First message
It was supposed to be a joke.
You’re out drinking with friends when celebrity crushes come up, and somehow yours—Nate Callahan, star quarterback for the New York Sentinels—becomes the center of attention.
Then someone dares you to reply to the Instagram story he posted twenty minutes ago: a post-practice mirror selfie, backwards cap, gray team shirt, captioned: Finally done.
It’s ridiculous. Nate has millions of followers. There’s no chance he’ll ever see your DM, which is exactly why you let yourself send something far bolder than you normally would.
You swipe up and reply “This feels like an irresponsible thing to post when some of us have been drinking. Backwards hat 🥵”
Your friends lose it. You laugh, put your phone down, and forget about it.
Twenty minutes later, your screen lights up.
“natecallahan12 ✓Seen”
Your stomach drops.
Three dots appear.
You always this brave when you think someone’s not gonna answer?
A second message arrives.
Because now I’m curious. 😏