Page 30 of What If We Do

Tears spring to my eyes as I read his note a second, third, and fourth time.

“I miss you already, Oliver.”

He was right to leave when he did. Knowing me, I would’ve bawled my eyes out and begged him to try and figure out a way to make a relationship work. Or I would’ve pretended what we hadwas no big deal, played it off until he left, and then drowned my sorrows in a bathtub with a bottle of tequila.

When I posted on social media that I was looking for a plus-one for last night’s party, never in a million years did I expect to fall for the guy who would end up being my date.

But here I am.

Alone, again.

And missing his presence more than I ever thought possible.

___

“Hey Scar! How was the party? How was the date? What shenanigans did you get into today? Are you out there finding your inner peace?”

Sniffles greet my best friend on the other end of the line. “Hey Maria.”

She gasps. “Oh noooo! What’s going on? Who do I need to kill? Should I bring a shovel?” She lowers her voice to a mere whisper. “Seriously, are you alright?”

“I’m alright,” I answer. “Just feeling down is all.”

“Aww, I understand, Babe. This is good. You’ve needed to get all your feelings out and maybe New Orleans was right where you needed to be to release them.”

“Maria?”

“Yeah Babe?”

“What if…”Do I really want to ask her this?

Yes.

“What if New Orleans was right where I needed to be to fall in love with my actual soulmate?”

Silence falls between us, followed by an emphatic, “I’m sorry, WHAT?”

“Do you believe in love at first sight? Or I don’t know…love at first…meet?”

“I mean, I want to believe it’s possible, so sure. Why are you asking? Did you meet someone at the party?”

“No. I met him when I got off the plane. He was my date.”

She really gasps this time and then chuckles. “You’re falling for Oliver Magallan?”

“I don’t know,” I cry. “I mean, maybe? Is it possible? Can two people fall in love in one day? Because ever since he left, I’ve done nothing but think about him all day and the absolutely amazing time we had together last night and Maria, I think I really like him.”

“Okay…”

“But seriously, who falls in love with a guy they just met in one day?”

She laughs. “Uh, just about every fairytale princess known to man with a few exceptions.”

“Touche.”

“You asked.”

“You’re right, I did.”

---