My thoughts travel as I mindlessly drive the familiar path. I’ve been on plenty of double dates with Zach before. In fact, with the exception of the disastrous double date my well-meaning nana set me up on when I was thirteen, all of my dates with other couples have included him.

That one awkward-as-fuck “date” was with a girl who ended up being my distant cousin. Of course, it didn’t help that the other “couple” was my older sister and the girl’s older brother. We all cut that one short and swore to never let our aging grandmother make romantic decisions for any of us again. Things have changed a lot from her day.

A lot.

So, besides that one weird family reunion that I wish I could bleach from my brain, every other double date I’ve been on has been with Zach as the other guy. It’s always worked well for us. We keep the girls giggling, act as each other’s wing men, and know when to keep the night going or when to call it short.

However, on all of those nights out, there’s always been a gal for Zach and a different one for me. This whole thing is new. I instinctively pull up into my friend’s driveway, not even consciously remembering the drive there. I’ve traveled here so many times, I could literally do it in my sleep.

Zach asked if he could hitch a ride with me, of course. He says his motorcycle is in the shop, but I know he just wants to use me as a designated driver so he can get buzzed. I honk the horn and watch him pop his head out the front door. He gives me the finger. Not the middle one. The first rule of being a mooch that steals food and begs for drives is that you don’t piss off the person who keeps you going. No, he holds up his index finger, letting me know he’ll still be a minute. I give a curt nod and try to mellow out to some Pearl Jam songs while I wait.

Even with my favorite band playing, I can’t relax. There’s just too much running through my head. Like, is this even a date? Or is Kelly just a sweet girl who wants some company for dinner? If it is a date, how is that going to work? Are Zach and I prepared to work something out with her? Do we both walk away? Does one of us start seeing her and the other one is left in the dust? Do we both casually see her on different nights? Or something else?

“Hey, thanks for picking me up.” Zach slides in my car and startles me. I didn’t even see him cross the car over to the passenger side. I need to snap back to reality. I’m too distracted by all this and it could turn out to be for nothing.

“Yeah, yeah.” I reverse out of his driveway and head toward Kelly’s.

Glancing over at him, I can see he’s put his A-game into getting ready. I’ve been on enough double dates with Zach that I can tell when he’s trying to dress to impress. And tonight he’s trying for the best boyish charm meets handsome devil look that he can muster. His gray button-up shirt has the sleeves casually rolled up, but it just happens to show off his muscle-bound arms. His hair is perfectly styled and he obviously spent some time shaving.

Not that I can really criticize him, I spent my free time today doing the exact same thing. I guess both of us are playing the same game. If this is a date, we want to leave a lasting impression.

The silence isn’t awkward between us as I drive toward the fire station, but it’s noticeable. I clear my throat. “So, how do you think this is all gonna turn out?” I glance over at my closest friend and see the same confusion reflecting back at me on his face.

“I dunno, man.” Zach shrugs and runs his hand through his hair. “I figure I’ll just go with the flow.”

“Do you like her?” I realize my throat is a bit dry as I consider this might not work out for me. If Kelly ends up with him, it’ll sting a bit.

“Yeah. I do.” He looks at the world blur by the passenger side window as I increase the car’s speed down the highway. Zach tilts his head and shoots me a look. “What about you?”

I want to tell him that she’s the girl I’ve dreamed of since I was only a boy. That she’s my fantasy come to life. I want to be honest and let him know how much of my thoughts she’s consumed, like the flames of a fire licking the roof of a house. Thoughts of her dance over my brain and burn me up inside. But all of that sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? How can I tell him about feelings I don’t even understand? How can I care so much about a woman I barely know?

“Yeah, me too,” I finally answer. My lips settle into a straight line and I narrow my eyes as I focus on the road ahead.

“Maybe she’s just being nice. I mean, she’s new here and we showed up last night ready to bust open some skulls for her, right? It’s possible a warm, home-cooked meal is just her way of saying thanks.” There’s almost a hopefulness to Zach’s voice. I understand why. That explanation would make things easy. If she wasn’t into either of us, if there was zero chance this woman could upend our friendship, that would ultimately be the best-case scenario.

“Maybe. I don’t think so, though. If I’m honest, I kinda feel like she and I, well… it feels like there’s something there.” I grip the steering wheel tighter and tense up at bit.

“I feel that too.” He frowns. “I mean, not between you and her. Between Kelly and me. I don’t think I’m imagining it, or whatever. There’s something building up between us.” His voice is tight.

A long moment of silence settles in over us. We both let ourselves get lost in thought until I pull into Kelly’s driveway. I park the car and take a deep breath. “Hey, so, whatever happens, let’s not let this be another Tara, okay?” I turn to my best friend and look at him solemnly.

“It won’t. If she’s into you, I’ll back off. One hundred percent.” He holds up his hands.

“Sounds good. I’ll do the same if she’s slumming it and turns out to be into you.” I laugh.

The weird tension between us finally cracks as we both laugh. Everything returns to normal again as I grab the wine and we get out of the car and head up to the house. Zach knocks on the door and as soon as Kelly answers, I know I’m a damned liar. The way her pale blue dress hugs her curves and teases me. The way her lips are shimmering and so pink I just want to taste them. I know there’s no way I’m going to be okay if she chooses him over me.

“Come in.” She smiles and I cast my doubts aside. I walk in with Zach and decide that he’s right. I just have to go with the flow and see what or who she’s actually interested in.