Chapter 1 #2
“He’s hot, he’s talented, he’s interested, and you haven’t been on a date since the cryptocurrency guy who tried to pitch you an NFT between the appetizer and entrée . Give. Him. Your. Number.”
Cole’s eyebrows shot up. “Cryptocurrency guy?”
“We don’t talk about cryptocurrency guy.”
“That bad?”
“He compared Bitcoin to the evolution of human consciousness.”
“Yikes.”
“For forty-five minutes.”
“I promise I won’t mention cryptocurrency once. Scout’s honor.”
“Were you a Scout?”
“No. But I’m making a sincere promise anyway.”
A laugh bubbled up before I could stop it. He was ridiculous. The whole situation was absurd.
But he looked at me as if I mattered, like I was more than the sum of my failures and insecurities. It had been so long since anyone had looked at me like that.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I took his phone. Typed in my number. Handed it back.
Cole’s smile could’ve powered the entire Blue Ridge Parkway. “Thank you.”
“I didn’t say yes to dinner.”
“Not yet, but you will.” He typed something on his phone. My phone immediately buzzed in my pocket.
The confidence should’ve been annoying. It didn’t come across as cocky, though. Was it presumptuous? Yes. Was it hot? Definitely.
Which was a problem. A big problem.
Jess touched my elbow, her voice gentle. “We should go. Let Cole get some rest before his next show.”
She knew me too well. Could see me spiraling into panic.
“Yeah.” I stepped back, putting distance between us. “Thanks for, um, the invite. Backstage.”
Cole’s eyes held mine. “Thanks for coming. I’ll text you. If that’s okay.”
“Okay.”
It was not okay. Nothing about this was okay, but I nodded anyway. Let my friends pull me out of the green room, down the hallway, into the cool night air where I could finally breathe.
“What just happened?”
Brynn grabbed my shoulders. “You met your future husband.”
“Absolutely not,” I said.
“I’m calling it now. You’re going to marry that man.”
“He’s twenty-four.” I glared at her.
“Twenty-five next month! Just like me,” she sing-songed.
“I am not equipped for this.”
Eli draped an arm around my shoulders. “Honey, nobody’s equipped for a meet-cute with a hot musician. That’s why they call it falling in love. You don’t climb into it with proper safety gear.”
“I’m not falling in love.”
Jess smiled. “Sure. You keep telling yourself that.”
My phone buzzed. I pulled it out.
Unknown number: This is Cole. Just making sure you didn’t give me a fake number.
Another buzz.
Unknown number: Also, you look beautiful tonight. I forgot to say that. Sweet dreams.
I stared at the screen until Brynn grabbed my phone and shrieked.
“He texted you twice already! TWICE! Do you know what this means?”
“That he’s clingy?” I asked.
“That he’s INTERESTED, you walnut!” She shoved my phone back at me. “Text him back!”
“And say what?”
“Literally anything. ‘Thanks.’ ‘You too.’ ‘Please rail me against your tour bus’.”
“brYNN.”
“What? I’m just offering suggestions!”
I held the phone, staring at Cole’s texts. My thumbs hovered over the keyboard.
Nothing came out.
“That’s it.” Eli plucked the phone from my hand.
“What are you doing?”
“Saving you from yourself.” He tapped the screen.
“Eli, don’t you dare.”
The phone rang. Once. Twice.
“Hello?” Cole’s voice came through the speaker.
My stomach dropped. “ELI!”
Eli shoved the phone at me, grinning like the demon he was.
I pressed it to my ear. “Cole. Hi. I’m so sorry. My friends made me call. I didn’t…”
“I’m glad they did.” His voice was warm, amused. “Was starting to think you’d ghosted me already.”
“No. I just. I’m not good at this. The texting thing. I was staring at my phone trying to figure out what to say and…”
“Did you see my texts?”
“Yeah. I saw them. Thank you. For saying I looked beautiful. That was. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I meant it.”
Heat crawled up my neck.
“So,” Brynn yelled from somewhere behind me, “are you going to rail her against your tour bus or what?”
“brYNN!” I spun around. “I swear to God.”
Cole’s laugh filled my ear. Rich. Genuine. “Is that Brynn?”
“Yes. She’s insane. Ignore her.”
“Tell Brynn I appreciate the enthusiasm,” he said, still laughing. “But I prefer to take things slow. At least for the first date.”
Eli grabbed my shoulder. “What did he say?”
“Nothing!” I said.
“You’re blushing,” Jess observed.
“I’m not,” I insisted.
“You are,” Cole argued. “I can hear it in your voice.”
“You can’t hear blushing.”
“I can with you.”
I pressed my free hand to my burning face. “This is mortifying.”
“This is cute.” His voice went softer. “So. Dinner tomorrow?”
My heart hammered. “Tomorrow?”
“I know a place. Nothing fancy. I promise I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”
A pause. Then, “Unless you don’t want me to be.”
Oh God.
Everyone stared at me. Brynn mouthed something obscene. Jess looked concerned. Eli grinned.
I opened my mouth and then stopped. Started again. “One dinner. But I’m driving myself.”
“Deal.” The smile in his voice was audible. “I’ll text you the address in the morning. Can’t wait, Autumn.”
“Me neither.” The truth slipped out before I could stop it.
“Sleep well, beautiful.”
“You, too.”
I hung up. Silence.
Then Brynn erupted. “YOU SAID YES! AND you said you can’t wait! That’s basically a declaration of love!”
“It is not,” I retorted.
Jess peered at my face. “You are blushing again. You’re bright red.”
“It’s the cold.”
“It’s fifty degrees,” she pointed out.
“Early onset menopause.” I shrugged.
Eli shook his head. “You’re thirty-four, and you’re into him. Admit it.”
“I am not.”
My phone buzzed.
I looked.
Cole: Can’t stop smiling. Your friends are chaos, by the way. I like them. See you tomorrow, Autumn.
The screen glowed in my hand.
I’d said yes to dinner with a twenty-four-year-old musician who made me feel things I’d sworn off feeling.
My friends stared at me. Waiting for me to spiral, but I just smiled at my phone like an idiot.
And for once, I didn’t stop myself.