Page 91 of Kiss Me, Maybe

“You look great.” Marcela grins ear to ear. “The short hair really suits you.”

“Agreed, and you reminded me I’m due for a trim soon,” Julian says, tousling his over-long curls with a hand.

The day of the scavenger hunt has arrived, and I couldn’t be more nervous. What if no one shows up? What if it gets awkward? The tie around my neck is starting to get tight as we arrive at the bar.

What if she doesn’t show up?

Krystal never replied to my message the other night, or the one I sent this morning. I spent the entire day checking. Even now, I’m checking my phone for any missed messages from her and come up empty.

“Full house tonight.”

Julian’s right. Inside, the bar is packed. I recognize Leti and a few women I’ve messaged online, as well as others from the profiles I sifted through a few weeks ago, but most are regular bar patrons.

“You nervous?” Marcela asks, placing a hand on my shoulder. “It’s not too late to back out, you know. Best friend drives the getaway car.”

“I call shotgun.”

“You can’t call shotgun ifI’mthe one running away.” I roll my eyes at my cousin. “And I’m not running.” Though the longer I look out at the crowd without seeing Krystal’s face, the more I sort of want to. My throat feels so tight, even loosening the tie around my neck doesn’t help.

She’s not coming.

I shake my head to myself. There’s still time for her to show up.

Cristina, the bar manager, gets the crowd to settle down and introduces me. She helps me onto the bar, giving me a perfect view of the crowd. I try to spot Krystal while I’m up here, but I’m nervous and overstimulated and trying not to choke over my words as I explain the rules. If she’s here, I don’t see her.

“Thanks for coming, everyone!” I call out. “I’m Angela,your host for tonight’s scavenger hunt. Just a quick reminder that clues will be posted on TikTok every thirty minutes, so be sure you have the app downloaded and that you’re checking for new updates periodically. The first video will go up in”—I check the time on my phone—“five minutes!”

I set a timer on my phone, and then Julian helps me down from the bar. I’m not any less anxious as I try to force myself to stop looking for Krystal in the crowd.

“Are you okay?” Marcela asks when I start biting my nails. “Are you still looking for—”

“Angela.” Leti appears in front of me, cutting off Marcela’s question. A welcome distraction from having to talk about Krystal, and why she’s not here when just last week she told me she wasn’t going anywhere. I let Leti pull me into a side hug as she says, “I wanted to say hi before the scavenger hunt began. I’m excited to start.”

“I’m so glad you’re here! Thanks again for being cool with me changing the incentive at the last minute.”

I cut it pretty close when I posted my last update yesterday, but only because I’d needed to check with Erika first. Instead of the winner getting to be my first kiss, they’ll get to choose which charity organization I donate the money I earned from my most recent sponsored post.

“Of course,” Leti tells me. “I’m happy you found someone. Really.”

My stomach sinks even as I look over her head for any sign of Krystal. That constricting feeling tightens my throat again.

“Are you coming to the after-party?” I ask, if only so I don’t have to correct her.

“Wouldn’t miss it.” She smiles. “I’m gonna go line up behind the door with everyone else and wait for the first clue.”

A glance behind her shows me she’s right—there’s a group lined up behind the exit. I let out a laugh and let her go. I step back and almost trip over something on the ground. And then I really start freaking out when a hand on my ankle rights me from falling over.

“Julian?” He’s on his hands and knees behind a barstool. “What the hell are you doing down there?”

“I dropped my phone,” he says as I help him off the floor, but there’s something shifty in his expression that stops me from believing him. He looks behind me to the line behind the door, shoulders tense in agitation. “How do you know that girl?”

“Leti?” I follow his gaze to where Leti is chatting with someone in line. “It’s… kind of a long story. Why?”

“I know her,” he replies, but doesn’t explain how.

“Okay, cryptic much?” I cross my arms over my chest. “How do you—”

The alarm on my phone goes off before I can ask him how he knows her.Time to get started.I glance back at him and give him a look that says this is far from over before turning to my phone and hitting post on the drafted video.

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