She made her way down the street, wrapping her arms around herself to protect against the sharp wind. Entering the bar, she ran her hand through her hair and tried to tame the wild fly-aways as she scanned the tables for Gwen and Carly. The feeling of deja vu washed over her as she remembered the night from a couple months back. Seeing their smiles as she spotted them helped wipe away some of her nervousness.

Reagan kissed each of their cheeks before taking one of the empty stools across the table. “Hey, guys. How’s it going?”

“Good. Where’s Jill?” Carly asked.

“I just got a text from her. She’s running late.”

“She’s not scared of us, is she?” Carly asked.

“Of little ol’ you?”

Carly narrowed her eyes. “Is that a short joke?”

“What? Of course not,” she replied with a wink. “I would never do something like that.”

“Our past suggests otherwise.”

Reagan chuckled. “That’s true. So tell me about your weeks. Well, not you so much. I see you all the time,” she said as she pointed at Gwen. “Carly, you’re up.”

As Carly started a story about a wand-making class she wanted to try, Reagan’s thoughts drifted to Jill and she found it difficult to focus on her friends. Conversation flowed naturally like it always did, and Reagan tried to be stealthy when she checked her watch for the time or her phone for a text just in case she hadn’t heard the alert.

But she must not have been stealthy enough because Gwen asked, “Did she bail?”

“What? No. Well, I don’t think so. She hasn’t replied to my text.”

Carly chimed in with her positive attitude. “If she can’t make it tonight, we can always reschedule. She’s not going anywhere, right?”

“God, I hope not,” Reagan replied, wiping her palms on her jeans.

Carly put her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand. “Aww. Look at you. You’re all smitten.”

“Shut up.” Reagan’s cheeks warmed and she slipped her hands under her thighs so she wouldn’t try to rub it away, as if she could.

“Look, Gwen. She’s blushing,” Carly said as she elbowed Gwen playfully.

“Oh, that’s nothing new.” Gwen held up a hand and started counting on her fingers. “It happens when she sees Jill, when she talks about her…” Gwen’s attention was pulled away by something over Reagan’s shoulder. “And look who’s here.”

Reagan turned to see Jill rushing across the bar, her hands stuffed in her coat pockets and worry written on her face. Reagan stood and greeted her.

Jill gave Carly and Gwen a small wave and said, “I’m sorry I’m late. My boss called me in for a last-minute meeting.” She kissed Reagan briefly before wrapping her in a hug. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered into her ear.

“It’s fine.”