𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐫. 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺

𝑺𝑶𝑴𝑬𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑮'𝑺 𝑮𝑶𝑻 𝑨 𝑯𝑶𝑳𝑫 𝑶𝑭 𝑴𝑬

"𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒐

𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅, 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑, 𝑰 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒂

𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌."

Real Life, Instagram

Present Day, 2024

Lori Pov

I was rudely awoken from my slumber as my Apple phone alarm went off. I groaned turning to burrow my head in my light-pink, silk, pillow case.

To my excitement, this didn't stop the ringing. I reach my arm out from under the warm covers to see who was calling me. Only to see Ryan, my lifelong best friend's contact on the screen.

"I LICK THIS BITCH BRAIDS LIKE😝" Pops up on my screen. (Please get the Tyler and Asap reference😭).

"Oh God..." I mutter as I hit the accept button. Here we go.

I take a deep breath before I hear a screaming through the screen.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEST FRIEND!" She squeals. I let out a breathy chuckle as I rub one of my eyes, taking in my surroundings.

After a while of rambling about how happy she is for me, she tells me she has a lot planned for tonight.

"Ok, so tonight we are going to that jazz bar you love, and then-"

"OH. MY. GOD!! You got reservations at The Cellar?!" I ask, sitting straight up in my bed. I am in complete shock that Ryan could complete such tasks.

The Cellar is only the best jazz club in New York history. It's a tucked away, 1940s, classy, stone building in which you can have a romantic date night, or where many have started their musical careers. Although it's hidden, it's very popular, and extremely difficult to get reservations. It's where you can find young talent every Saturday, and it's where I want to be one day. On that wooden stage, in front of those ruby curtains, singing to 40 strangers. God, I can just imagine it.

"What? Like it's hard?" Ryan references, smiling through the screen.

"For you? Yes, omg yes." I say nodding furiously.

"Fuck you. I can return the tickets, I know Vanessa would love to have front row seats to hear Etta James covers." Ryan sasses, nonchalantly, bringing my roommate, and close friend, into this. Vanessa doesn't even like Etta James!

"WHAT THE FUCK!! It just keeps getting better!! I love Etta!" I squeal, definitely waking Nessa up.

"And you still called me a dumb ass... Those tickets looking mighty sellable..." Ryan threatens, rubbing her hands together.

She is threatening to take MY birthday gift away. On MY birthday.

"You know you want to hear 'At Last' sung to you, main character syndrome is real..." I mutter the last part.

She sighs, "Any way miss girl, I've had this planed for months, and I can finally talk about it. You know how hard it is to get reservations for this place? Damn." She sighs remembering the struggle to get into the best jazz club in Manhattan.

"I apologize." I pause. "Wait, does this mean I have to get you a really extravagant ass gift for your birthday?" I groan.

"YUHHH" She exclaims, it's way too early for this. I want whatever she's having. It's my birthday and she seems to be having for fun than me. Can't wait for tonight.