Harper grinned. A dive bar AND a Lone Star? Are you trying to impress me? How does 5 sound?
Sounds like happy hour to me. See you there New Year’s Day.
Any chance your dog can come?
He responded with a line of laughing emojis.
She texted, P.S. You may not recognize me because I will have combed my hair.
I’m pretty sure I will recognize you after seeing all the mirror selfies.
Harper cringed. Nooo! I had forgotten about those!
Harper . . . never forget about the mirror selfies.
Wide-eyed emoji, laughing emoji.
Four
Jonah had never imagined that the highlight of his break would come from text-flirting with a woman he had yet to actually meet. It was like one of those dating reality shows, where you talk first and meet later. But after a frustrating, tangled slog of a year, it had been a very pleasant surprise. Most of his days were filled with the dread of what bills were owed, or depression at looking at the day’s receipts and knowing that the latest effort to bring in business had failed. The switch in phones had been initially frustrating, but had turned into something new and different. It was nice to have something to look forward to, and he’d looked forward to every text from her.
Harper was funny. He liked people who made him laugh, and he especially liked women who made him laugh. And she was cute, too, from what he’d seen between her Instagram and mirror selfies and the picture of her with the wild hair and raccoon eyes.
To say he was excited to meet her in person was an understatement.
He positioned himself outside the Dive Bar and Lounge and watched people on the street. Would he recognize her? People used so many photo filters online that sometimes they didn’t look quite the same in real life.
He needn’t have worried—he knew her the moment he saw her. She wore boots over tights, a T-shirt beneath a chunky cardigan, and the enormous tote he recalled from the night in the Lyft van. She was seriously cute. She reminded him of the girl you’d lived next door to all your life and then one day she was suddenly all grown up and hot.
She fairly blew in his direction on a strong gust of northern wind. “Hey!” she called, waving. She recognized him, too.
Jonah pushed away from the wall he was leaning against and waved back. She grinned, and picked up her step like she was running to meet an old friend. She had a long braid of light coppery brown hair over one shoulder, and when she got closer, he noticed the smile in her big, Coke bottle green eyes. They actually sparkled. Maybe he was seeing things, and maybe the sun hit her just right, but that looked like a sparkle to him, and it made him feel warm all over.
“You must be Harper.” Who else would she be? He could really sound like a dolt sometimes, and act like it, too, because he leaned in without thinking, his instinct to kiss her cheek because he felt like he knew her. He instantly realized his mistake and reared back with a strange pat to her shoulder.
She laughed. “You must be Jonah.” She peered up at him.
“Not what you were expecting?” he asked with a bit of a nervous laugh. Did he look different? Did she like what she saw?
“You are totally what I was expecting,” she assured him. “It’s just weird to actually see you in person.”
“Oh. Ah . . .”
“I mean, you’re bigger than I thought. Taller.” She lifted a hand overhead. “And . . . like, realer. Which is not a word, obviously, but, you know.”
He did know. “You look realer, too.” He almost said prettier. “It’s really great to meet you, Harper. I am excited to treat you to that 99 cent Lone Star beer.” He gestured to the door of the bar.
“You better treat me. I slogged all the way here for it.”
“What was that, a full ten-minute drive from The Triangle?”
“Seven! No traffic.” She grinned.
So did he. He opened the door to the establishment.
They took two seats at the bar, away from the pinball machine. The place was fairly empty but still had the musty smell of booze from the night before. A bartender appeared and tossed down two coasters on the bar in front of them. “Happy New Year. What are you having?”
“And a Happy New Year to you,” Jonah said. Jesus, he sounded like Uncle Marty walking through the store. “This is a big day for us, so we’re going to celebrate with a couple of Lone Stars. Cans, not bottles, of course.” He looked to Harper for confirmation.
“Of course. I must have the metallic taste of can in my beer.”
The bartender opened a cooler just beneath the bar. “What are you celebrating? An engagement?”
They both laughed so loudly and shook their heads so adamantly that the few people in the bar turned to see what was going on. “We don’t even know each other,” Harper said. “Honestly, had it not been for a dog, I’m not sure I would have come.”
“I get that a lot,” Jonah said. “Truck is a very appealing dog. In theory.”
“He’s adorable! And I have to confess, I feel safe meeting the guy who put a dog like that in reindeer antlers. That guy can’t be an ax murderer, am I right?” she asked the bartender.
“Odds would be against it. You two like anything besides the beer?” He opened one can and set it in front of Harper, and then the other, which he set in front of Jonah.
“Just a sec.” Harper held up a finger and turned to Jonah. “Beers are great, but . . . are we maybe selling this occasion short?”
He didn’t know what she meant at first, but then he recalled her Instagram account. “I think I know where you’re going with this. Want to take it up a notch?”
The sparkle exploded in Harper’s eyes again. “Just so there’s no confusion, what does ‘take it up a notch’ mean to you?”
He snorted. “Chips and salsa, obviously.”
“Yes! How did you know?”
Harper’s laugh of delight tickled all of his senses. “I’m no amateur, ma’am. Plus, your Instagram account is full of pictures of food and none of it healthy.”
“That’s because I’m a human garbage disposal. Smother something in cheese and I will devour it.”
Jonah said to the bartender, “A basket of chips. And a couple of glasses for the beer, if you don’t mind. First impressions and all that.”
“Coming right up.”
Harper twisted on her stool to face Jonah. “Isn’t this strange? I mean, I feel like I know you, and yet you’re a complete stranger.”
“It’s strange and awesome. What did you figure out about me?”