Jamie wasn't planning on attending the group dinner. But when Alex messaged—"Hey, trivia crew is grabbing food, come join!"—it felt easier to say yes than to invent an excuse.
What they hadn't planned on was Taylor finding out.
"Group dinner?" Taylor asked, peering over Jamie's shoulder as they scrolled through messages. "Perfect. I'm starving."
Jamie nearly dropped their phone. "You're not invited."
Taylor gasped dramatically, clutching their chest like they'd been stabbed. "Not invited? After everything we've been through? Rude."
Jamie groaned. "Taylor—"
"Relax." Taylor grabbed their jacket from the chair. "It'll be fun. And besides…" They shot Jamie a grin. "You'd be lost without me."
---
The restaurant was loud, filled with clinking glasses and laughter. Alex waved from a long table near the back, where half the trivia crew was already gathered.
"Jamie! You made it!" Alex scooted over to make room. Their eyes flicked briefly to Taylor, who trailed behind with a self-satisfied smirk. "…And you brought backup."
"Couldn't let Jamie out unsupervised," Taylor quipped, sliding into the seat beside Jamie like they owned it.
Jamie muttered, "I didn't bring you. You followed me."
Taylor ignored them, immediately stealing a breadstick from the basket in the center.
The night started out fine. Food was ordered, drinks arrived, conversation buzzed. Jamie tried to focus on Alex, who kept leaning closer to share little jokes or point out ridiculous menu items. It should have been easy—Alex was funny, kind, undeniably cute.
But Taylor was a distraction. Always. They chimed in at the worst possible moments, making jokes that left the table roaring with laughter. They nudged Jamie under the table when they thought no one was looking. They leaned so close that Jamie could smell their shampoo—something citrusy, unfairly distracting.
Jamie hated that their pulse picked up every time.
---
Halfway through dinner, the conversation shifted. Someone asked how Jamie and Taylor met, and suddenly all eyes were on them.
Jamie cleared their throat. "We, uh…met in college. Group project."
"Jamie was bossy," Taylor added with a grin.
"You were lazy!"
"Still got us an A, though."
The table laughed. Someone said, "That's so cute. And now you're still together?"
Jamie's heart lurched. "We're not—"
Taylor interrupted smoothly. "Define together."
The table erupted in ooohs and knowing looks. Jamie wanted to crawl under the tablecloth and live there forever.
Alex chuckled, though their smile didn't quite reach their eyes. "You two really do act like a couple."
Jamie shook their head furiously. "We're just friends."
Taylor leaned in, close enough that their shoulder brushed Jamie's. "Best friends," they corrected, their tone low, almost intimate.
Jamie forgot how to breathe.
---
Dessert arrived, thankfully redirecting attention. But the damage was done. Jamie spent the rest of the meal hyperaware of Taylor's every movement—the way they laughed too loudly, the way their hand brushed Jamie's when they reached for the same spoon, the way their gaze lingered just a little too long when Jamie smiled at something Alex said.
By the time the check came, Jamie was exhausted.
Outside, the group began to scatter, calling Ubers and saying goodbyes. Alex lingered.
"Hey," they said softly. "Want to grab coffee tomorrow? Just us?"
Jamie froze. It was a simple question. An innocent one. But their brain short-circuited.
Before they could answer, Taylor appeared at their side. "Tomorrow? Jamie's busy."
Jamie whipped their heads around. "Excuse me?"
Taylor shrugged. "We've got plans."
"No, we don't!"
"Sure we do." Taylor gave Alex a tight smile. "Rain check?"
Alex blinked, clearly caught off guard. "…Right. Okay." They gave Jamie a look—half questioning, half disappointed—before heading off.
Jamie rounded on Taylor the second Alex was out of earshot. "What was that?!"
Taylor stuffed their hands in their pockets, eyes sliding away. "What was what?"
"You just…interfered!"
"They were asking you out."
Jamie's chest tightened. "And what if they were?"
Taylor's jaw worked. For a second, their façade cracked—something raw flickered in their expression. Then it was gone, replaced with a smirk. "Then they'd better brush up on their trivia skills first."
Jamie groaned. "Unbelievable."
They started walking, Taylor falling into step beside them. Neither spoke for a long stretch of sidewalk. The night air was cool, filled with the distant hum of traffic.
Finally, Jamie muttered, "You can't keep doing that. Scaring people off."
Taylor's voice was quieter than usual. "Maybe I don't like sharing."
Jamie's heart stuttered. They turned their head, searching Taylor's face—but Taylor was looking straight ahead, their expression unreadable.
The silence stretched, heavy with everything Jamie didn't dare say.
And then Taylor broke it, flashing a grin. "Besides, who else is gonna split breadsticks with you? Alex? Please."
Jamie shoved them lightly, trying to laugh, but their pulse wouldn't settle. Because buried under the joke was something they weren't ready to name.
Not yet.