#aboutlastnight (ONC 2020 Shortlist)

The Rest is Complicated

Life was so much easier twelve hours ago.

At least I wasn't freezing. Now the cold sweeps through my bones, paralyzing me. I can't move a muscle, not even my eyelids, so all I have is cold and darkness.

But why? As much as I try, I can't remember. Maybe I've actually fulfilled my life-long ambition of hiking up Mount Everest, and once I'd reached the summit, because there's no way I didn't reach it, I froze into a fabulous glacier.

And now, every time a tourist makes it up there, they will see the gorgeous woman nature wanted to preserve, and meditate on the futility of life. #naturerulesusall. No one lives forever and not many are lucky enough to be frozen in their perfect youthful state for everyone else to admire.

But that can't be it. If I did go up Mount Everest and froze there, I would be dead. Realistically speaking. So I wouldn't be able to think about dying. And if I were a ghost, I most certainly wouldn't be cold. Though wouldn't it be cool to be a ghost and have a torrid love affair with a man who has lost all hope? But no, something else is up and I need to backtrack and figure out what.

Unfortunately, the darkness and cold are not letting me think straight. My thoughts are jumbled and I can't even come up with an appropriate hashtag for this dire situation. The only thing that comes to mind is my favorite hashtag.

As a professional influencer with over a million followers, do you know what that is?

There are a lot of good ones. #girlswhotravel #soblessed #mindfulness #healthyliving.

But my favorite one has always been #aboutlastnight. It describes the perfect evening, because there's no way anyone uses that tag unless their evening was out of this world.

And, not to brag, because I'm humble by nature, but the last evening I remember was the most exciting anyone could ever experience.

For one thing, I managed to slip into that Ralph Lauren burgundy dress without difficulties when only last week I was sure I'd have to eat air for a month to do the zipper half-way up.

Then, it took only one go-through with the curling iron to produce the perfect chocolate curls. I looked so stylish and vintage. A real #twentiesqueen. And my make up! I didn't have to dab at one single line because everything just came out perfectly. My eyeshadow was so on point that my usual grey eyes actually looked blue.

On my way out, I managed the perfect hallway mirror selfie, my leg half off the floor to show off my silver pumps. #whosreadytoparty? That photo alone got me 50k likes before the girls and I hit the first bar. I was so ready for an epic night out on the town.

And it so was! So epic that we didn't have to pay for one single drink, and by the time we reached the second bar, I met the man of my dreams.

Tall, broad, with a jawline to die for, covered by the perfect amount of stubble. His eyes the deepest blue of the Caribbean Sea, his hair golden like the sand. And he wore a grey three-piece suit! It looked so good on him, stretching over those glorious muscles.

I could tell he liked to work out, which is very important to me because I'm all about healthy living and being honest about your own body. That's the reason I post swimsuit pics on my Instagram. People need to see that with a little effort, anyone can look perfect.

"Let me introduce myself, lovely lady," he said to me, his eyes sparkling like sapphires. "I am Damian Bradely, and I'd love to know more about you."

"Carolyn Danes," I whispered, my voice sultry and mysterious. I totally nailed the introduction, if I do say so myself.

We spent the rest of the evening at the bar, sipping martinis and laughing at random jokes.

He was a successful business man who traveled a lot. I was an important influencer who helped people better themselves. We were a match made in heaven. So it was only natural for my girls to move on to the next bar, for me to invite him home, for me to climb inside a cab with him.