Katy

❄️ For years, Anna had said Elsa spent too much time working. One night, fed up with the constant nagging, Elsa told a small, white lie: she was casually seeing someone she’d met on a dating app. That dinner at Anna and Kristoff’s house had never been more memorable. They both jumped at the chance to tease her and congratulate her. After all, they’d long assumed she would end up alone.

“Elsa, I have to meet him!” Anna squealed, slamming the table.

“Yeah, we have to make sure he’s real,” Kristoff added with a smirk.

A cold sweat ran down Elsa’s back. “I-I’m not sure. It’s just so new,” she stammered. “I mean, I want to make sure he’ll stick around first.” Elsa shoved a spoonful of food into her mouth to avoid answering more questions.

“What’s his name? What’s his job? Is he a lawyer at your firm? What’s he like? Can he bake a chocolate cake? I wonder if he knows about your iced food obsession yet. I bet he’s good-looking—can I see a picture? Should we invite him to our engagement party this Saturday? YES! He should totally come to the party, Kristoff! Oh my gosh, I’ll add him to the reservation!” Anna’s excitement was endless.

Elsa’s heart pounded, her cheeks flushed, and she was sure her shirt would have sweat stains. She took her time chewing her food.

Kristoff, noticing her discomfort while Anna spiraled into party-planning mode, took pity on her. “Why don’t we just meet this guy at the engagement party?” he suggested, nudging Anna. “Knowing Elsa, she won’t spill the beans unless it’s serious.” He turned to Elsa, locking eyes. “It is serious, right? You never talk about anyone you’re seeing, so if you mentioned him, it must be serious.”

Elsa froze under his gaze. He had to know she was lying—didn’t he? “I—well, I just—”

Anna cut her off. “We’ll meet him at the engagement party! I want to be surprised. That’ll be your gift to me!”

Elsa had enough. She stood abruptly, grabbing her plate. “Wow, so much excitement over something so trivial. I should get going; look at the time!” She gestured to her watch and hurried toward the kitchen, two dogs trailing behind her.

“Oh, Elsa, don’t be like that. I’m just excited for you,” Anna said, following her. “It’s been so long since you talked about anyone you liked. I just want to meet him before you convince yourself to break up with him.”

Elsa quickly washed her dish. “I’m not sure why I even brought it up. I’m not the dating type. I’ll probably stop seeing him anyway—you’re right.” The words stung, but they gave her an excuse to back out of her lie.

She placed her plate on the rack and walked toward the door. Anna and the dogs followed close behind.

“I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry. You deserve to be happy,” Anna said. “You just don’t give anyone a chance, and I—”

“Anna, it’s fine,” Elsa interrupted. “I’ll bring him to the party this weekend. Thanks for the meal. See you then.” She walked out fast, half running to her car.

From the doorway, Anna and Kristoff waved goodbye, holding back their dogs. “I’m sorry! I’ll call you later!” Anna called out.

“See you on Saturday,” Kristoff added, turning to Anna with a grin. “I bet you 50 bucks she’ll show up alone.”

Anna swatted his arm. “Prepare to lose.”

Elsa was doomed.

❄️ The next morning, Elsa dragged herself to work, weighed down by her life choices. She just needed to call Anna and admit she lied. It was the only solution to her self-made disaster. Sitting at her desk, she stared at her phone.

“I just need to call her. Do it quickly,” she muttered. Then she hesitated. “Maybe later—she’s not a morning person. She won’t be awake.” The phone stayed untouched. “What if I call her during work? She can’t react loudly then. No, she’ll think something’s wrong if I call her at work. I’ll wait until she’s off work—but then she’ll come to my house. I’m not ready for a face-to-face conversation.”

Elsa was so absorbed in her muttering that she didn’t notice her coworkers trickling in.

“Hey, Elsa, are you okay?” Toothiana asked, knocking on her office door.

Elsa jumped nearly three feet into the air, letting out a squeak. “You scared me!” she exclaimed, clutching her shirt.

“Sorry! You were muttering to yourself—it’s not like you.” Toothiana leaned against the doorframe. “Want to talk about it?”

Elsa glanced at her phone and then covered it with a loose paper, as if Anna could hear through the screen. “I kind of dug myself into a hole,” she admitted.

Toothiana looked surprised. Glancing around at the bustling office, she stepped inside and shut the door. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, it’s personal. Nothing to do with my cases,” Elsa clarified quickly. Lawyers hated surprises.

Toothiana sighed with relief. “I thought for a second the Wilson case was compromised.”

“No, I just messed up, and it’s spiraling out of control,” Elsa confessed. “I told my sister I was seeing someone to get her off my back about being single. Now she wants to meet my nonexistent boyfriend.”

Toothiana blinked, then started laughing. “Oh, Elsa, that’s a pickle.”

Elsa buried her face in her hands. “It just slipped out! She kept talking about her wedding and asking if I had a date. I panicked and said I was seeing someone. Now she’s firing off questions and insisting I bring him to her engagement party!”

Toothiana giggled, wiping away a tear. “That’s... something.”

“I have to tell her I lied!” Elsa groaned.

“Maybe I can help,” Toothiana said, her eyes twinkling. “I know a guy who could use some extra cash. You could hire him as a date.”

Elsa froze, processing her words. “Hire a date?” she repeated slowly. “Like... an escort?”

“No, no!” Toothiana laughed, choosing her words carefully. “He picks up odd jobs for extra money.” She winked.

Elsa considered it. Hiring someone for one night could solve her problem. Then, after the party, she could tell Anna it didn’t work out. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like the perfect escape.