Meet up with Kristen

You step out of the bottle shop with the bags in hand and start walking back toward the diner. Halfway across the road, you glance down at the receipt sticking out of one of the bags.

There, written in neat handwriting at the bottom, is a phone number… and underneath it, a short message:

Text me sometime if you’re bored while you’re stuck here

You smile to yourself, pull out your phone, and quickly save the number under Bottle Shop Girl. You’re not sure if you’ll use it, but it’s nice to have options.

By the time you reach the diner again, it’s just after six. The evening sun is starting to dip, and the place is quieter than it was earlier. Through the front windows you can see Kristen finishing up behind the counter, untying her apron and saying something to the older woman working the kitchen.

She spots you outside and her face lights up with a shy but excited smile. She holds up one finger — just a minute — then disappears into the back for a moment before reappearing without her apron, now wearing a simple fitted t-shirt and a pair of jeans that hug her thicker curves nicely.

She pushes through the front door and walks over to you, looking a little nervous but clearly happy you actually came back.

“Hey,” she says, tucking her hair behind her ear. “You ready?”

You nod, holding up the bags. “Got the drinks.”

Kristen glances at them and smiles. “Perfect. My aunt’s cabin isn’t far. We can walk if you don’t mind carrying those.” She hesitates for a second, then adds, “Alicia and Kelly are probably already there. I texted them that we were coming.”

She starts walking, and you fall into step beside her. The evening air is warm, and the streets are quiet. Every so often she sneaks a glance at you, still a little flushed from earlier.

After a few minutes of walking, she speaks again, voice softer.

“So… just to be clear,” she says, “my friends can be a lot sometimes. Especially when they’ve been drinking. If it gets too much or you want to leave, just say so, okay?”

She looks at you sideways, clearly hoping you won’t want to leave.

The two of you turn down a quieter street. Up ahead you can see a modest house with a small cabin visible behind it, lights already on inside.

Kristen slows her pace slightly as you approach.