The sun had begun its slow descent behind the city skyline, painting the horizon with strokes of soft gold and lavender. The rooftop café where Elise and Rachel had agreed to meet was tucked away from the usual bustle—a hidden gem with ivy-covered walls, string lights weaving between the beams, and mismatched wooden tables scattered across the terrace. A light breeze carried the scent of freshly brewed coffee and the faint sweetness of the potted lavender plants decorating the edges.
Elise spotted Rachel first, sitting by a corner table with a stunning view of the city below. She was wearing a casual, flowing sundress with a soft floral pattern, her hair loose in gentle waves. She was fiddling with the rim of her glass of sangria, looking lost in thought.
Elise smiled and made her way over, her heart lifting slightly at the familiar sight of her best friend. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed this—just the two of them, catching up without the cloud of supernatural chaos or body-swapping looming over them.
Rachel’s face lit up the moment she saw Elise, and she quickly rose from her seat.
“Oh my God!” she squealed, throwing her arms around Elise. “You look amazing!”
Elise laughed softly, hugging her back. “You saw me like two weeks ago.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t look this glowy two weeks ago,” Rachel teased, pulling back slightly to eye her suspiciously. “What’s going on? New skincare routine or secret spa weekends I don’t know about?”
Elise smirked but simply rolled her eyes as they sat down.
Once they settled, they ordered drinks—a rosé for Elise and another sangria for Rachel—and dove into casual conversation. They talked about their jobs, shared the latest office gossip, and complained about the price of rent. The easy flow of conversation felt like slipping into a familiar, comfortable rhythm, one neither of them realized they’d missed so much.
But eventually, the conversation slowed, and Rachel arched a playful brow, resting her chin on her hand.
“Okay,” she drawled, tilting her head slightly. “You’ve been wearing this little smirk all evening. Spill. What’s going on with you?”
Elise let out a soft, breathless laugh, suddenly feeling nervous. She glanced down at her wine glass, swirling the pale pink liquid in slow circles.
“There’s… something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” she began, her voice hesitant but carrying an underlying warmth.
Rachel’s eyes widened slightly, leaning forward. “Oh, this sounds juicy already.”
Elise’s lips curled into a small smile, but her fingers fiddled with the edge of her glass. She took a slow breath before finally meeting Rachel’s eyes.
“I’m… dating someone,” she admitted softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Rachel’s eyes widened, her mouth falling open slightly. For a moment, she was stunned into silence, then she clapped her hands excitedly.
“Wait, what?!” she practically shrieked, drawing a few glances from nearby tables. She ignored them, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Are you serious? Who? When? How long? I need details!”
Elise let out a breathy laugh, her cheeks flushing slightly. She glanced down at her drink before looking back up with a small, almost shy smile.
“It’s… Caelan,” she confessed quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Rachel froze. Her smile faltered for a brief second, eyes wide in surprise. She blinked at Elise, processing the revelation.
“Caelan? As in… your boss Caelan?” she asked, her voice somewhere between disbelief and excitement.
Elise bit her bottom lip and nodded, feeling a warmth spread through her chest despite her nervousness.
Rachel’s eyes grew even wider, and suddenly, she smacked her hand against the table in disbelief. “Shut up!” she nearly squealed. “You’re dating Caelan?! Since when?! How did this happen?! Oh my God, I knew it! I knew something was going on with you two!”
Elise dissolved into laughter at her friend’s reaction. She ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head with a playful smile.
“It sort of just… happened,” she admitted. “After everything with the body swap… it brought us closer. And then… well, things just kind of fell into place.” Her eyes softened slightly, her voice growing quieter. “We tried to ignore it at first, but it was impossible. I’m… I’m in love with him, Rach.”
Rachel’s breath caught slightly at the way Elise’s voice softened at the mention of Caelan. She could see it—the genuine affection glowing in her eyes, the way her lips curved subtly at the mere mention of his name.
Her eyes softened, and she reached across the table, grabbing Elise’s hand.
“I’m so happy for you,” she whispered sincerely. “You deserve this. You both do.”
Elise smiled, squeezing her hand.
They sat there for a moment, enjoying the shared happiness between them. But then Rachel’s eyes glimmered with mischief, and she leaned in with a teasing smirk.
“Okay, but like… is he as bossy in bed as he is at work?” she asked with a sly wink.
Elise’s face turned a deep shade of crimson, and she swatted at Rachel’s arm with a scandalized laugh. “Rachel!” she scolded playfully.
Rachel merely grinned smugly, swirling her sangria.
Elise shook her head, still blushing, but she couldn’t stop the small, dreamy smile from tugging at her lips.
And then, before Rachel could continue to grill her, Elise arched a brow and smirked.
“Actually… speaking of bosses…” Elise teased slowly, leaning on her hand and narrowing her eyes playfully. “I couldn’t help but notice you’ve been a little… glowy yourself lately.”
Rachel’s eyes widened slightly, her fingers stilling on her glass. She suddenly became very interested in the condensation on the rim of her glass.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she mumbled, her voice slightly too casual.
Elise narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. “Rachel.”
Rachel glanced at her best friend, a sheepish smile tugging at her lips. She exhaled slowly, setting her glass down and running a hand through her hair.
“Okay, okay…” she finally confessed, letting out a quiet laugh. She bit her bottom lip before meeting Elise’s gaze.
“I’m… dating Garrett,” she admitted softly.
Elise’s eyes widened, and she nearly choked on her sip of wine. She coughed slightly, blinking in surprise.
“Wait, what?!” she gasped, her voice rising slightly. “Since when?!”
Rachel bit her lip, looking slightly embarrassed but unable to suppress the soft, giddy smile tugging at her lips.
“Honestly? Since around the same time you and Caelan got together,” she admitted. “It just… sort of happened. After everything with you guys, Garrett and I spent so much time together trying to figure everything out. And somewhere along the line… I just started falling for him. I don’t even know when it happened. It just… did.”
Elise’s eyes softened with warmth, her face breaking into a wide grin.
“Oh my God,” she breathed. “You and Garrett. That makes so much sense.”
Rachel’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she smiled. “Yeah?”
“Yes!” Elise practically squealed. “You guys are perfect together. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” she scolded teasingly.
Rachel laughed, covering her face with her hands. “I was going to! I just… I wasn’t sure how to bring it up. It still feels so surreal, you know?” She peeked at Elise through her fingers. “I mean, come on. Me, dating my boss? It’s kind of ridiculous.”
Elise reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
“No,” she said softly. “It’s kind of perfect.”
Their eyes met, and for a moment, they simply smiled at each other—two best friends, both unexpectedly in love with the last people they ever imagined falling for.
The evening stretched on as they talked and laughed, sharing stories about their new relationships. Rachel described Garrett’s grumpy morning habits and how he secretly loved singing along to classic rock in the car. Elise gushed about the way Caelan softened whenever he looked at her and how he absentmindedly played with her hair when he thought she was asleep.
By the time they finally left the café, the stars had filled the sky, and the air was crisp and cool. They walked arm in arm down the sidewalk, still giggling and exchanging playful nudges.
And in that moment, everything felt right. They were both in love, both happy, and they had each other. No matter what came next, they would face it together.
Because that’s what best friends did.