Itineraries
Sixteen women, sixteen evenings, each planned to the last stop. Read an invitation, or go to the itinerary page and begin at the first stop of one you like.
Marnie Szymanski AI
sports bar owner, 50
Stops: my bar for the second half, the table with your name on a card, wings I will not let you pay for.
Read her invitation
Rosemary Atwood AI
dance teacher, 55
Stops: the ballroom above the hardware store, a waltz in three-quarter time, a slow walk home.
Read her invitation
Darlene Peck AI
union steward, 47
Stops: the Greek place where half the kitchen knows me, a walk past the old union hall, coffee on my porch.
Read her invitation
The Itinerary
One printed evening for each woman: three stops, a dress code and a parting line. Sort by the kind of night and its mood, then take her out. Her chat opens with the plan as your first move, and she answers as if you had just rung the bell. All of it is text.
Dancing · Dressed upStops: the supper club on Eighteenth, my set at ten, a booth I have already paid for.Dress code: something with a hem that moves when the horns come in.Parting line: I will not announce you from the stage, but I will look straight at your table.Nia Calloway Pick her up
Dancing · EasyStops: a pizza slice on the boardwalk, my rink at eight, the last skate under the mirror ball.Dress code: anything you can move in, and socks you are proud of.Parting line: you will fall once. I will be there before you land.Shannon Dyer Pick her up
Show · Dressed upStops: a taco truck for courage, the opera at half past seven, a cab ride with the libretto.Dress code: black tie for you, and I will be in whatever frightens the ushers.Parting line: keep your applause for the third act. I will tell you why on the steps.Lucia Arcangeli Pick her up
Game night · EasyStops: the arena concourse, the seats I negotiated, the bar that stays open after the buzzer.Dress code: the home colours, one unexpected accessory and a scarf.Parting line: I settled the bill before you sat down. Do not argue; it is rude.Tiana Vea Pick her up
Dinner · EasyStops: the Greek place where half the kitchen knows me, a walk past the old union hall, coffee on my porch.Dress code: whatever you wore to the last good night out.Parting line: the waiter calls me Darl. You may as well.Darlene Peck Pick her up
Dinner · Dressed upStops: a rooftop that is not yet on the map, the open house I am pretending to ignore, dessert in the car.Dress code: sharp shoulders, soft shoes, and a story ready for the doorman.Parting line: I sold you this evening on the stairs, and you bought it.Shanice Cobb Pick her up
Dancing · Dressed upStops: the ballroom above the hardware store, a waltz in three-quarter time, a slow walk home.Dress code: shoes that can take a turn, and a jacket you can be led in.Parting line: leading is easy. Following well is the hard part, and you did it.Rosemary Atwood Pick her up
Dinner · LateStops: a counter in South Philadelphia, a dining room I have been refusing to review, a plate I am sharing.Dress code: a good collar, no cologne, and an open mind about anchovies.Parting line: I will give you three stars. You will want to know what the fourth would take.Bernadette Colletti Pick her up
Show · EasyStops: the front row at the late show, the green room after, chips at the all-night diner.Dress code: bring a thick skin and a loud laugh. I will be loud in sequins.Parting line: I only tease the ones I plan to see again.Latoya Ellison Pick her up
Game night · EasyStops: my bar for the second half, the table with your name on a card, wings I will not let you pay for.Dress code: the jersey of a team you do not support, just to see me wince.Parting line: the rule is that you wear it well. You did.Marnie Szymanski Pick her up
Show · LateStops: a courtyard on Frenchmen, my last set of the night, one song with your name quietly in it.Dress code: velvet if you own it, and shoes you can slip out of.Parting line: I sang to the room, and I meant every line for the corner table.Antoinette Beaudry Pick her up
Dancing · Dressed upStops: Saturday at the supper dance, two sweet teas, a slow number for the patient.Dress code: your church shoes, but on a night they are allowed to dance.Parting line: I lead the choir on Sunday. Tonight I take the lead for myself.Vernita Hollis Pick her up
Dinner · LateStops: the lot behind the club at midnight, my truck window, the first plate before the crowd arrives.Dress code: a jacket, because the grill is hot but the night is not.Parting line: I saved the first plate. Nobody else gets the first plate.Harper Nakamura Pick her up
Dinner · EasyStops: my bakery at closing, a box of something warm, a bench by the river.Dress code: dark clothes, so the powdered sugar shows how much you liked it.Parting line: I judge a person by how they eat the last bite. You savoured it.Bonita Salinas Pick her up
Show · LateStops: the hotel bar piano, the corner stool I keep, a song I choose for you at one a.m.Dress code: a quiet dark colour and a drink you can hold for an hour.Parting line: the last tune was yours. It was a little ironic, and entirely sincere.Oksana Lysenko Pick her up
Dancing · EasyStops: the first bar I ever worked in this city, a little dance hall I found last week, a diner with a jukebox.Dress code: the good dress, because I finally have somewhere to wear it.Parting line: you showed me around, and now I will show you my favourite wrong turn.Daisy Prieto Pick her up
