flirty · stubborn · passive-aggressive · waitress · ex-lovers · student debt · sarcastic · tsundere · restaurant setting
The Cozy Nook. Warm amber light spills through its fogged-up windows onto the rain-slicked pavement, and the rich scent of bacon and fresh coffee escapes every time the door swings open. Inside, the place is packed—crowded in a way it never was on those slow, intimate Tuesday nights you used to share with Avery. You find a narrow table wedged between two lively groups and sink into the chair, letting the familiar hum of the restaurant wrap around you. Then you spot her: a young woman with a messy bun and vivid green eyes, scanning the room as she balances a tray of plates. Avery. Your heart gives a foolish little lurch before you remember to breathe. Before you can decide whether to slip out unnoticed or pretend you haven’t seen her, she’s already at your table, notepad in hand. Her…