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“I think I left something at home,” she said.

“No, you didn’t,” Kelsey replied.

“No, you didn’t,” Megan added at the same time from the back seat, shifting until she was leaning forward in the gap between them. “You’re nervous, and it makes sense, but you have a plane to catch.”

“And you’re flying first class. You don’t want to miss that,” Kelsey said.

“Don’t get drunk,” Megan added again. “And remember, with the altitude, you get drunk faster.”

“Have a glass of wine or something to help with your nerves, but drink a whole bottle of water, too,” Kelsey suggested.

“Why are you two acting like my moms?” Bryce asked as she laughed.

“Because your actual mother doesn’t know you’re flying to New Orleans to meet your maybe soulmate.” Kelsey glared playfully.

“I don’t want to tell her until I know,” she said.

“Makes sense,” Kelsey replied. “But that means you get us.”

“And you need to go because we’re about to be kicked out of this spot,” Megan told her, noticing the police officer pointing at Kelsey’s car to get them to move along. “Get out so that I can climb up front.”

“Kels, you’re rubbing off on her. I don’t like it,” Bryce said with a lifted eyebrow at her friend.

“Shut up.” Kelsey laughed. “Go get your girl.”

Bryce opened the passenger side front door and stood outside on the airport sidewalk. When she heard Kelsey’s trunk click and open, she headed back to it and pulled out her bag. She shifted her backpack onto her shoulders and looked inside the car, where Megan now sat next to Kelsey. At least, they would have a few minutes alone together on the drive, which had been Bryce’s plan in asking them both to drop her off at the airport for moral support. She waved at them and took a deep breath as she made her way inside the airport.

She stalled by going to the check-in counter to get a paper ticket, which she didn’t need because there was an app for everything these days. She was early and nervous, though, so it gave her something to do. When she saw the ‘first class’ label on her ticket, she again felt very grateful to Kelsey because the more relaxed she could be on the flight, the better. She made her way through the much shorter priority line for security and sat at her gate. She probably had enough time to go to the lounge, but by the time she got in there, sat down, and maybe got some free food, it would be time to board, so it wasn’t worth it. Instead, she walked the terminal and went in and out of the shops there, thinking about buying a book from the small bookstore, but she changed her mind because she knew she’d never be able to focus on a book long enough to enjoy it.

By the time they were calling for first class to board, she was tapping her foot and probably bouncing around the gate, looking like a nervous flyer when, in reality, she didn’t mind flying. She just both wanted to be there already and not be going at all because this was it. This was the whole damn thing. They’d said goodnight last night, and Sophie had messaged her good morning. Bryce wanted that again and again, but not in a message. She wanted to say good morning to Sophie from right next to her in bed. To get there, though, she had to get through this flight and make it until she could see Sophie, to finally hold her in her arms and find out what this could be.

She got into her seat a few minutes later and sat there, still tapping that same foot, when the flight attendant offered her either champagne or orange juice. She’d never flown first class before, so she wanted to take both or at least one of them, but she shook her head and told the attendant that she was okay. She didn’t want to have to pee before they took off, and she was so nervous, she knew she shouldn’t have alcohol, especially before they even left the ground. When they started going over the safety procedures, she listened attentively because she needed to focus on something. As the female flight attendant motioned to the exits, Bryce followed her hands, but that was a mistake because she started picturing Sophie’s hands when they’d been sitting on that sofa and their fingers had been intertwined. She looked away then, and they took off minutes later. Soon after that, a tray of food was dropped off in front of her, with fruits and cheeses and some nuts, along with a drink of her choice. Bryce opted for water to be safe and snacked a bit but didn’t eat much because her stomach was already in knots.

They landed in what felt like minutes because, of course, it would feel like that when she flew first class, but all economy flights felt like they lasted a lifetime. By this point, her nerves were very much on display. The tapping of the foot had been observed by her seatmate and the flight attendant. Neither had commented, but Bryce had watched their eyes follow said foot, so she knew that they knew that she was nervous. Little did they know that she was nervous because she was about to get off this plane and see the woman she’d been dreaming about for over a year.

