“Morning. I was going to complain about waking up alone, but I can’t complain when I see that you’re making me Cuban coffee.”
Jules tossed her a coy look. “Who says it’s for you?”
“Smartass.”
Sophie went into the bathroom to freshen up, and when she returned to the living room, Jules was performing her magic as the espresso machine hissed and squealed. A few minutes later, she joined Sophie on the couch, carrying two impossibly small coffee cups. When Jules had presented her with one yesterday, Sophie had given her a skeptical look, never having seen anything quite like it, but now she knew to anticipate the amazingness of Cuban coffee.
“Thank you,” she said as she accepted the cup Jules held out to her, lifting it to inhale the rich aroma. She sipped gingerly, careful not to burn her tongue. “This frothy stuff at the top is pure heaven.”
“That’s thecrema,” Jules told her. “And I agree. It’s the best part.”
They sipped their coffee together mostly in silence, occasionally commenting on the day ahead as they waited for the caffeine to kick in.
“Now I get why you fix your own coffee every morning,” Sophie said as she set her empty cup on the table in front of her.
“I’ve spoiled you,” Jules teased.
“In more ways than one,” Sophie agreed. “But I really should get going.”
Jules nodded. “It’s been a great weekend.”
“Amazing.” Sophie leaned in for a quick kiss, tasting espresso on Jules’s tongue. Then she stood, taking both empty cups to the sink before gathering her clothes. She dressed in a fresh long-sleeved tee and jeans and threw the rest of her things into the duffel bag she’d brought from her apartment last night. She bundled up in her coat and slung the bag over her shoulder as Jules joined her for one last kiss.
“See you tomorrow,” Sophie told her.
Jules grinned. “Yes.”
“Maybe we can go out again one night this week?” Sophie suggested.
“Definitely,” Jules agreed.
“Okay. Bye, then.”
“Bye.” Jules waved as Sophie headed for the door.
Had she really just had a thirty-six-hour first date? That was crazy, and yet every moment had been amazing. Already, this felt like the start of something a lot more serious than any relationship she’d had since…Brianna.
Sophie walked home, stopping for a muffin from her favorite coffee shop on the way. The barista gave her a funny look when she declined a coffee, but she already had a nice caffeine buzz going, thanks to Jules. While she waited for her order, she scrolled through social media on her phone. Jules had tagged her on Instagram, so she clicked on the photos, smiling again to see how happy and carefree they’d looked last night in Manhattan. Jules had captioned the photos #girlsnight.
And Sophie’s smile deflated. They’d agreed not to mention anything publicly about their date, but to call it a girls’ night seemed to explicitly imply that they were just friends.
Don’t overthink this.
Just because Jules was more cautious about their relationship than Sophie didn’t mean things would end the way they had with Brianna. But still, as she collected her blueberry muffin and left the café, her mood was more subdued than it had been a few minutes before. She needed to tread carefully with Jules so she didn’t set herself up for another heartbreak.
12
Music swelled across the stage as Sophie took her position in the wings, surrounded by the other members of the ensemble. Jules stood center stage, running through a scene with Amir. It had been over a week since their thirty-six-hour date, and they’d spent a lot of it together, both on and off stage. They’d been on several more dates, and Sophie was more smitten with Jules than ever.
This was the last full week of rehearsals, and as such, they would also have fittings, a photo shoot for the program, and other tasks to prepare for opening night. This weekend, Sophie and Jules would leave Brooklyn to go home for Christmas. When they came back after the holidays, they’d see where they were and what came next for their relationship.
On cue, Sophie and the other members of the ensemble entered the stage, joining Jules and Amir for the next song. This was the part of the rehearsal process that Sophie loved best. Most of the hard work was behind them. They knew their lines. They knew the choreography. Fine-tuning their performance was fun and exciting, like putting the finishing touches on a painting, finding all the spots that could be improved with an extra dab of paint or another layer of color.
Being an understudy added some extra stress, though. Sophie would have a private rehearsal with Kari tomorrow, but she would never get the full experience that Jules had. Learning Bianca’s and Melissa’s lines in addition to her role in the ensemble was a challenge, but hopefully this would help her grow as a performer. It might even lead to a bigger role for her in the future.
At lunch, she and Jules sat next to each other in the break room, sneaking some time together during an otherwise hectic day.
“You looked great out there,” Sophie told her.
