⯠+ when megan first meets adam
   Megan knew she should have skipped the coffee. Although she was never late to the office â always a half hour early as custom â the long line made her anxious. When customers began sitting down at tables rather than waiting in line, she followed suit. Accepting the fact she might be a few minutes late, she opened her pocket secretary to check her emails.
   The scrape of a chair made her look up. The man that sat down seemed somewhat familiar, though she couldnât recall ever being introduced. Was it in passing? A conference? âUmmâŠâ She furrowed her brow. âCan I help you?â
   âNeeded somewhere to sit,â he replied. âThought you wouldnât mind some company.â
   âDo I know you from somewhere?â
   âHere, actually. Nameâs Adam.â
   âOh, okay. Iâm Megan. Nice to meet you.â Satisfied that she had been polite and hadnât made a social faux-pas, she returned to her email.
   There was a bit of a pause before the man spoke again. âSo do you come here often?â
   She didnât look up from her task. âOn my way to work. Itâs the only one on this street.âÂ
   âRight.â Another pause. âCan I buy you a coffee?â
   âI already purchased it.â
   âThen next time?â
   âWhy?â Her focus turned to him, eyes narrowed with scrutiny. She must have seemed angry rather than confused, because he looked nervous. He was only trying to be kind, and she had appeared offended. She needed to right it. After an attempt to soften her expression, she tried again. âWhy would you want to?â
   âIâd like to get to know you. If⊠thatâs alright.âÂ
   âO-ohâŠâ Adam had seemed to hesitate, which made her feel worse now that sheâd caught on to what he was trying to say. He was certainly patient. Though this was far from what she had expected today, she gave him a soft smile. âOf course! Iâm so sorry,â she said with a laugh. âYou probably think the worst of me.â
   He seemed encouraged by her response. âNo, I wouldnât say that.âÂ
   His smile warmed her heart. This felt unreal, like some book romance. It felt⊠right. She knew she had to go for it. Take the chance. She barely knew the man, but there was some thrill to it. And he felt⊠safe. For her, that was a risk worth taking.Â
   âHow about dinner?â she asked. âIâll pay for myself, since you just offered coffee. Donât want you to spend too much⊠I can give you my number. I leave the office at five, but⊠if youâd rather another time, Iââ
   âSix? And donât worry about it. My treat.â
   She felt a surge of excitement. This would keep her mind occupied through the day. A blush tinted her cheeks as she responded. âSix sounds great.â