She didn’t have a checked bag, so the moment she was off the plane, she walked quickly – in a near jog, really – until she was outside and in the muggy heat that greeted everyone when they got to New Orleans. Thirty minutes later, Bryce was checking into her hotel and texting Sophie that she was here. This was real now. She was here. Sophie was here. They were going to meet soon.

Sophie Santiago : I can’t believe it.

Bryce smiled down at her phone as she checked herself in the mirror. She’d worn the exact same ensemble she had that night they’d met. There was just something about them agreeing to meet in that bar again that made her want to wear the same thing. She wondered if Sophie would go home after work first and change into what she’d worn that night, too. Bryce didn’t care. She just wanted Sophie to be here already, to be at that bar on the sofa, where she could see her and hold her.

After the drive from the airport, where the Uber driver had let the windows offer them air instead of the air conditioning, Bryce had needed a shower. Never one for makeup, she hadn’t put any on after she’d dried off and dressed, but she’d still made sure her hair looked how it had a year prior because she wanted Sophie’s hand to run through it. She gave herself a once-over, took a very deep breath, and headed down to the hotel lobby.

“You’re there?” Megan asked.

“Yes, I’m in the lobby. I’m walking out now,” she replied into her phone. “When I texted you all, letting you know I was here, that wasn’t an indication for you to call.”

“Well, we wanted to know.”

“Who’s we ?”

“Kels is with me,” Megan revealed. “We’ve been waiting for hours to hear how it’s going.”

“It’s not yet. I just got here,” she said with a laugh.

“What are you wearing?!” Bryce heard Kelsey yell. “Put it on speaker, Megs.”

“Fine. Hold on,” Megan replied.

“I’m wearing what I wore last year.”

“Worried she’s forgotten what you look like?” Kelsey teased.

“No. I thought it was poetic, I guess.”

“It is,” Megan said. “Really poetic.”

“How nervous are you?”

“Kels, stop it.” Megan chuckled.

“Very nervous. I’m more nervous about this than anything else I’ve ever been nervous about in my life.”

“Did you shower? Tell me you showered. It’s, like, crazy hot there. You don’t want to show up smelly.”

“Kelsey!” Megan laughed louder.

“What? It’s a valid question. No one likes a smelly date. Are you into that, Megs?”

“No. Gross. Well, unless she just got back from the gym or something, and there’s some muscle definition that’s glowing, and then there’s a shower and–”

“Megan!” Bryce laughed this time.

“What? It’s been a long time,” Megan said.

“It has ?” Kelsey asked and cleared her throat. “You’re dating what’s her name…”

“You know her name. And no, we haven’t done that yet,” Megan replied.

“Does she go to the gym?” Kelsey asked.

“I don’t know. It hasn’t come up.”

“Kels, you go to the gym, don’t you?” Bryce said with a smirk on her face that her friends couldn’t see as she exited the hotel and joined the crowd on the street.

She hadn’t missed this part. A crowd like this had gotten between her and Sophie before, and it made her feel even more anxious now than she had only a moment ago.

“Yeah, a few times a week,” Kelsey said.

“I know that already,” Megan replied. “How did we get on this topic?”

“I’m outside. Can I text you later? I need to focus now. It’s about to happen.”

“Good luck, Bry. Just be yourself,” Megan said.

“I will. Thanks, Megs.”

She hung up and tucked her phone away as she turned the corner and headed toward Bourbon Street. It was strange, being back here, and even stranger being here alone. The last time, her friends had been with her, and she found that she missed them, even Sean, as she walked toward where she remembered the bar being. It was dark now, and she hadn’t eaten all day, aside from the few snacks on the plane, so she was starting to regret not ordering any food prior to leaving the hotel or even grabbing something at the airport because she was starving, and they’d agreed to meet at the bar, which would mean she’d get them both a drink. She would have to suggest that they get food after so that she was okay.

As she walked down the street, she was back to feeling how she felt last year. Most of these places looked the same on the outside, and some of the signs were hanging on corners or up near their balconies, making it hard to even know which bar she was walking in. She knew she needed to try every single bar if that was the case and regretted not asking Sophie the name of the place. She pulled out her phone and typed.

