"A DM is either a disaster or a destiny."
That night, sleep was an impossible concept for Patricia. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was the flat expression of Cathal Bonnar and the all-knowing smile of Andrea Corr. Her quiet hotel room felt like an interrogation chamber, and Patricia was both the defendant and the prosecutor in her own trial.
"You said 'nice'!" she whispered to the ceiling, cringing. "As if you were commenting on the weather!"
She rolled over, grabbing her phone for the hundredth time. Her fingers opened Instagram, then hovered directly over the 'Message' button on cathal.b's profile.
Her logical, Frau Schmidt mind immediately took over. Don't do it, Patricia. That's a desperate move. You had your moment, don't ruin it by being the weird, annoying fan.
But then, "The Crazy One" whispered back. But Andrea practically pushed you to do it! This isn't being annoying, it's... common courtesy! Yes! You have to thank them properly, not with that squeak from earlier!
The internal debate lasted for nearly an hour. Patricia even typed out a few drafts in her notes app.
Draft #1: Hi Cathal, it's Patricia from backstage. Thanks so much, sorry I was so weird! (Too pathetic.)
Draft #2: It was a pleasure to meet you. Hope the rest of the tour goes smoothly. (Too cold, like a business email.)
Draft #3: So... are you always that gloomy or was it just me? (Way too bold. Delete! Delete!)
Finally, with a long, deep breath, she typed out the simplest, safest message.
Hi Cathal. Patricia here. Just wanted to say thanks again for the chance to meet earlier. It really meant a lot. Enjoy the rest of the tour.
Her finger hovered over the 'Send' button. This felt more stressful than a final exam. One, two, three... Press. Sent.
Patricia immediately threw her phone across the bed as if it were red-hot. Done. She'd done it. Now all she could do was wait... or, more likely, not. The message would probably be read and then ignored.