na'

Buzzzzz

seemed to rattle directly against the base of my skull. I groaned, burying my face deeper into the pillow, trying to cling to the fading remnants

zz

sake," I hissed

e room was bathed in the hazy, dim pinkish orange of the dawn filtering through the gap at the top of the curtains. My mout

o early for a Saturday. I sank back down into my cosy, warm bed, p

zz. B

I told myself, though my eyes felt like they were full of sand. I reached out a fumb

stayed open. Sixty notific

our requests for "additional photos." I stared at the screen, feeling small against the sheer volume

find a selfie of Cleo and Marissa. They were jogging along the avenue, looking suspiciously glowy and athletic. Cleo's black brai

they currently upright and moving at a pace faster than a crawl? It was a betrayal of the highest order. I looked like a swamp monster with a bird's nest of dark brown cur

skin looking a little sallow from lack of sleep, and my dark brown curls standing in a chaotic, frizzy halo around my

nutty aroma already starting to heal my soul. The sound of the machine - the hiss and gurgle - was the only music I want

"Let's see what the '

ovebomb. The very first message at the t

ng a rare spark of optimism. Maybe Cleo was rig

His profile picture was simple - no gym selfies, no "alpha" posturing. Just him in what l

didn't just drop; it practica

ld you like to be Tia-bagged b

I hissed, the shock maki

be perfectly editorial about it, they were rather average-sized and disturbingly

he photography was amateur at best. I took a deep breath, picked the phone back up, an

hoto into the group chat with a

ing apps are all about, I'm done befor

laughing-crying emojis. Cleo, never one to miss a beat, sent a

t be some ballers among those ballsers. Maybe h

, Mari! I'm deleting the app. I'm moving t

t block Greg-the-Baller a

looked at his face again. He really was handsome. And the pun - as much as I hated to admit it - was so phen

of last night's tequila talking, or maybe I was just

to his message an

. But for the record, I prefer my tea without the extra bagg

efore I coul

I need fajitas to forget I ever saw tha

of night shifts this week over at the firehouse, so I won't get

ur new firefighter boyfriend. I loved her, but she was already in th

w hours so we can have some grown-up time. Took a bit of encourageme

pressur

g when it's your own kids! It's his damn responsi

the C.O.O. of a major publishing house, the breadwinner who had been stuck at home for the last

a shoulder-shrug emoji and a string of crying-laughing faces. I sn

I'll be the one wearing dark sun

into my favourite armchair - a soft, fluffy velvet piece that usually mad

hing - that didn't involve unsolicited anatomy. I swiped past a "Hey" and a "Nice

eautiful, ho

ay, Satan. Not today, not tomorro

like my olive skin was too dull, my curls were too messy and my career at Masemann Books was "cute." He wa

ing. Sixty notifications. One pair of balls. One witty comebac

over the city of Fellsdello. I felt that prickle on my nec

today..... the sharp, grounding seasalt and bergamot, relaxing lavender and chamomile, the sickly sweet marshmallow or the energising orange blossom, grapefruit and amber. I settled for the seasalt and bergamot, pouring a decent amount under the tap and swir

laxing my tense muscles and washing the hangover away. I picked up my bottle of face m

sed it was gone 10 o'clock. I checked

we meet at 11 inst

alf an hour. Well, I

e chic not

ntically in my hand

w about we start over? I'm Greg. I like spicy food and I promis

s time. Maybe this would

a very strong feeling that this "TiaRose98" experiment was going to