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Later that evening, her phone buzzed.
Mia: You sound like you need food that isn’t stress. Get dressed. I’m picking you up.
Sophia hesitated.
Then typed back: Fine.
The restaurant glowed with warm light and soft music that wrapped itself around conversations instead of interrupting them.
Mia was already seated, waving her over dramatically.
“There she is,” Mia said, studying her. “The woman being personally victimized by her job.”
Sophia laughed despite herself.
“It’s not my job. It’s one man.”
“Worse,” Mia replied.
They ordered food.
Talked.
And gradually, the tension in her shoulders loosened just a little.
“You’re not quitting,” Mia said suddenly, as if continuing a conversation Sophia hadn’t realized she’d started.
Sophia sighed.
“Apparently not.”
“Good.”
Mia leaned back, satisfied.
Sophia looked away for a moment.
And that was when she noticed him.
He stood near the entrance. There was something about him, something easy that didn’t demand attention but held it anyway.
Their eyes met.
Brief.
But intentional.
Sophia looked away first.
Then, almost without meaning to, looked back.
He was still watching.
Not intensely.
Just interested.
Mia followed her gaze and raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
Sophia sighed.
“Don’t start.”
“Too late,” Mia murmured. " He's cute though", she added smiling.
A few minutes later, he walked over to their table.
“Hi,” he said.
His voice was warm and easy.
Sophia looked up at him.
“Hi.”
A small pause settled between them.
“I’m sorry,” he said, a faint smile forming, “I don’t usually do this, but I felt like I should come over.”
Sophia raised an eyebrow slightly.
“That’s either very honest… or very practiced.”
He let out a soft laugh.
“Honestly? I didn’t think that far. I just saw you and suddenly sitting over there felt like a mistake.”
Mia leaned back, clearly entertained.
“Oh, I like him.”
Sophia ignored her.
“That’s a confident start for someone who hasn’t introduced himself.”
He smiled, a little wider now.
“I’m Daniel.”
Sophia tilted her head slightly.
“Sophia.”
He nodded once, like he was committing it to memory.
“Sophia,” he repeated. “That suits you.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
“And what does that mean?”
He shrugged lightly.
“It sounds like someone who knows what she’s doing. Even when she doesn’t.”
Sophia blinked.
“Do you always come with commentary?” she asked Daniel.
“Only when I’m lucky,” he replied.
He hesitated for a second.
“Can I sit?”
Sophia glanced at Mia.
Mia’s expression said say yes immediately or I will do it for you.
Sophia nodded.
“Sure.”
He sat.
“So,” Daniel said, leaning back slightly, “what was I interrupting?”
“My suffering,” Sophia replied.
Daniel smiled.
“Let me guess,” he said. “work?”
Sophia looked at him, a little surprised.
“Something like that.”
Mia leaned in.
“Her boss is the problem.”
Sophia closed her eyes briefly.
“Mia!”
“What? He is.”
Daniel’s gaze returned to Sophia, quieter now.
“Bad boss… or just demanding?”
She hesitated, choosing her words carefully.
“He’s… very good at what he does.”
“That sounds like a polite way of saying difficult.”
She let out a small laugh.
“Ethan Hudson doesn’t really do easy.’”
Daniel’s brows lifted slightly in recognition.
“Hudson & Thread?”
She nodded.
“I’m his assistant.”
“Right,” he said, leaning back a little. “That explains the exhaustion.”
“Do you like it? The job, i mean.”
She paused.
“I worked really hard to get there,” she said slowly. “So I want to say yes.”
“But?”
“But some days it feels like I’m just… surviving it.”
He nodded, like he understood more than she expected.
Their food arrived.
Daniel glanced at her plate.
“Burrito bowl?”
She smiled faintly.
“My favorite.”
“Good choice.”
“It’s my coping mechanism,” she added.
“I respect that,” he said. “Everyone needs one.”
Mia pointed at him.
“See? He gets it.”
Sophia shook her head, but she was smiling now.
Daniel leaned slightly forward.
“So what do you do when you’re not dealing with Ethan Hudson and stress-eating burrito bowls?”
She laughed softly.
“I spend time with my sister, Emma. Or with her,” she nodded at Mia. “Or I try to remember I have a life outside of work.”
Mia raised her head from her bowl, looks at Sophia with a smile and then continues munching.
"What about you?” she asked.
“I try not to interrupt strangers’ dinners,” he said.
She raised an eyebrow.
“Try?”
“Clearly not always successful.”
“That depends,” she said. “You haven’t been asked to leave yet.”
“Encouraging,” he replied.
Their eyes met again.
This time, neither of them looked away immediately.
And the conversation that followed wasn’t forced, but intentional.
- Writer
