbed in the film, seemed oblivious to the drama playing out around him. He leaned over once to make a comment about a scene, but Lara only nodded, her mind too preoccupied to truly engage.

The movie dragged on, and by the time the credits rolled, Lara was emotionally exhausted. As they exited the theater, she was relieved not to see Greg or Trista again.

Jeff was his usual polite self in the car, making small talk about the movie. But Lara was barely listening, her thoughts a chaotic mix of jealousy, guilt, and longing. When they finally pulled up to her house, Jeff hesitated, clearly hoping for an invitation to come in.

Lara gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm exhausted," she lied, her voice apologetic. "It's been a long day, and I just need to rest."

Jeff hid his disappointment well, nodding understandingly. "Of course. I had a great time tonight, Lara."

"Me too," Lara replied, offering a quick kiss on the cheek before slipping out of the car. "Goodnight, Jeff."

"Goodnight," he replied. The smitten accountant watched her walk up to her front door, ultimately failing to gather the courage to pursue her.

Once inside, Lara leaned against the door, letting out a long, shaky breath. She felt conflicted, frustrated that her thoughts were still consumed by Greg despite her best efforts to move on.

She was about to head upstairs when her phone buzzed in her purse. Frowning, she pulled it out and saw a text from an unknown number.

*Is this Lara? It's Greg.*

Lara nearly dropped her phone. Her breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding as she stared at the message. She knew she should ignore it, that responding would only complicate things further. But the pull she felt toward Greg was undeniable, and she found herself torn between what she knew was right and what she desperately wanted.

Lara hesitated for a long moment, her finger hovering over the screen. Finally, unable to resist, she typed out a response.

*"Yes, it's me. Is everything okay? Are you needing my help?"*

It was a far cry from what she actually wanted to say, but it was the safest option she could think of. She watched as the typing bubbles appeared and disappeared, clearly indicating that Greg was writing and rewriting his response.

When his message finally came through, Lara's heart fluttered.

*"Everything is fine. I didn't see you when the movie was over. Trista wanted to leave immediately after. I didn't want you to think I was avoiding you."*

Lara felt a sharp pang of anger toward Trista. *That little bitch,* she thought, her jealousy flaring up again. But she kept her response neutral.

*"Oh, no. It's fine. Jeff was eager to leave, too."*

There was a brief pause before Greg replied.

*"Jeff seemed nice. Have you two been dating long?"*

Lara couldn't help but smile. The boy was clearly sizing up the competition. She decided to play along, but with a bit of honesty.

*"No, this was just our third date. We've not done more than a peck on the cheek goodnight."*

She couldn't help but grin, remembering the drunken kiss she and Greg had shared a few weeks ago and how close they had come to doing a lot more after the pool party. Then, with a bit of fear, she added a question she wasn't sure she wanted the answer to.

*"You and Trista seemed to get along well."*

There was a slight delay in Greg's response that made Lara's mind race through all kinds of doomsday scenarios where he told her that he and Trista were an item now, that he was sorry for his crush on her.

Finally, Greg's message came through.

*"We've done more than a peck on the cheek, but I don't think it's going to work out. There is someone I like a lot more. But I don't know how she feels, and I'm nervous to find out."*

Lara's breath caught in her throat, and her fingers trembled as she typed her next message.

*"You are a wonderful and handsome young man. I'm sure any woman would be delighted that you were interested in them."*

She left off what she desperately wanted to say—*Especially me.*

Greg's reply was immediate: a heart emoji followed by a question.

*"I know it's late, but can we meet at the park to continue this discussion? I prefer to talk in person than to type with my thumbs."*

Lara felt lightheaded. She knew what would happen if she went to meet this boy. They would do a lot more with their mouths than talk. As much as she wanted to—and judging by the heat between her legs, she really wanted to—Lara knew she had to respond carefully.

*"I can't tonight, sweetie. But I'm free tomorrow evening if you want to meet and talk."*

There was a bit of a pause before Greg's next message.

*"You’re right; it’s late. I got a bit over-excited. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. But yes, I would love to see you tomorrow."

Lara smiled to herself. Greg hadn't made her uncomfortable, but if things kept progressing this way, he was sure to leave her that way after a night of fun.

*"Great, I'll pick you up around seven tomorrow?"*

"Can't wait!" came Greg's final reply.

Lara stared at her phone, her heart racing with a mix of excitement and trepidation. Tomorrow night would change everything, and as she made her way upstairs to bed, she knew there was no turning back. The thrill of what lay ahead was intoxicating, and as much as she tried to temper her emotions, the anticipation was impossible to ignore.

As she lay in bed, her mind replaying the conversation with Greg, she couldn't help but smile. Tomorrow, she would see him again, and no matter what happened, she knew things would never be the same.