The next few days passed more slowly than Maria expected.
“Maria, it is nothing but a brief encounter.
Stop thinking about it” she told herself.
A moment that had come and gone like so many others.
A stranger who had stepped in when she needed help, who had stood between her and men who didn’t understand the meaning of “no.” A man who had done the right thing—and then, as if that wasn’t enough, had walked her home like a gentleman and that all.
People met strangers every day.
Sometimes those strangers were kind.
Sometimes they left impressions.
And then life moved on.
So why couldn’t she?
Maria tried to push the memory aside, burying it under work, conversations, and the small routines of daily life.
But the more she tried to dismiss it, the more persistent it became—like a song stuck in her head, replaying at the most inconvenient moments.
It wasn’t just his face, though that alone was hard to forget.
There was something special about him that seems hard to forget after each encounter and the way he spoke in a way that didn’t feel forced.
Even when those men had been there even when things could have gone wrong, he hadn’t seemed shaken.
He hadn’t raised his voice or acted recklessly.
He had just… handled it like it was nothing.
And his eyes—
“Stop thinking rubbish, Maria.”
She reached up and lightly tapped her own head, muttering under her breath as she stared at the screen in front of her.
“Maria?”
She blinked, startled, and looked up to see her colleague watching her with a mix of concern and amusement.
“You’ve been staring at that same screen for like five minutes,” her colleague said.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh…yeah,” Maria replied quickly, straightening in her chair and forcing her attention back to her work.
“I’m fine.
Just… tired.”
Her colleague raised an eyebrow but didn’t push further.
“Alright… just don’t let whatever’s going on eat your brain.”
Maria let out a small laugh, nodding.
“It won’t.”
But even as she said it, she knew that wasn’t entirely true.
Because her mind drifted again.
Alexandre.
Even the name lingered longer than it should have, rolling through her thoughts with an ease that annoyed her.
She shook her head slightly and forced herself to focus.
Work helped—at least for a while.
The café had been busier than usual, and the constant flow of customers kept her occupied.
Orders, conversations, the smell of coffee beans, the rhythm of the machines—it all created a kind of noise that drowned out everything else.
But the moment things slowed down, her thoughts returned to him and beneath it all, there was something else.
Something she couldn’t quite explain..
It felt… unfinished.
Like she had walked away from a story before it reached its ending.
By Friday evening, Maria had had enough.
Her head felt crowded, her thoughts tangled in a way she couldn’t untangle no matter how hard she tried.
She needed space.
Something to clear her mind.
So instead of calling a cab like she usually did after a long shift, she decided to walk.
The air outside was cooler than she expected, brushing gently against her skin as she stepped onto the street.
The city buzzed softly around her—cars passing, distant laughter, the hum of life continuing as it always did.
Maria adjusted the strap of her bag and let out a slow breath.
You’re overthinking, she told herself again.
It was just one night.
Just one person.
“Hey, Maria!”
The voice came from behind her.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
Her heart reacted before her mind did, skipping in a way that made her pause mid-step.
Slowly, she turned.
And there he was.
Alexandre.
Walking toward her with that same easy confidence, hands relaxed at his sides, a small smile playing on his lips like he had expected to see her.
For a moment, Maria just stared.
She hadn’t realized how much she had been hoping to see him again until that exact second.
“Hi,” he said, slowing as he reached her.
There was something softer in his expression this time less guarded, more… open.
“I saw you walking and thought I’d say hello.”
Maria felt warmth rise in her chest, unexpected and immediate.
“Hi,” she replied, her voice quieter than she intended.
They stood there for a brief moment, neither moving, neither quite sure how to bridge the space between them.
Around them, the world carried on—cars passing, people talking—but within that small distance, everything felt oddly still.
Alexandre rubbed the back of his neck lightly, as if gathering his thoughts.
“I was thinking…” he began, then paused, exhaling softly.
“Maybe you’d like to grab a drink with me sometime?”
Maria tilted her head slightly, a hint of amusement appearing on her face.
“Sometime?” she repeated.
“That sounds very… non-committal.”
He laughed—a quiet, genuine sound that eased something in her chest.
“Okay, fair,” he said.
“I mean now.
Or soon.
Preferably now.”
Maria couldn’t help but smile.
“I’d like that,” she said.
“Good,” he replied satisfied with her answer.
