Now, I know what you're thinking. Well, you're probably thinking a lot of things, but you're probably like, wow, this chicks a total bitch. Or, wow, this is a lot of work to go through to let a guy down.

Both sentiments are obvious and expected. Because it was kind of bitchy, what I ended up doing, and it was a rather elaborate plot to get out of this situation. But at the time, this all made perfect sense. I didn't see another way off the path I was heading down that didn't result in me regretting my decision even more or worse, leading Chandler on.

Either way, it wasn't going to end well but I was hoping to have things end less bad.

Once Chandler and I got inside the hotel, he took our coats to the coat check and came back carrying a wrist corsage.

Are you fucking kidding me? The Banshee nearly flipped out. This is NOT prom! You do NOT give corsages, for fuck sake!

"I picked this up for you," Chandler said, slipping the 3 red-rose corsage onto my wrist. "Some of the other guys were getting these for their dates, too."

"Oh, thank you," I said, trying to sound appreciative. And not like I was 17 again...

"Shall we go inside?" he asked, motioning towards the ballroom where the party was just getting started.

"Absolutely," I said. Chandler offered me his arm, and led me inside towards a group of people standing near the bar. I gathered these were his friends. I gathered even more quickly, that I was a person they had heard about (a lot about) from their reaction to our introductions.

"So NICE to finally meet you!" one girl exclaimed, nearly hugging me. "Chandler has told us so much about you!"

"Oh, um, all good I hope!" I said, surprised by her reaction. I looked to Chandler who blushed slightly.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.

"I'll just have a diet coke, thanks," I answered. He left me standing there with four of his friends - 2 guys and 2 girls - and it became quite apparent that these were 2 couples. 2 couples who were hoping that Chandler + Me = a third couple.

The two guys followed Chandler's lead and left me with the other 2 girls, who wanted more details about me and how Chandler and I met. Unsure how much he already told them, I didn't want to say too much and so tried to say as little as possible about "me and Chandler" and made small talk about me, instead.

I noticed the 2 guys pat Chandler on the back in a congratulatory manner, seeming to imply, good job buddy, on landing the lady.

I could only imagine what he'd told them.

I tried my best to turn the subject off of me, to find out how these women met their boyfriends, were they in law school, too, where they were from, yadda yadda yadda. I managed to divulge very little about me and Chandler or the nature of our so-called relationship.

Finally, the boys return, drinks in hand and I excuse myself to find the buffet. Chandler comes with me, leaving the 2 couples to discuss their third couple in the making.

"So, your friends are nice," I say nonchalantly. "Sounds like they've been together for some time."

"Yeah, Mike and Sophie met in college and Theresa and Bill met this summer at orientation. They're great people."

"They seem like it," I said, grabbing for a stuffed mushroom.

"They really like you," Chandler said, reaching for a bacon-wrapped scallop. He was reaching for more than hors devours.

"That's good. I know how hard it can be to mix groups of friends," I said, trying to emphasize and remind him that I was not his date but rather his friend.

Chandler chuckled nervously.

We made our way back to his friends and after 30 minutes of socializing and making small talk, I excused myself to go to the ladies room to kick of phase 2.