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I’m going to see it through. You’re playing games with me, Brent. I don’t like games.”
    She grabbed the doorknob behind her, twisting it, and back-stepping inside. Brent’s dark flush told her he still wasn’t used to rejection. Tough. “If you want a proper date, then ask me after Saturday.”
    She closed the door, closed her eyes, and sank to the floor. Her legs had turned to jelly. The police cruiser started up and she heard Brent pull from the curb, rev the engine, then fade away down the street. The bravest moment of Tippy’s life, so why did she feel so much regret. You chose Jason The Snore over Brent The Sex God you dweeb! The reasonable side to her mind congratulated her, while her horny side raged against her poor judgement.
    Maybe Saturday would’ve been the night she lost her cherry. Then again, how would she feel when he didn’t call her or see her maybe never again? The virgin bet popped to her mind, and suspicion nibbled away at her thoughts. Had Brent changed since high school? He seemed more mature, but he also still seemed to be the jock who didn’t know how to take ‘no’. The guy who always got the girl he wanted. She didn’t want to be just another girl he scored. She deserved better.
    Tippy got to her feet. She had stuff to do.
    ****
    Saturday rolled around too quickly, finding Tippy standing in her bedroom, dressed in her bookstore business casual. She didn’t have much else to choose from for a date, but she didn’t want to look particularly stunning for Jason either. She piled her hair into a high ponytail, slicked some lip gloss on her lips, and called it good. Ten minutes before seven she heard a knock on the door. She answered, finding Jason standing outside. He shoved a bouquet of flowers her direction. Pretty colorful daisies. She smiled, and waved him in, taking the flowers to the kitchen.
    “You look nice,” Jason said.
    “Thank you,” Tippy replied, arranging the flowers in a drinking glass. She never got flowers so didn’t have a use for a vase.
    “I’m getting an award for employee of the year,” Jason said proudly.
    “Yay! Good for you.” Tippy cringed, hoping she hadn’t sounded condescending. She looked Jason over. He’d dressed in black slacks, a dark blue button up shirt with a black and blue striped tie. It hit her his mother must’ve dressed him. A mean thought that she squelched. It wasn’t his fault she’d shot down Brent.
    Jason offered her his elbow in a gentlemanly fashion, and she took it, locking up behind them. As soon as they’d settled in his car he started telling her about his latest promotion, spouting off computer and networking jargon she neither understood, nor had a use for. She grinned, nodding when it felt appropriate to do so. Luckily, he didn’t seem to need anything else from her.
    They pulled up outside of a local hotel, the dinner and awards being held in its conference room. When Jason rounded the car to meet her, Tippy made a show of stuffing her hands inside her pockets in case he had the idea they should hold hands. The smile on his face said he was delighted she’d gone with him, and Tippy felt worse and worse for agreeing to go. Actually she felt like an outright jerk, at the moment, as they walked side by side into the building.
    The evening dragged by, and Tippy did her best to be supportive in the most platonic way she could manage. Jason’s friends and coworkers took some of the stress off, keeping him occupied. They gave her only cursory looks when he introduced her, it seemed they were very cliquish, and didn’t find her a suitable fit in. After all, she knew nothing about computers, which she made a point of bringing up whenever possible. Wanting to distance herself that much more from Jason.
    By the time the night wrapped up, she had a headache, and wanted nothing more than to crawl home, and climb into bed. Being around crowds was exhausting. This is why I don’t have friends; people drive me bananas! The