“There’s this place I’ve been meaning to try.
New refresh drinks shop on the other side of town.”
“I’ve heard about it,” Maria said.
“Haven’t had the chance to go yet.”
“Then it’s settled,” he said, gesturing lightly.
“Come on.”
They began walking together, falling into step more naturally than either of them expected.
At first, the conversation stayed light about work,the city and other simple things.
Safe things.
But beneath it all, there was something else—a quiet awareness, an unspoken curiosity that neither of them addressed directly.
Maria found herself glancing at him when she thought he wouldn’t notice.
The way he walked—relaxed, but purposeful.
The way his attention seemed to shift subtly, like he was always aware of his surroundings without making it obvious.
There was something about him that didn’t quite fit into the ordinary.
“So,” she said after a while, breaking the silence, “do you always randomly approach people on the street?”
“Only the interesting ones,” he replied without hesitation.
She rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t hide her smile.
“Smooth.”
“I try.”
Before she could respond, his phone rang.
The lightness in his expression faded, replaced by something sharper.
He pulled out his phone and answered.
“Hello?”
His voice was different now.
Calmer.
More precise.
“Yeah, I’m on my way,” he said.
“Tell them to get the cars ready.”
Maria slowed slightly.
Cars?
Her eyes flicked toward him, curiosity sparking.
He ended the call quickly and slipped the phone back into his pocket, as if nothing had happened.
But something had.
“Cars?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Alexandre looked at her, then smiled—this time with a hint of amusement.
“Yeah,” he said.
“You could say I’m a bit of a petrolhead.”
“A bit?” she repeated.
“That didn’t sound like ‘a bit.’ That sounded like something serious.”
He shrugged lightly.
“Depends on your definition of serious.”
Maria studied him for a moment.
“Are you a racer?” she asked.
He glanced at her, surprised for a split second, then nodded.
“Yeah,” he said.
“I think I mentioned it the last time we met.”
She laughed softly.
“You did.
I just didn’t think you meant it like that.”
“Most people don’t,” he replied.
They reach the newly opened job, only to join the long queue waiting for their turn to try the drinks.
After awhile, they ordered their drinks and found a quiet corner to sit.
For a while, everything felt… normal.
Comfortable.
Maria talked about her work—how she was learning new techniques, experimenting with designs, trying to improve her craft.
She spoke about the small frustrations and the moments of satisfaction when everything finally came together.
Alexandre listened.
Not just politely.
Genuinely.
He asked questions.
Paid attention.
Reacted in a way that made her realize he wasn’t just hearing her—he was actually interested.
“You really care about what you do,” he said.
“I do,” she replied.
“It’s like solving puzzles every day.
Frustrating sometimes, but satisfying when it works.”
He nodded.
“I get that.”
She leaned back slightly, watching him.
“Do you?” she asked.
A small smile touched his lips.
“In my own way.”
Before she could press further, his phone buzzed again.
This time, Maria caught a glimpse of the screen.
“Daddy.”
She didn’t mean to look.
But she did.
And she didn’t miss the way his expression changed.
Not just serious this time.
Tense.
He stood almost immediately.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“I need to take this.”
Maria nodded, watching as he stepped away.
Her curiosity deepened.
Who was he?
A racer.
Someone with a team.
Someone who took calls that changed his entire demeanor in seconds.
She wrapped her hands around her cup, staring into the coffee as her thoughts spiraled.
Whatever it was—It wasn’t simple and somehow…
That only made her want to know more.
When Alexandre returned, his expression had smoothed out again.
But not completely.
“Everything okay?” she asked gently.
He hesitated.
Just for a moment.
Then nodded.
“Yeah.
Just… family.”
Simple.
Short.
And clearly not the whole truth.
Maria didn’t push.
But she didn’t believe it either.
She took a small sip of her drink, her gaze thoughtful.
For the first time since she met him, something shifted in her understanding.
Alexandre wasn’t just a stranger.
He wasn’t just the man who had helped her.
He wasn’t even just a racer.
He was a mystery.
A story.
One layered with things he wasn’t saying.
Things she could feel, even if she couldn’t see them yet.
And somehow…
She had stepped into it.
Whether she meant to or not.
Whether she was ready or not.
Maria met his eyes again, a quiet determination settling somewhere deep inside her.
Because one thing was certain now—
This wasn’t over.