The Introvert's Guide to Online Dating (The Introvert's Guide 1)

The only saving grace was that he’d paid the bar bill.

Needless to say, it was the last time they were going to set me up with someone. They weren’t even going near my online dating accounts—they weren’t even having a say in it.

Especially since they’d tricked me into meeting that moron in the first place.

I shoved open the door to Bronco’s with a huff. It wasn’t hard to locate my friends—they were in our usual booth with the table extended. It was a perk of knowing the owner’s kids… And being in here all the time.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I slapped my hands on the edge of the table, and all the girls—Kinsley, Ivy, Holley, Saylor, London, and Piper—turned to look at me. “Do you get pleasure from my misery? Are you enjoying my pain? Do you know just how bad the last hour of my life has been?”

“Don’t blame me. I said it was a bad idea.” London pulled the cherry on a stick from her drink and popped it into her mouth.

“Second that,” Piper said, scooting along so I could sit.

“Oh, I’m not blaming you,” I said firmly. “I’m blaming you.” I focused on the other four harlots on the other side of the table and sat down. “Explain yourselves. Immediately.”

Kinsley swallowed. “Well, it’s like this.”

“We wanted to get you laid,” Saylor said brightly, completely unbothered by my glare. “It didn’t go well, then?”

“Didn’t go well? Didn’t go well?” I repeated.

Kinsley shoved her glass of wine at me. “Before you explode.”

I took it and downed it, emptying the glass.

“I didn’t mean all of it,” she muttered.

“The guy was a lout. A useless, lazy lout of a man,” I ranted, grasping the stem of the glass. “Not only did you trick me into meeting him, there isn’t anyone worse you could have set me up with.”

“Except Colton,” Saylor added, still annoyingly chipper.

“Except Colton,” I conceded. “He still lives with his mom. He watches TV shows with his mom.

“That’s kind of cute.” Ivy chewed on her straw. “In a weird, slightly co-dependent way.”

“He literally cut the so-called date short to get back to her.”

“A little bit more than slightly co-dependent, then.”

“You think?” I waited as Josh approached with a tray of drinks.

“Shit. I didn’t know you were here, Tori. Sorry. I’ll run back.” He set the tray on the table.

I reached forward and plucked one of the glasses of white wine off the tray. “That’s fine. I’ll take this one.”

“That was—” Holley stopped when I glared at her. “Yours. Absolutely yours.”

That’s what I thought.

“I’ll get you one, Holley.” Josh took a step back, but she held up her hands.

“Nope. I’ll get my own.” She scooted out of the booth and pushed through the crowd to get to the bar.

I shot a dark look after her. “Explain yourselves. Now.”

Josh’s head jerked back and forth. “What did they do this time?”

“We set her up on a date.” Kinsley set the drinks out in front of everyone without batting an eyelid.

“My condolences to her date,” came Colton’s dry drawl. He appeared as if out of nowhere and slid in next to me, squishing me, Piper, and London together. “Does he need any psychological help now?”

“At least I have a date,” I snapped to him. “What do you have? Your right hand?”

Piper snorted into her drink.

“My left one if I’m feeling fancy.” Colton smirked. “Well? How did your date go?”

“Why do you care?” Kinsley asked. “You’re not interested in dating. You literally kicked me out of your house when I suggested it.”

“Who made you Cupid?” London questioned. “Are you going to set us all up now?”

“Please, God, no,” Piper groaned.

Josh glanced at his sister. “Don’t worry. You’re not allowed to date.”

Colton cleared his throat. “You lost the right to dictate your sister’s dating life when you started sleeping with mine.”

“Ooh, burrrrn.” Saylor cackled into her drink. “Also, true.”

Piper grinned. “God, I’ve missed this place.”

“Have we really moved on from me and the inappropriateness of you setting me up on a date and lying to me because you knew that if I knew it was a date I wouldn’t go?” I folded my arms across my chest. “This is bullshit.”

“Oh, for goodness sake.” Saylor banged her fist against the table. “Yes, we knew you wouldn’t go, and that’s why we lied to you. I’m sorry our choice was a bad one, but you’ve been muttering about dating after the disaster that was those Valentine’s dates.”

“Speak for yourself,” I retorted. “You’re in a relationship now.”

“With my roommate. It would have happened anyway.”

“You don’t know that,” Colton pointed out.

“Yes, I do,” Saylor assured him. “I’m irresistible.”

Josh snorted.

“Don’t think I won’t hurt you, Joshua,” she said in a low voice.

“If you go on a date, I’ll go on a date.” London nudged me with her elbow. “If it means they’ll leave you alone, we can arrange something for the same time in the same place so if it goes badly, we won’t be alone.”