Katie tilted her head, as if she suddenly found me the most fascinating creature alive—an absolute alien. “Have you ever gone on a date?”
Blood began pulsing through my ears again. This was, officially, the most embarrassing moment of my life. How had the weight of everyone’s judgment not broken the bed yet?
“Mads, come on!” Katie lobbed a grape at me. “You seriously haven’t been on a date?”
My hands balled into fists, wanting to scream at her. Why was she doing this?
“Katie,” Meredith murmured as my eyes smarted with tears. “Stop.”
Everyone was looking at me. I so very desperately wanted to go home, but I couldn’t. And even if I could, I still had an abundance of quality time to spend with these people in the coming months.
You need to own this, I told myself.Justownthis, Mads.
“No, I haven’t been on a date,” I said, trying to keep my voice level. “And I’ve never been kissed.” I reached for our Whispering Angel rosé, and no one protested when I took a sip straight from the bottle. One dose of liquid courage. “It’s not that I don’t want to fit someone onto my metaphorical plate, and it’s not that there haven’t been opportunities…but those opportunities usually present themselves at field hockey camps.”
I waited for them to put it together.
They did not.
Alright, I thought.None of you played sports.
“I was flattered by the attention,” I said slowly. “And love is love—”
“But you aren’t into girls,” Meredith said, nodding as the other bridesmaids’ eyes blinked with enlightenment. “Got it.”
“And I have no social life,” I went on. “I’m away almost every weekend for field hockey, so I’ve only been to three—maybe four—parties since I started high school. And when I’m not gone, I really want to spend time with Connor and my family. I just…” I raised my arms. “I don’t know.”
A knot twisted when no one responded, and I took another sip of rosé to hide how uncomfortable I was from the silence. Then, a third sip.
But before I could take a full-on pull, Meredith confiscated the bottle and said, “I have an idea.” She nudged Yasmin.
“What’s your idea, Mer?” Yasmin asked in an obvious stage voice.
I laughed, letting a few tears loose. “You two are terrible actors.”
“They are,” Reese agreed. “Hamilton once put on an amateur production ofTwelfth Night, and they were—”
“A travesty!” Meredith interrupted like she still wasn’t over her flop as a thespian. “We were a travesty, okay?Twelfth Nightis a comedy, but Yaz and I turned it into atragedy.” She exhaled. “Moving on.”
“To your idea,” Yasmin prompted (much more naturally this time).
“Yes, my idea.” Meredith smiled at me. “Remember how you said you and your friends would go on Bachelor Nation benders during your sleepovers?”
I nodded.
“Well, I thinkyoushould be the Bachelorette!”
A little part of me deflated. Aspiring to Bachelor Nation?Thatwas her idea? “Sure, maybe someday,” I said gently. “But I’m underage right now, and even if I weren’t, that audition process is pretty much a science. I heard if you make the top hundred,there’s a mock cocktail party with producers, and psych tests are involved…”
Katie laughed and shook her head. “Mads, I don’t think she’s talking about youactuallygoing out for the show.”
The snark was out before I could stop it: “Then whatisshe talking about, Katie?”
“Making youourBachelorette,” she replied, taking it in stride. In fact, her eyes had lit up with what resembled delight. “You have no romance in your life. Letushelp you change that.”
“Exactly,” Meredith said. “We’re Katie’s hype squad for the next ten months, and we can be your hype squad, too. The seven of us can totally help boost your confidence to put yourself out there with guys.” She squeezed my shoulder. “We’ll put our brains together and orchestrate different dates to help you find your dude.”
“Absolutely!” Amanda nodded enthusiastically. “The goal will be for you to have a plus-one for Katie and Austin’s wedding.”
