A Pause in the Chaos
They ducked into Pine & Bean, a cozy little café on the corner, shaking off the rain as the doorbell chimed above them. The warm scent of fresh pastries and roasted coffee filled the air, making Mia's stress momentarily melt away.
"Pick whatever you want. It's on me," she offered as they stepped up to the counter.
Jake smirked. "I'll take a black coffee. No sugar."
Mia wrinkled her nose. "That's so… plain."
"It's classic," he defended. "What about you?"
"Caramel latte. Extra sweet."
Jake shook his head with a chuckle. "Figures."
Once they got their drinks, they found a small table by the window, where raindrops slid down the glass like tiny rivers. The outside world was still rushing by, but inside, it felt like time had slowed.
"So, what's got you sprinting through the streets in the rain?" Jake asked, stirring his coffee.
Mia sighed, slumping in her chair. "Work. I'm always late, and my boss is going to fire me at this point."
Jake took a sip of his coffee and shrugged. "Maybe this was the universe telling you to slow down."
Mia rolled her eyes playfully. "Easy for you to say. Do you have a job that requires you to be exactly on time?"
He smirked. "Actually, I'm a photographer. My schedule is flexible, unless I have a shoot."
Mia's interest piqued. "What do you photograph?"
"Mostly cityscapes, but I love capturing people when they're not posing—just real moments." He gestured toward her. "Like right now. You're not stressing about work, you're just here."
Mia blinked, realizing he was right. For the first time in weeks, she wasn't anxiously checking her phone or worrying about her boss. She was simply enjoying the moment.
"You must meet a lot of interesting people," she mused.
Jake nodded. "Some, yeah. But most of the time, I just observe. People are fascinating when they think no one's watching."
She took a slow sip of her latte. "That sounds… peaceful. My job, on the other hand, is just chaos. I work at a marketing firm. Tight deadlines, demanding clients. I barely have time to breathe."
Jake tilted his head. "Do you love it?"
Mia hesitated. "I used to. But now… I don't know. It's like I'm always chasing something, and I don't even know what anymore."
Jake studied her for a moment. "Maybe you're chasing the wrong thing."
His words settled deep in her chest, leaving her quiet for a moment. Before she could respond, a loud clap of thunder rumbled outside.
To be continued...