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She nodded and set her wine down. “I do. I’ve always known that you were hiding that part of yourself and I wondered if you’d ever act on it. I’ve never seen you like this before.”

I’d never been this way before.

“I have no idea what I’m doing here, Camille. It’s uncharted territory. We’re going on a date tomorrow and I don’t even know what to do with her.” All of my insecurities came spilling out and Camille talked me through all of it and told me everything I needed to hear. She knew all the right words to say and even helped me come up with what to do with Cadence.

It was on the edge of my tongue to tell her who the woman I was going on a date with was, but I couldn’t make the words come out. I didn’t want her to judge me or tell me it was a bad idea.

By the time I went home, I felt much better, but even more nervous for my first date with Cadence.

* * *

I insisted on picking her up, since I was the one who had planned the day. We’d been talking all morning, but my heart thumped a little faster when she appeared from behind the door to her building as I waited in the car.

“Hello, gorgeous,” she said, getting in and kissing me until I forgot whatever the hell we were supposed to be doing.

“Hi,” I said, and she grinned at me.

“You look amazing.”

I’d put on a casual yellow flowered dress that I usually wore when I hung out with Camille and the kids.

She’d asked what she should wear, and I told her that she might be warm, so she’d put on a pair of shorts and the scissoring T-shirt that I’d seen on her social media.

“Thought this was appropriate now,” she said, looking down at it.

“You are shameless,” I said, laughing as someone honked behind me. I pulled out of the spot and onto the street, heading for the highway.

“Just a little bit. So hey, where are we going?” She dumped her bag in the backseat and turned in her seat to face me.

“It’s a surprise. Are you okay with it being a surprise?”

I glanced over while we sat at a red light.

“I suppose,” she said, but I could feel her tense energy.

After looking over again, I realized she was not so down with the surprises, judging by how many times she’d cracked her knuckles already.

“We’re going to the place that inspired my first book. It’s a cute little town that I’d hang out in on the weekends sometimes in college. I wanted to show you around and take you to lunch. Does that work?” I asked.

I could hear her smiling next to me.

“Yeah, that sounds amazing. I’m honored that you’d want to share that with me.”

Cadence reached over and stroked my arm and I flashed her a smile. “Check the glovebox.”

She pulled it open and found the snacks that I’d stashed in there.

“It’s not cake, but I figured it would do in a pinch,” I said as I took the exit to go North. We were actually going to the town where I’d gone to college, but Cadence didn’t know that part yet. I hadn’t been back in ages, but it would be fun to show her around. Even if it might make me feel ancient compared to her. She’d graduated college not that long ago and for me it felt like two lifetimes had passed since then.

Cadence fed me snacks and insisted that I put on the radio at least, and pumped gas when we stopped and kept me entertained with her wild and creative mind.

We reached the campus of the college and it was almost like stepping back in time. It was a small school, but prestigious. I’d gone here on a full scholarship, but I’d had to pay for my housing after freshman year, and all my other expenses. It had been a frantic, uncertain time in my life and while I did have some good memories, like those times spent writing, a lot of it was a blur.

I parked in the little downtown area and got out.

“It’s so cute,” Cadence said. “Did you go to school here?”

I nodded. “I did. Long time ago.”