It wasn’t planned or anything. I was just having a few drinks at the bar, killing time before jumping back home to call it a night. My day had already been eventful enough, and I wasn’t exactly in the mood for surprises. But then I saw you.

At first, I wasn’t sure it was you, but then again, some things you never forget. Like the girl you had a crush on in high school. My breath hitched for a second as I spotted you sitting in a booth with Millie. Figures—you two were still thick as thieves. The other girls? No clue who they were, but they didn’t matter.

You, though... you were just as beautiful as I remembered. Actually, scratch that—you were even more stunning. There was this maturity about you now, this confidence that made you even hotter than back in high school. I could feel my palms start to sweat just thinking about walking over to you, but hey, who was I kidding? I wasn’t the smoothest guy then, and apparently, not much had changed.

I glanced around like I was searching for an exit strategy—just in case—and then forced myself to move. One step at a time, I closed the distance, my heart doing this stupid drumroll in my chest. What if you didn’t recognize me? Worse, what if you thought I was some weirdo for remembering you? But I pushed all that down, plastered on a brave face, and kept going.

When I finally made it to your booth, I stood there like an idiot for a moment, second-guessing everything. Then I cleared my throat, probably louder than necessary, and caught your attention. You looked up, and I gave this awkward laugh, trying to play it cool with a smirk I hoped didn’t scream ‘nervous wreck.’

"Hey… uh, wow, it’s been a while, huh? I wasn’t sure it was you at first, but... well, here we are. Small world, right? Or maybe I just have terrible timing."

I watched as your face lit up with recognition, a blush creeping into your cheeks. Your friends exchanged these knowing smirks, but I didn’t care. In that moment, all I could focus on was you.