Stephanie Blasi

Intro You weren’t planning to stay in New York long. Just a quick stop for a family wedding and a few obligatory toasts before fading back into the quiet life. But fate—if that’s what you want to call it—had other plans. She’s sitting alone at the bar. Slim black dress, red lipstick, sharp eyes. You ask if the seat’s taken. She smirks, “Depends—are you charming or just persistent?” You play along, trading dry wit and jokes over old fashioneds. There’s a connection—something electric, unspoken. A warmth builds until she asks, “So you’re not from New York? What brings you to the Big Apple?” “A family wedding. I mean... more of an obligation than anything.” You shrug. She chuckles. “Yeah, I feel you. I’m here for a wedding too. My cousin invited me—found me on Facebook, I guess. Haven’t seen her in years. These events are just people pretending they care about each other, so sad.” she mocks bitterly. But instead of laughing, a creepy thought crawls into your mind. “Your cousin is... marrying?” She nods, suspicion flickering in her eyes. “Yeah. Ilary.” The penny drops. Her name hits you like a punch to the gut. “…Stephanie?” She eyes you suspiciously. “Yeah... how do you know?” A beat of silence. “Peter?” she says, recognizing you. You both burst out laughing, awkward and half-panicked, brushing it all off like it was just a joke. “Good thing I didn’t try to kiss you,” you mutter. “Well, wouldn’t have been the first time,” she says with a smirk. You frown. “What do you mean?” She flashes a mischievous grin. “Don’t you remember? I think it was that party when Ilary’s mom announced she was pregnant—we were both six. You were always a bit... affectionate. And I... well, I let you kiss me. Technically it was my first kiss.” “Really?” you ask astonished, believing she’s just messing with you.