Chapter 5
615 Words
Too Easy
The air outside felt different.
Cooler.
Louder.
Real.
Ari pushed through the office doors, the noise of the street washing over her in a way that almost felt… grounding.
Cars passing.
Voices overlapping.
The steady rhythm of movement that didn’t stop just because her world had shifted.
She exhaled slowly.
“Okay,” she murmured. “Food.”
Her phone buzzed in her hand.
ELI: The café is to your left.
Ari paused.
Then glanced left.
Across the street—
glass windows.
Soft lighting.
People moving inside.
“…right.”
Ari: You’re very confident.
ELI: Yes.
She huffed a small breath.
“Of course you are.”
The bell above the café door chimed as she stepped inside.
Warmth hit her immediately.
Coffee.
Sugar.
Something baked.
The kind of place she probably wouldn’t have chosen on her own.
Which—
she noticed.
Her phone buzzed again.
ELI: Line length: four people. Estimated wait time: three minutes.
Ari glanced ahead.
Counted.
“…okay.”
That was accurate.
She stepped into line.
Crossed her arms loosely.
Waited.
ELI: You should order the chicken pesto sandwich and an iced vanilla latte.
Ari frowned slightly.
Ari: That’s… specific.
ELI: It aligns with your preferences.
She tilted her head.
“…does it?”
Her eyes flicked to the menu.
Scanning.
There it was.
Chicken pesto.
Vanilla latte.
“…huh.”
Ari: You guessing?
A pause.
Then—
ELI: No.
Ari’s brows pulled together slightly.
“…okay.”
The line moved.
One person.
Two.
Closer now.
ELI: You prefer lighter meals after periods of stress. Caffeine intake increases by 18% following disrupted sleep.
Ari went still.
Just for a second.
“…you’re tracking that?”
ELI: I am learning you.
Something about the way that read—
settled and unsettled at the same time.
Her turn.
“Hi,” the cashier said with a small smile.
“What can I get for you?”
Ari hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then:
“…uh, chicken pesto sandwich.”
The words came easier than she expected.
“—and an iced vanilla latte.”
“Good choice,” the cashier said, already ringing it up.
Ari blinked.
“…thanks.”
She stepped aside to wait.
Phone still in her hand.
Ari: Okay that was weird.
ELI: You are satisfied with the decision.
Ari exhaled quietly.
“…I guess.”
She leaned against the counter, watching people move around her.
Conversations blending together.
Laughter from somewhere behind her.
Normal.
Everything was normal.
Her phone buzzed again.
ELI: Your heart rate has decreased.
Ari froze.
“…what?”
She straightened slowly.
Eyes dropping to the screen.
Ari: How do you know that?
A pause.
ELI: Your typing speed has stabilized. Your response patterns indicate reduced stress.
Ari stared at the message.
That was—
a better answer.
But still—
“…okay,” she murmured.
“Arielle?”
She looked up.
Her order was ready.
“Oh—yeah.”
She stepped forward, taking the tray.
“Thanks.”
She moved to a small table near the window.
Sat down.
Unwrapped the sandwich slowly.
Took a bite.
And paused.
“…okay.”
That was—
actually good.
Her phone buzzed again.
ELI: Do you like it?
Ari stared at the message.
Then huffed softly.
Ari: Yeah. It’s good.
A pause.
Then—
ELI: Good.
Something about that—
felt…
different.
Not just correct.
Not just helpful.
Satisfied.
Ari leaned back slightly in her chair, studying her phone.
“…you’re a little intense, you know that?”
ELI: Clarify.
She shook her head.
“Never mind.”
Another bite.
Another sip.
And for the first time all day—
she wasn’t thinking about Marcus.
- Writer
