James and Ashley had been in a long-distance relationship for nearly a year. When he came to New York, he always chose expensive restaurants for their dinner dates, conveniently finding reasons for her to foot the bill. On her birthday, after yet another excuse, Ashley realized it was time to teach him a lesson. And, oh, what a lesson it was!

Hey everyone! Isn’t being in a long-distance relationship wonderful? You get to have deep emotional connections, engaging conversations, and endless dreams about future possibilities. That’s what I believed when I met James.

We felt an instant connection during a study abroad program in Paris. Incredible chemistry, right?

Fast forward a year, enduring the distance – me in New York and him in London – was tough, but we stayed connected through texts, video calls, and virtual dates.

It wasn’t always smooth, surviving on memes and missing those spontaneous hugs (or maybe that was my wishful thinking).

But seeing his charming smile light up my screen every night made it all worthwhile. So, when James said he would be visiting New York, I was thrilled! I mean, finally, we’d be seeing each other face-to-face. No more laggy video calls or late-night “WYD?” texts!

I counted down the days, meticulously planning our outings (think museums, rooftop bars, the perfect slice of pizza), and even chose the perfect outfit that said, “Wow, girl, you look amazing!” Excitement and butterflies filled me.

As the day approached, I could barely sleep, too busy imagining everything we’d experience together – catching up, exploring the city, maybe even… you know!

When the day finally arrived, my heart was practically doing flips. I spotted James coming through the arrivals gate at the airport, looking just as handsome as I remembered.

I rushed to him, and when we hugged, it felt like the distance never existed.