Free The Blind Date by Melody Carlson

the DG members have a boyfriend.” She glanced around the table. “Am I wrong about that?” No one responded.
    â€œBut everyone knows that Emma likes Isaac,” Cassidy said quietly.
    â€œI do not!” Emma declared.
    â€œOoh, methinks you protest too much,” Bryn said.
    â€œWhy are you talking like that?” Emma demanded. “You sound like you’ve been trapped in a Jane Austen novel too long.”
    â€œHey, I thought you liked Jane Austen,” Bryn teased.
    â€œI used to.” Emma stood and picked up her tray. “Excuse me!”
    â€œWow.” Bryn slowly shook her head. “Sounds like someone’s having a bad PMS day.”
    â€œOh, Bryn.” Cassidy gave her a disgusted look. “Why’d you have to tease her like that?”
    â€œShe attacked me first,” Bryn said defensively. “All I was doing was talking to Isaac and—”
    â€œIt looked more like you were flirting,” Cassidy clarified. “And Emma got really hurt before . . . when she, uh, thought someone else was flirting with Isaac.”
    â€œWho?” Abby asked.
    â€œIt doesn’t matter.” Cassidy tossed a slightly accusing look Devon’s way.
    â€œMoi?” Devon asked innocently.
    â€œIf the shoe fits.” Cassidy was gathering up her lunch things now.
    â€œEmma said I was flirting with Isaac?” Devon gave a fake-looking shocked expression. “Since when?”
    â€œI don’t know exactly.” Cassidy let out a frustrated sigh as she stood with her tray. “All I know is that Emma might pretend she’s not into Isaac, but she really is.” She looked directly at Bryn now. “And if you care about Emma and consider yourself her friend, you should respect that. You shouldn’t try to hurt her.”
    â€œWhy’s she so thin-skinned?” Bryn asked. “And why does she pretend not to like Isaac when she obviously does? And why does she get all hurt when one of us talks to him?”
    Cassidy pressed her lips together. “You really want to know the answer to all that?”
    â€œYes,” Bryn declared. “As a matter of fact I do.”
    â€œOkay . . . I think it’s because her dad left her.” Cassidy made an uneasy glance at Devon. “And I realize Emma’s not the only one whose parents have split. But I know that Emma is very sensitive. I think you all know that. And I think she’s worried that if she gets too involved with Isaac—even though she really likes him—well, she’s afraid he will hurt her too. Just like her dad.”
    â€œSince when did you turn junior psychologist?” Devon asked.
    â€œI think that makes sense,” Abby said.
    â€œSo maybe before you start teasing her, you should consider that,” Cassidy said to Bryn. And then she left.
    â€œWow.” Bryn let out a long sigh. “Sure didn’t see that coming.”

    Bryn wasn’t sure what to expect on Saturday morning. After experiencing Emma’s wrath like that—which was, by the way, totally unjust—and after getting lectured by Cassidy in frontof the group, Bryn didn’t know if her friends would even show up at Gram’s for sewing assistance today. And she wasn’t sure that she cared.If these girls were going to start acting all crazy and overly sensitive and hormonal, well, maybe it was best to part ways. The club had been fun while it lasted, but maybe it was time to call it a day. And, really, did Bryn even need the DG? She suspected that without their blind date plan, she would’ve gotten a date to the dance anyway. And probably a lot sooner—and with a lot less trouble too.
    However, as she got into the car, she knew that she would miss the DG if it disintegrated. Hopefully the girls had moved on by now. It was silly to let an innocent conversation with a guy split them up like that. Especially just one week before this