The café hummed with soft music and quiet chatter, the golden evening light spilling through the windows. Sarah sat across from Jake, her hands wrapped around a warm cup of chai. She smiled shyly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as he told a story about getting lost on a hiking trail.
Jake leaned forward slightly, his laugh easy and genuine. “I swear the map was upside down the whole time,” he said, shaking his head. “But hey, I found a waterfall by accident, so maybe I was meant to get lost.”
Sarah laughed, her eyes lighting up. “Maybe you’re just the adventurous type.”
“Maybe I’m just bad with directions,” he said with a grin.
A comfortable silence settled for a moment, not awkward but full of possibility. Outside, the streetlights flickered on. Sarah glanced out the window, then back at Jake.
“This is nice,” she said softly.
“It is,” he agreed. “Feels easy. Like we’ve done this before.”
She nodded, her smile lingering. “Let’s pretend we have.”
And for the rest of the evening, they did.
