The Journey

1| Blueprints & Boundaries

Nycole Pov

I had just gotten out of a meeting and was heading to the café to check in on the renovation process, but first, I made a quick stop at Shake Shack. Alien Superstar was playing through my speakers, and I was in a full vibe — until my phone started ringing.

I sighed when I saw the caller ID. Mama.

I turned the music down and hit answer. "Hey, Mama."

"Hey," she said, voice warm but edged with that familiar note. "I haven't heard from you since last week."

Here we go.

"I know," I replied, pulling into an open space. "I've been busy with opening the new café."

"How's that going?"

"It's going well. Just finishing up the painting and they are about to install the floors" I said as I pulled into the parking lot.

"That's good. You know I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks mama. How was your day?"

"It was good, I had lunch with Ad—"

I immediately rolled my eyes. I already knew where that was going.

"I gotta go. Love you," I said, cutting her off as I stepped out of the car.

"Love you too."

I hung up before she could circle back around to him. I knew how that conversation went: He's really changed. You should at least answer his messages. No thank you.

The second I stepped out of the car, the smell of burgers and fries hit me. The lot was half-full, late lunch crowd still trickling in. I locked my car and headed inside, humming the last line of Alien Superstar under my breath.

As soon as I walked through the door, something in me prickled. That feeling of being watched. You know when your body knows before your eyes do? My shoulders tensed for half a second.

I glanced around casually.

Nobody staring. I shook it off and walked up to the counter.

The menu overhead glowed bright. My stomach answered before my brain could. I ordered my usual — ShackBurger, fries, strawberry lemonade — and gave my name. The cashier smiled and turned to enter it.

That's when I heard a man's voice slide in behind mine.

"Yeah, lemme get the same thing she got — and add cheese fries. Put it on the same order."

I blinked and turned, confusion simmering into irritation. The man was standing way too comfortably close, like we'd come in together. Tall, with dark shades on inside, hoodie, designer sneakers. He pulled out a sleek black card like it was a magic trick.

"Excuse you?" I said slowly, brows raised. "I don't even know you — why are you adding your order to mine?"

He smirked, lips curling like he thought he was charming. "Baby girl, you don't even know who I am."

"I don't care who you are," I shot back. "This isn't a group order."

He held up the black card like a flex. "Relax. I'm paying for your meal."

I laughed once, dry. "You're right — I don't know you. But I'm not a charity case. I can pay for my own meal."

The cashier looked between us like she wanted to disappear.

"You my charity case," he said, tilting his head. "Why don't you give me your number, and we can hang out sometime?"

I stared at him for a long second, letting the silence speak first. He clearly wasn't used to hearing no. He had that energy — the type that probably had women falling over themselves in his DMs and thought that translated to the real world.