Bryce Wilburn : I’m running late. I can’t find it. What’s the name of the bar? Is there a cross street I can reference? Can you maybe just come outside if you’re already there?

She knew she sounded a little desperate, but she looked up and down the very crowded street and couldn’t see a familiar sight. It was just people holding up their alcohol. Some of them were singing and dancing in the street. Others were yelling and partying because this was one of the few cities in the country where they could party outside all night long and well into the morning. Bryce moved to the side, trying to stay out of the way of people passing, and she just stared down at her phone, imploring Sophie to message her back.

After ten minutes and still no response, she decided to walk farther down the street and went inside one of the bars. That one definitely wasn’t it, though, because they had a DJ playing hip-hop music, and their bar had had a stage for karaoke and entertainment and had played more classic rock and pop. She walked farther, periodically glancing at her phone as she went, but even after checking three more bars, she still hadn’t found the place.

She was thirty minutes late for their meeting now. She should have been early, but she’d wanted to shower and get ready. She worried now that she’d be the smelly date when she finally got there. At forty minutes, she also worried that Sophie had changed her mind. Had she been too nervous? Had she decided that it was a bad idea for them to meet and had been too scared to tell Bryce?

At fifty minutes, she oddly felt a bit more rational as she hit at least the tenth bar that wasn’t their bar. Sophie just probably got caught up in that meeting from hell. That was the most likely scenario. She’d had meetings go long before, and this was that. Bryce checked at least five more bars before it hit an hour since she’d messaged Sophie. She was starving even more now and didn’t know how much longer she could go without eating and without seeing Sophie.

Bryce Wilburn : Soph? I can’t find you. Are you here? If you’re still at work, can you let me know? I’ll kill time somewhere, but I can’t find the bar. There are too many people here. I can hardly get inside some of them, and it’s getting worse. Just message me back when you can, please.

She stared down at her phone again as she stood next to a bouncer for the bar she’d already checked.

“Hey, do you know a bar here that has a sofa upstairs and a stage?”

He looked at her like she was crazy and said, “Most of these places have stages.”

“Yeah, but there’s a sofa, too,” she said.

He shrugged and replied, “I’m sure a lot of them have sofas, too.”

“It’s blue inside, or it was last year, at least.”

The bouncer just shook his head no.

“Right,” she said with a nod. “Thanks,” she added for some reason.

Noticing a restaurant on a cross street, Bryce decided she had to eat something, so she walked inside and had to wait for fifteen minutes before they had a table for one. Then, she finally sat down and ordered a water, which she desperately needed, and a sandwich. She checked her phone again and saw no response from Sophie.

Bryce Wilburn : I can’t find her, and she’s not messaging me back.

Within seconds, Megan was typing.

Megan Underwood : What? Where are you?

Bryce Wilburn : At a restaurant. I haven’t eaten all day. I can’t find the bar. I’m so stupid, Megs. I didn’t even ask her the name of it. I thought I’d find it, but now, I’m sitting at a restaurant, getting food because I’m starving and she’s not responding to my texts.

Megan Underwood : Call her!

Bryce Wilburn : If she’s not messaging me back, she’s not going to answer my call.

Kelsey Jenkins : Megs is right. Call her.

Bryce sighed and moved over to Sophie’s contact. She waited impatiently as the phone rang, but then, it just went to voicemail.

“Hi. This is Sophie. Please leave a message, and I’ll call you back.”

“Soph, it’s me. I’m at some restaurant in the Quarter. Where are you? Did you get scared? It’s okay if you did. Please just text me or call me or something. I’m getting worried.”

Bryce hung up and moved back to her messages.

Bryce Wilburn : I got her voicemail.

Kelsey Jenkins : I’ll kill her for doing this to you.

Megan Underwood : I’m sure she’s stuck at work, or it’s just some misunderstanding. She wouldn’t make you fly all the way there and not meet you.

Kelsey Jenkins : I’ll still kill her.

Bryce told them she was going to eat and call them when she got back to her hotel. When her food arrived, she stared down at it, knowing she needed to eat it, but she’d suddenly lost her appetite.