Page 41 of That First Moment

“What time does everyone want to meet at that cafe?” I asked, trying to be completely natural.

She coughed. “Um, around ten.”

I hummed in response. Last night I unpacked my bags into one of the dressers, storing my suitcase in the closet. Reaching into the closet, I grabbed a long sleeve button shirt, a clean pair of jeans and my towel. A shower sounded perfect, and then, coffee.

“It’s only eight thirty, you didn't care to sleep in?” Jamie called.

“Thisissleeping in. Thank you for making coffee.” I leaned over the banister to try to get a glimpse into the kitchen, but Jamie had made her way to the living room, taking a seat in one of the armchairs. Tucking her leg under her, she brought her coffee mug to her lips. “Do you need to shower? I won't be long.”

Raising her chin, she shook her head. “I'll shower after you, I’ll just enjoy the quiet time for now.”

Her cheeks were still red.

I showered, dressed, and ran my fingers through my hair in all under fifteen minutes, and it was agloriousfifteen minutes. Who knew that twelve hours in a car would make a person feel so dirty. Jamie was still in the same armchair when I came downstairs. I took a detour to the kitchen, filling my own mug with coffee, topping it off with a dash of creamer. By the time I had meandered my way back to the living room, Jamie was gone and the shower was already running.

My phone dinged next to the couch, still attached to its wireless charger. Plopping on the couch, I unlocked the screen.

Milo:How’s the cold?

I smiled.

Me:Not cold at all. Quite comfortable, actually.

Clay:Please tell me you didn’t sleep naked.

Milo:Elliot sleeps naked?

Me:Ah, the elusive group chat. Clay pops in when needed.

Clay:Only when I need to stop you from doing something stupid.

Me:Says the man who drives a Tesla named Tessa.

Clay:Hey. You leave Tessa out of this.

Milo:Ok, back to the subject at hand - you did not sleep naked, did you? I thought you were sleeping on the floor.

Me:We have a small cabin, so I got the couch. And no, I wasn’t naked.

Clay:You have your own cabin . . .

Milo:What would Madeline call this?

Me:I’ll make sure to ask Jamie at brunch.

Clay:Please don't.

I closed out of the group chat and logged into Instagram. Bennett and I shared access to the band’s page and we both made a habit to check daily. We had people who would message us, and we always answered. Being an indie band, it was important to us to handle our accounts personally and I loved the fact that we were able to respond and interact with our fans. We made some amazing connections.

Bennett had posted some photos from the gig the other night, all of which were fantastic shots—despite the sweat coating my face. It never bothered me that you could see the sweat on my brow, honestly, it only proved that the lights were focused on us; right where they should be. The post already had a few hundred likes and a few comments, all of which Bennett had already responded too.

I swiped out of Instagram and opened Bennett’s text thread.

Me:Great photos. Thanks for responding. I didn’t get a chance to log on yesterday.

Bennett:No problem. I’ll have more to post soon - but you should post pics of Park City!

Me:Definitely. We’re heading to a cafe today - I’ll get to see the town.

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