C16 The Unexpected Encounter

“Table for one?” the waitress asked with a polite smile.

“Yes, please. Somewhere by the window,” I replied.

The streets of the city hummed with life as I made to sit at my table. I needed a moment of peace, a place to collect my thoughts before diving into the next phase. The familiar aroma of roasted coffee beans washed over me.

The world outside moved like clockwork, but inside