Drizzling rain tapped against the balcony glass doors, wind pushed around the wind chimer like an elementary school bully and set the background music for these four friends who waited out the storm in Anna’s apartment. Two empty wines bottles sat like Siamese twin on the coffee table and empty glasses accompanied them. The TV was humming a story of a new celebrity couple.

 

“Hey, Anna, that could’ve been you but you played with Ash Tier. What ever happened with him?” Stella asked about her friend’s last potential relationship.

 

“The usual, the fame was getting too much for me. I mean one picture and it’s like we’re getting married next week! His fans were too crazy tomorrow. They created a ‘ship’ name. It was Ashna. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore and called off the whole thing.” Anna’s eyes flickered from each friend and took a large gulp after talking.

 

“That’s too bad, we would’ve loved to meet him, and his cute friends too.”

 

“Ugh! Don’t even mention his friends; it was Aaron that leaked the picture of us cuddling. I need more wine.” Anna walked to her kitchen and opened up yet another bottle.

 

“Oh Anna, Brooke and I have had a much worse experience. I mean the guy tried to be on a date with us two at the same time! Sitting us at different sides of the restaurant wasn’t going to fool us. Right, Brooke.” Bailey exclaimed from her seated position. Brooke nodded without looking up from her phone.

 

“What? I’ve never heard this story. You have some explaining to do, you two.” Stella said with a mouth full of cheese.

 

“If I’m telling this story, I’m going to need more wine.” She motioned for Anna who was currently hogging the bottle like a newborn baby to fill her glass. “Well it was last winter, I had just met this guy so I didn’t want to say anything yet, didn’t want to jinx it. You know how I am, so one night we went to this grand restaurant in the design distracts. He really pulled out all the stops for me; a car service picked me, five-star place, and champagne for me to drink, and of course, roses.  When I arrived he was waiting for me at the door, we walked in and had a private dining room on the left side of the restaurant. During dinner he said he had to answer “important phone calls” after four calls and three glasses of champagne I needed the restroom. As I walked towards the back I noticed the back of his head sitting down at the bar. His hand was on some girl’s knee and he could probably taste her perfume.” She stopped and finished her full glass of wine before continuing, “I walked over to him ready to confront him when all of a sudden the girl turns to the side and it’s-.” 

 

“Me!” Brooke screamed from her place of the loveseat kicking Bailey from laughing so much.

 

“Please tell me you’re kidding,” Stella asked looking at the best friends who sat their giggling and sipping the dark drink. Anna was watching Stella’s reaction and laughing along, “So then what happened?”

 

“Bailey was about to punch him until we realized what was going on, she just walked back to the table and pretended she didn’t know me. The guy was so confused I just gave him another drink and told him I would be right back. I went to find Bailey and we told the waiter to get 5 orders of caviar to go along with the restaurant’s finest bottle on wine. Of course we put it on Ryan’s tab, it was the least he could do. When he finally came to his sense and found of laughing he laughed and suggested we all go back to his place. I laughed so hard I spit water on his expensive suit. Luckily the waiter appeared at the time so we went back to my house and ate the caviar ourselves. And that’s when we both swore off Match.com.

 

“You didn’t finish the story!” The wine talked more than Bailey at this point, “the next day he came over to my place and explained the situation to me. He wanted to fulfill his fetish of dating two women at once and the asked if we would still be willing. I can’t remember what exactly happened next but I think it involved me slamming the door on his face after throwing my sunglass case at his face.” Bailey was slurring her words by the end but still managed to finish her glass. Another bottle had joined its chugged comrades on the coffee table and a new one was on its way.

 

“So, Stella it’s your turn. What was your worst dating experience?” Stella’s cheeks flushed with the memory of her catfishing experience last spring break.

 

“I’d rather not, thank you.” She looked away from her friends hoping they would let it go but that wasn’t the case with these girls.

 

“Nope, you have to.” “You better stop and tell us now.” “Oh hell no, we need to hear this now.” Various replies filled the small living room. Stella gave in; the countless glasses of wine were beginning to cloud her judgment. 

 

“Okay, okay, it was right before spring break and my roommate and I were just messing around online when we came across a dating site and thought, ‘what the hell?’ So we made a fake profile and started to this one guy. My roommate got bored after a while so it was just me; I got really into it and talked to him every day, for hours at a time. It was actually really nice; we talked about really serious stuff but also joked around a lot. When he asked to meet up I agreed, even though I looked nothing like my profile. I was hoping he overlook that slight detail. Anyways, we decided to meet up at Bank Rock Bridge in Central Park. When I showed up there was only a man on the bridge so I started walking up to him. He had his back to me but when I called his name, William, he quickly turned. I swear my jaw was so close to the ground when I saw who he was…” Stella trailed off to take a sip of wine and let her friends wait in agony for her answer. As she coolly let the liquid seep down her throat she felt a slap on her thigh causing her to choke a little.

 

“Stella, you don’t do that! Who was it?” Anna’s hand hurt from the slap and the other girls agreed, urging Stella to finish her story.

 

“It was my English Comp 101 teacher from freshmen year, Mr. Becker.” Stella said slyly and giggles burst from her chest.

 

“NOOOO!” He friends exclaimed and couldn’t contain their laughter. After their laughter died out Bailey asked, “So then what happened?”

 

“Well, after the initial shock we just talked about how we both got to that point. He was getting material for a book he was writing and I told him I was just having fun. He asked me out for a cup of coffee, which I agreed to but that was it. I still see him on campus whenever I pass the Barlow building on my way to class but that’s it.”

 

“Wow that was interesting. It would’ve been a better story if you had at least hooked up, Ella.” Brooke’s normal taboo mouth no longer had a filter as she was inebriated as the rest of her friends.

 

They continued to drink wine like water talk until 2:00 AM when Brooke checked her phone. “Holy shit, Anna look at this.” She managed to pass her the phone which showed Ash Tier with a blonde much like Anna on what seemed like a green carpet, with the background of a children’s award show, “She sure looks like you.”  Stella said while looking over Anna’s shoulder.

 

“It says her name is Adrianna Venti and they’re dating…” Brooke recited from memory and looked confusingly at Anna.

 

From her sleepy state Bailey managed to mumble, “Oh give it up Anna, just tell them the truth.” and turned back to sleep.

 

“Bailey! Okay guys, I have to confess something. That’s not me in the photo; I don’t know who it is. Someone sent it to me asking if it was and I just went with it. It was just supposed to be a joke but then everyone found out and I couldn’t say anything at that point.” Anna hid her face from her friends in shame expecting to hear snarky remarks but all that reached her ears was shouting and hooting.

 

When she looked up her friends were crying from laughing so hard, even Bailey had managed to wake up to join the amusing confession.  She smiled after a while and began to laugh as well.