The Operation

The plan was supposed to be foolproof. I'd spent three days curating the perfect Instagram aesthetic, two hours on my hair (those beach waves weren't happening naturally, no matter what TikTok said), and exactly forty-seven minutes psyching myself up in front of my mirror.

"You've got this, Maya," I whispered. "You're not creepy. You're thorough. There's a difference."

My bulldog, Buster, let out the world's most unimpressed snort from my bed.

"Oh, like you'd understand," I told him. "You're the same dog who got his head stuck in a fence last week chasing a squirrel."

Buster thumped his tail sarcastically.

The mission: casually "run into" Jake at the coffee shop he frequented on Saturdays. The execution: my older brother was supposed to drop me off, but his car wouldn't start. Which is how I ended up walking Buster, who insisted on marking every single tree along the three-block route.

By the time we reached the coffee shop, my hair had achieved what I call "enthusiastic frizz."

Jake was there. Of course he was there, looking unfairly good in that hoodie that made his shoulders look broad. I froze. Buster did not. He spotted Jake's golden retriever outside and went full bulldog charge—which is to say, an enthusiastic, heavy waddle.

"Buster, NO!" I hissed, but the damage was done.

Jake looked up. His eyes met mine. His dog greeted mine like they were long-lost best friends.

"That's your dog?" Jake asked, grinning.

"Unfortunately," I said, mortified.

"He's got personality." Jake bent down to pet Buster. "I'm Jake, by the way."

"Maya."

"Nice to officially meet you, Maya." He gestured to my hair. "I like the curls."

My face caught fire. "Thanks. It's, uh, the natural look."

Jake's golden retriever chose that moment to shake off, spraying water all over both of us.

We laughed. And somewhere in my pocket, my phone buzzed with a text from my brother: "Seen u & Jake from my window. smooth operation, spy sis. u owe me."

Sometimes the best operations aren't the ones you plan. They're the messy ones with bulldogs and bad hair days and brothers who think they're hilarious. And honestly? That wasn't bull at all.