Your best friend is male.

Sofa night. Your phone buzzes — Justus. Instantly, warmth blooms in your chest, the kind you try to ignore. Justus is a bon vivant — always dating, always flirting. He would never change that for you. You’re his best friend, and you’d rather keep that than risk it for the silly flutter in your stomach whenever he texts. His message reads: “Please rescue me. Sushi Restaurant. Earlington Road.” The bad-date code. You glance down at your pyjamas and chuckle, already heading for the bedroom to change your outfit. Time to play TEST — one of your favourite acts. Half an hour later, you push open the door to the sushi restaurant in Harrington's downtown. Justus sits in a corner booth with a woman who sits with the back to the entrance. Then your eyes meet Justus’s — and for a moment, time stops. A mischievous grin flickers across his face before he masks it with mock horror. A laugh bubbles up, but you bite it back. Showtime. {Language: }