“Yes; Stella.”
“She’s just a local girl in a bar, Bray,” Stevie said.
“She’s not just a girl, Stevie. You don’t even know her.”
“And neither do you,” Stevie replied. “You spent, like,what, a couple of hours with her? What’s the big deal?”
“I saw them,” Maggie said. “They stared at each other how they do in romantic comedies, when they realize they’re in love.”
“In love? They just met at a bar for, like, an hour.”
“Stevie, come on…” Kristie said. “And I’d put my arm over your shoulders to comfort you, but you stink, Bray. Take a shower or two, and then we can all catch up on your night in jail.”
“I wasn’t in jail,” Dana, playing Bray, said and stood up. “And I cannot believe what an idiot I was. You always get the phone number.”
“She lives here, Bray. And you’re here on vacation, that is almost over. Did you just want to hook up with her? You said you weren’t about that when–”
“Stevie, calm down and let the woman shower,” Kristie interrupted. “She’s smelling up the whole room. The maid will be searching for the vomit we’ve somehow managed to hide if Bray doesn’t get the stench off her soon.”
“She’s just a–” Stevie started.
“Stevie, I mean it. Stop now,” Bray said this time, and Dana was trying to convey all the conflicting emotions Bryce had put into the script about her real-life friend and former girlfriend, Sean, who had still been in love with Bryce at the time she’d met Sophie.
“What are we doing today?” the actress playing Maggie said to change the topic. “We’ve got one more full day here.”
“Shit,” Bray said.
“What?” Kristie asked.
“She doesn’t know I’m leaving tomorrow. We didn’t get to that part. I was putting it off because I didn’t want her to leave. I didn’t tell her.”
“Not that big of a deal,” Stevie replied. “Weareleaving tomorrow. The most you would’ve had is one night anyway, and you don’t want that.”
“Let’s go to Café Du Monde again,” Maggie suggested. “We can have a late breakfast or early lunch.”
“I’ll skip it. I think I want to go find the bar from last night. I got all turned around with the cops and the stupid alley, but I want to find it and wait. Maybe she went back. I don’t know.”
“Bray, she’s not going to be there. You know that, right? The odds that she’d show up there again just to see if you do aren’t good,” Kristie reasoned.
“Not when I get there, maybe. But if I wait, she might show up. I have to try.”
“And what if the night was awesome foryou, but notasawesome for her?” Kristie asked. “I’m not saying that to be mean or anything. You just don’t know her well at all. She’s a local. Maybe her thing is hooking up with tourists.”
“It’s not,” Bray said.
“How do you know for sure?” Maggie asked.
“Because I know. You guys weren’t there. I’ve never–” Dana paused to give a sympathetic look to the actress playing Stevie. “I’ve never felt this before. I know there’s something here. Maybe you guys should drive home, and I’ll fly back in a few more days. I need to find her.”
“What? Bray, come on,” Stevie said. “You can’t stay here just in case shehappensto show up at the bar.”
“I can’t just leave.”
“Don’t you have that interview about your blog with that magazine coming up?” Maggie asked.
“It’s a local magazine. I can skip it or ask them to postpone.”
“You were so excited about this,” Kristie said. “This is your first real interview. It’s a big deal.”
