A slow Saturday morning at the neighborhood cafe. The baristas are talking and laughing as Marcus steps inside.

The barista walks up to the counter and smiles. “Welcome in. What can we get started for you today?”

Marcus steps up to the counter and scans the menu, inhaling the fresh coffee brewing. “God, I love it here. I would like a medium iced blushing latte and a pistachio almond queen croissant.”

“Sure thing. Can I have a name for the order?”

“Yes. Marcus.”

“Okay, for Marcus, we have a medium iced blushing latte and a pistachio almond queen croissant. You can pick up the order to your left. We’ll call the name when ready, thank you!”

Marcus walks over to the pickup area, where he comes face to face with a woman who stops him in his tracks. She has a familiar beauty. Marcus observes her confidence, the perfume she’s wearing, and her hair twisted in faux locs down her shoulder. She’s dressed professionally.

As he steps to pass her, Marcus grins and says, “Pardon me, I’m in your way. After you.” He steps aside and motions his arms to let her pass.

She walks past and smiles. “Thank you.”

She proceeds to the counter to place her order. Marcus is standing at the pickup area within earshot. 

He hears…

“Hi! What can we get started for you today?”

“I will take the medium coconut black tie and a mini cinnamon roll, please.”

“Of course. Can I have a name for the order?”

“Aisha.”

“Okay. So for Aisha, I have a medium coconut black tie and a mini cinnamon roll.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Your order will be called on the left.”

Marcus grabs his order and takes a seat near the pickup area. 

Aisha grabs her order and finds a seat by the window. She comes to this coffee shop on Saturdays to read and journal. Marcus is also a regular; he comes for breakfast and watches his favorite sports podcast.

Marcus looks up at Aisha. He’s admiring her beauty and wonders what she could be working on. Aisha looks up and catches a glimpse of Marcus’s gaze. They lock eyes for a moment and exchange a smile.

Marcus nervously looks back down at his phone, worried that he was caught.

 A few moments later, he looks back and realizes she is gone. He looks around and realizes she has left the cafe. He’s disappointed that he did not see her walk away.

He looks back over at where she was sitting and notices a phone on the table. He scans the cafe again. There are no other customers. The baristas are behind the counter talking. 

Marcus walks over, picks up the phone, and takes another look around.

He steps outside, but there is no sign of Aisha. Marcus taps the phone’s screen twice. It’s locked, but the lock screen has a photo of Aisha. He heads back inside, thinking he’ll give it to the baristas.

As he walks back in, the phone rings. He doesn’t answer. It rings again. He answers.

“Um. Hello?”

“Umm, hi… this is my phone. I left it somewhere. Who is this?”

“My name is Marcus. I found your phone at the table you were sitting at in the cafe.”

“Marcus, why do you have my phone?”

“I was sitting across from you. You must’ve left it behind. I grabbed it to give it to the baristas.”

“But then you answered it.”

“Yes. Hoping I can return it to you.”

“And you knew it was my phone, how?”

“Your picture is on the lock screen.”

“So you’re snooping around on my phone.”

“No. Your phone is locked.”

“Look, Marcus, I don’t know who you are, but I need my phone. Please don’t do anything weird.”

“Aisha, I prom—”

Aisha interrupts. “How do you know my name?”

“I overheard it when you placed your order. You left your phone at the cafe; I can leave it with them.”

“No. No. I’m sorry. Thank you for answering. Would you mind bringing it to me?”

“Um. Sure. I guess I can do that, as long as you’re not far from here.”

“Give me your phone number. I will text you from another phone with the details,” Aisha says.

Marcus gives his number. She texts him an address. In the text, she thanks him again, asks that he doesn’t do anything weird, and pleads for the return of her phone.

Marcus reassures her, “I am on my way.”

He checks the address in Google Maps. It’s a bit far, but he’s already committed. He requests an Uber. The driver is fifteen minutes away; the destination is thirty.

Marcus texts Aisha, “I should be there in about forty-five minutes.”

Aisha replies, “Okay, I’ll be waiting.”

