I stepped outside into the ninety-something degree heat, which was totally normal for Miami. A little wardrobe adjustment and an automatic starter for my car to prevent me from burning my legs on my seats made it bearable though.

I got in my car and started to drive home. It was Wednesday. Which was my favorite day…Wine Wednesday. It was something a couple of my friends and I had started once we graduated college and were thrown into the real world. Through the years, the attendance had dwindled down to my brother Andy, my best friend Lindsey and myself.

We were the only single ones left that lived in town. Which may be directly correlated to the fact we still had drink-themed days of the week.

I was alone. Single. Which ever term you chose. This did not in fact mean I was lonely, which was the common misconception of my brother. He was constantly trying to set me up with men. Most of the men were guys he had to tried to hit on before he found out they were straight. I loved getting my gay brother’s cast-offs.

I am fine with being single. I have lots of friends, a successful career, a plethora of hobbies and a closet full of Jimmy Choo’s. A boyfriend did not fit in my life at the moment.

I pulled into my driveway to find Andy and Lindsey already present. Did they not realize I didn’t lock my doors just so they could find the hidden key?

I quickly grabbed the mail, simultaneously walked up the stone walkway and skimmed through it.

Bill, bill, letter from Aunt Sherrie. Lilly Pulitzer catalog; Highlight of my week.

As I walked through the door I heard footsteps running around.

Great, they’re already drunk and playing hide-and-seek.

“Emmmm! You’re home early sissy! ” My brother exclaimed as he ran in from the hallway that conveniently lead from my bedroom.

“I’m home the same time I usually am. What are ya’ll doing?”

Lindsey popped her mess of brown hair from around the corner of my living room.

“Nothing, just seeing if you used any of the condoms we left you.” Typical.

“You left that present for me last week.”

“I know, they should be almost gone by now.” She looked at me like this was common knowledge.

I just ignored her as Andy and I walked into the kitchen. I reached into the wine cooler to pull out a bottle of wine and then got glasses for each of us.

That is when the whispering started. They were acting weird. Last time they were acting this way Andy had accidently slept with my ex-boyfriend. Well, it wasn’t an accident they slept together, just an accident he didn’t recognize him as my ex.

I walked back to the bar with wine glasses in hand and passed one to each of them while I eyed the two. Lindsey, I would go after her first. She would easily break and tell me whatever was going on.

Before I got a chance to question her Andy spoke.

“So sis, when was the last time you went out on a date?” He asked as he ran his finger around the rim of his glass.

So that’s what this was about. Ugh.

“I’m not going on a date with ANYONE from that eHarmony profile you made me Andy! I went on a date with two different guys and they were both boring lawyers that went on and on about their impressive 401k’s.”

I was really laid back. I loved going with the flow of life and making friends with everyone. But not when it came to having my love life forced upon me by my own brother.

Couldn’t he just accept that I didn’t want to date right now? I was happy and having fun.

“It’s not that…” Andy started then paused for a second.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak again Lindsey screamed, “WE SIGNED YOU UP FOR A DATING SHOW AND YOU’VE MADE IT TO THE FINAL CASTING!”

Andy looked at Lindsey like she had set fire to the factory that produced his hair gel. I, for one, couldn’t see anything except for the image of me punching both of them in the face.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” I screamed. And once I started I couldn’t stop.

“Can you seriously ever stay out of my life? This is fucking ridiculous! It’s not like I don’t date, I go on at the very least two dates per month! How did this even happen? I'm sure this is a crime!”

“E, please calm down for a second.” Lindsey was the first one to speak. She was brave to put herself first in the line of fire.

I stopped and she continued, “It kind of started as a joke. We didn’t think you would make it this far…”

I gave her my ultimate “go to hell” look.

“I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just we were pretending to be you. You’re a really fun person. This sounded like a really fun idea.” She looked sad, like she actually had good intentions.

I turned to my brother. What was his excuse?

Luckily, he answered before I had to ask out loud, “We used you because I’m gay and it wasn’t that kind of show. Lindsey has already tried to be on a billion of these shows, so she wasn't an option."

I could already feel my anger wearing off. I wanted to still be mad. But I could always say no right? And that’s even if I made it to casting. I sat there and looked into my wine for a moment before Andy continued to talk.

“Look, I know you’re happy and everything but I think you could be so much happier with someone. You’re getting old and I don’t want your eggs shriveling up.”

Lindsey looked just as appalled as I had that he actually said that. But then again, this was my brother who was completely into appearances and had lost the filter to his mouth around the age of seven.

Lindsey looked at me and smiled, “I think you would really hit it off with the guy if you made it on the show. I’ve been doing lots of research.”

That was so her. She looked up and trusted everything on the internet. She felt like it was God speaking to her through technology.

This time I looked at Andy who had already jumped out of his bar stool.

“Guess who is on the show!! You’ll be so excited!!”

He was bouncing at this point.

“Zac Efron is too young to do a dating show.” I couldn’t apply go on that anyway, I would be seen as a pedophile. Even though he was over eighteen...yeah, I looked it up.

“NICK CARTER!!! You’ll be dating a Backstreet Boy!!” Andy was hysterical now.

The only reason I knew the Backstreet Boys were still alive was because my brother was stuck living like a thirteen year old girl from the 90’s.

That was it. He was trying to live through me. That or he had finally found his ‘in’ to meet him and try to seduce him. Even I had to admit he was good.