30
Rebecca was running five minutes late, according to a chaotic series of texts. She had suggested an old neighborhood bar near the Simple Tower that reminded Ava of the early days at STÄDA, when the team would unwind for happy hour every week. When she arrived she slid into the booth, dropping her bag on the table with a thud. It was overflowing. Something heavy and oddly shaped at the bottom of the bag prevented it from standing upright, so she leaned it against the wall before removing her earbuds and dropping them in. Ava imagined the earbuds making their way to the bottom of the bag, where they would almost certainly be crushed by the heavy, irregular object.
Rebecca had a wide, pale face and long brown hair that had been straightened. A few small hairs lining her part gave away th