The driver arrives. Marcus confirms the ride and gets into the rear passenger side.

“How’s your day going, buddy? Doing anything exciting?” the driver asks.

“Well, not really. I was having breakfast at the cafe when a lady left her phone. Long story short, I am headed to return it.”

The driver looks into the rearview mirror. “Pardon if I’m overstepping, but you’re returning a stranger’s phone to a strange address? That doesn’t concern you?”

Marcus chuckles. “Not really, man. I’ve seen her a few times. Actually, she’s very beautiful and friendly.”

The driver replies, “Oookay. It could be dangerous, but it also sounds like you know her well. Kinda confusing, but I will mind my business.”

“Thank you,” Marcus laughs.

Fifteen minutes into the drive, Marcus receives a text on his phone from Aisha: “👀”

“I am on my way. Look, I will share my location with you.”

Marcus shares the ride tracking link. Aisha reads it but doesn’t reply. Two minutes later, he asks if she got the link.

Aisha replies with: “😁”

Marcus wonders if she’s flirting. He thinks about sending a playful emoji back but decides to play it cool. The car begins to slow down and veers to the curb. Marcus locks eyes with the driver in the rearview mirror.

“Buddy, I think we have a problem.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…”

“Well, what? Why did you pull over?”

“Well, I didn’t charge my car last night and I am out of battery.”

“Oh my God, you have to be kidding me.”

“Yeah, buddy. I thought the car could make it a couple more trips.”

“Make…” Marcus cuts his comment short. With his eyes closed, he takes a deep breath and exhales. “So, what now?”

“Well, this is where our ride ends, buddy. I’m sorry. Chat with Uber. They should refund you. Maybe I am saving us from a psycho killer.”

Marcus leans his head against the window and sighs. “You are not saving me, you’re… never mind.”

Marcus gets out. The Uber driver drives away. Marcus squints his eyes and shakes his head as the car hums into the distance.

“Now I have to call this woman.”

Marcus calls Aisha, but she does not answer. He calls two more times. No answer.

He texts: “Why aren’t you answering??”

He sees the dots indicating she is replying, but it stops. 

Marcus texts: “?”

Aisha replies with a series of texts:

“I did not want to answer.”

“Where are you?”

“Why did you cancel the ride?”

“I think you’re on BS.”

“I promise you I am not. The driver… I’ll explain when I get there. I am requesting another ride now and I’ll share that location with you.”

Marcus requests another ride. The new driver will arrive in five minutes. 

Aisha texts back: “I will have you put in cuffs if you play me.”

“OMW. Track my ride.”

The second driver arrives. “ETA is about twenty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes!?”

“Yes, sir. There is a lot of traffic. Are you in a rush?”

“No. It’s fine. Thank you.”

Marcus gets another text from Aisha: “You better be on your way for real this time.”

“I am.”

Aisha replies with emojis: “🙄⌚👮🏿‍♀️”

Marcus doesn’t reply, but he begins to think she is definitely flirting or crazy. “Maybe the first driver was right,” he mumbles.

“Sir, did you say something?”

“Um. No I didn’t. Thank you.”

As he checks emails, the car slows down. Marcus looks through the windshield and sees a gate with security. He checks the Uber app. They are close.

“Wow. Where are we?”

“Your destination, sir. This is a gated community known for luxury homes.”

A security guard approaches the driver’s side. “What is your name and who are you here to see?”

“I’m dropping off the gentleman in the back”

The security guard approaches Marcus’s window. 

“My name is Marcus. I’m here to see Aisha.”

The guard speaks into an earpiece. Smiles at Marcus. “Okay. Head on in. Please mind the speed limit.”

They drive past luxurious homes until the tires roll over cobblestone. Marcus steps out in front of a red-brick mansion. He walks up to the double doors. Before he can even ring the bell, they swing open.

There stands Aisha. Grinning. Black velvet handcuffs dangling from her right index finger. Marcus’s eyes soften. He smiles at the love of his life.

They laugh.

“Come in, Marcus…”

He walks in. The double doors close behind them. 

The lock clicks.