CHAPTER SIX

I stood still for nearly twenty seconds, hoping I had heard her wrong. I pinned her with a serious look, but she didn’t even blink.

“Seriously! What the hell, Ariel?” I snapped, feeling the annoyance rise in my chest.

She just shrugged. “I told him to be more intentional if he really wanted to date you. So he offered to pick you up. And of course, as your beloved friend, I agreed immediately.”

She said it so easily.

I love Ariel so much.

But sometimes, I have to remind myself that she has always been passionate about everything.

My health. My work.

And now my love life.

But this? This was too much.

My frustration spiked so sharply I actually considered storming over and yanking her hair until she understood that my personal life was not her business.

And it wasn't.

“Are you even okay, Ariel?” I demanded. “You bring a random man to our apartment and expect me to go out with him?”

She tossed her hair back. “Stop being so backward, Jasmine. People meet on social media, dating apps, all kinds of places these days.”

“That’s not the point. You don’t even know if he’s a good person.”

She rolled her eyes like I was the unreasonable one. “It’s not a big deal. Plenty of women would kill for the chance to go out with him.”

I scoffed. That actually made me clap slowly.

“Thank you so much for volunteering me for this great honor.”

“Stop it, Jasmine,” she snapped now. “I’m trying to do what’s best for you.”

Her voice rose slightly. “You’re hung up on your boss, and you don’t even see it. And if you don’t stop, you’re going to make it impossible for yourself ever to love someone properly.”

“No. You stop,” I shot back immediately. “Ariel, I have never interfered in your personal life. I know you brought me here, and I know we split everything equally now, but that doesn’t give you the right to control my life as you please.”

Her gaze hit me like a weight.

I looked away.

I hated that I was the reason her eyes were starting to look teary.

My chest tightened with something heavier than anger.

I still remember my first days at GEORGE CORPORATION.

Ariel had been so excited for me that she showed up during my break with a flask of food.

My cheeks burned at the memory.

And then George made her use the stairs to take it back home because I was still working, and food was just a distraction.

I think that was the moment Ariel decided she hated him.

“So what now, Jasmine?” she said quietly. “Are you saying you’re just a guest here?”

She huffed, trying to sound angry, but I could see it breaking at the edges.

“Fine. I’ll go tell him to leave. I’m sorry for intruding on your personal space without permission. I just thought that’s what friends do.”

She turned to storm out, and I exhaled sharply.

I had taken it too far. Way more than I should have.

“Ariel, wait I’m sorry.” I forced the words out.

She stopped by the door.

“But it isn’t fair,” I added, softer now, “to bring a random guy home and expect me to just get dressed and talk to him.”

I tried to make her see reason.

Because the truth was I wouldn’t be able to handle it if she stayed mad at me. Not after everything she’s done for me.

She turned slightly, tilting her head toward me.

“I’m not forcing a man on you,” she said. “This is what we girls do. Going on a date doesn’t mean you’re suddenly in a relationship.”

Her tone softened, but she didn’t back down.

“You should be looking for the best option for yourself.”

I folded my arms, letting out a breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding.

“I don’t know how to navigate any of this,” I admitted.

“I know,” she said, a little gentler now.

“That’s why you have me.”

Then she added, almost too casually, “I just don’t want you hung up on Mr. Lincoln. At the end of the day, he’s not someone you’re going to build a life with.”

I shot her a look. “This has nothing to do with Mr. Lincoln. Don’t bring him into this.”

“You’re always defensive when it comes to him—”

I raised my hand. “Let’s not argue.”

Ariel’s mouth stayed open for a second, like she had a whole speech lined up and ready to go.

Then, surprisingly, she shut it.

“Fine,” I said before I changed my mind. “I’ll go out with this guy. But it has nothing to do with Mr. Lincoln. Our relationship is strictly professional.”

Even as I said it, something in me shifted. Just slightly.

Ariel’s face lit up instantly, a wide, mischievous grin spreading across it.

I groaned, already regretting my decision.

“Don’t even think about it,” I warned.

But as always, Ariel used those ridiculous puppy eyes and silent pleading to drag me into her room and plant me in front of her vanity mirror.

I rarely wore makeup.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t or didn’t want to learn.

It’s just that the one time I wore it to the office, Mr. Lincoln told me to take it off.

Said I looked like a clown.

I believed him.

I cried in bed that night, quiet enough so Ariel wouldn’t hear. She kept asking what was wrong, trying to pull the truth out of me, but I couldn’t risk her marching into the office and making things worse.

She must have figured something out eventually.

After that, I avoided makeup as it would bite me.

I shook my head, trying to push the memory away.

“I could just go without it,” I muttered. “It’s better than having all that stuff on my face anyway.”

Ariel paused and gave me a look as I had just said something completely insane.

So I sighed. “Fine. Do your thing.”

That was all she needed.

She lit up instantly, spinning toward her closet and pulling out a dress before laying it carefully on the bed. Shoes followed. Then the makeup box.

Before I could even come up with an excuse, she was already in front of me.

“Don’t move.”

I didn’t.

Her fingers moved quickly, confidently. Brushing, blending, curling my lashes, and adding just enough gloss to my lips.

Then she moved to my hair, fixing it with the same quiet focus.

I just sat there, letting her.

By the time she stepped back, I almost didn’t recognize the girl staring back at me.

My breath caught.

For a second I just stared

“You are divine, Jasmine.” She pulled my hair to the front and rested her head on my shoulder. “I wish I were a man. I would definitely wife you up on the first date.”

I rolled my eyes at the exaggeration, but I couldn’t help appreciating her work.

And somehow everything felt lighter.

Like maybe I was actually ready for this.

I had been stuck in the same routine for so long that anything different just felt exhausting.

“Okay,” she said, snapping back into motion. “I picked out two dresses. This red one would look insane on your skin, but,” she lifted the other, “you might feel more comfortable in black.”

I frowned. “These are too skimpy.”

Everything I would never wear.

She stared at me in disbelief. “Skimpy? These go past your mid-thigh.”

She waved off my concern like it didn’t even make sense.

But my mind had already drifted.

The last time I wore something a little above my knees.

I could still hear his voice.

Unprofessional. You look ridiculous.

Throw it away.

And I had.

Every dress. Every skirt.

Packed up and forgotten.

Because maybe he was right.

Maybe I didn’t look good in them.

Ariel must have noticed something shift in my face, but she didn’t say anything.

Maybe she already knew.

“Hey.” She rubbed my arms gently. “Why do you suddenly look so sad?”

I hesitated.

“I just don’t think it would look good on me,” I admitted quietly.

My eyes flickered to her reflection.

Her curves. Her confidence. The way everything just worked on her.

Then there was I.

Plain. Small. Easy to overlook.

She was the kind of girl men chased without a second thought.

Her phone never stayed silent.

Mine barely rang.

“No, baby girl,” she said, turning me slightly to face her. “You are one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen. Inside and out. And this outfit?” She tapped the dress. “It’s about to prove it.”

I wanted to believe her.

So I took the dress.

Slipping into it, I braced myself for disappointment.

But it fits.

Perfectly.

Like it had been made for me.

I turned slowly, taking in my reflection and for a second, I just stared.

When was the last time I looked like this?

“Thanks, Ariel,” I said softly, finally pulling my eyes away. “I forgot I could look like this.”

Her grin spread instantly.

“Good,” she said, grabbing my hand. “Now let’s take you to your date.”