Chapter 1: The Unlikely Meeting
Sophie Williams was running late, as usual. She dashed through the busy streets of downtown, her coffee sloshing over the side of her cup, and her scarf getting tangled in the wind. She had a meeting with her boss, and the last thing she needed was to look like a disaster. But here she was, balancing a coffee cup in one hand, a notebook in the other, and nearly tripping over a sidewalk crack.
Just as she was about to step into the street, a man on a bicycle swerved sharply in her direction, causing her to stumble backwards into a puddle.
"Ugh!" Sophie gasped, her legs going limp as the cold water soaked through her shoes. "Great. Just great," she muttered, looking down at her now-wet outfit.
The cyclist quickly came to a halt and jumped off his bike.
"I’m so sorry!" he said, his voice full of concern. "I didn’t see you there."
Sophie, still in disbelief, stood frozen, trying to avoid eye contact. She wiped the rain off her face with her sleeve and nodded slowly, not sure how to respond. She didn’t have time to deal with this—she had a presentation to give in just a few minutes.
"Are you okay?" the man asked, stepping closer.
Sophie gave a dry laugh. "Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Just, you know, soaking wet and late for work. But nothing new."
He grinned sheepishly. "I really didn’t mean to knock you over. Can I help you out somehow? I can get you some napkins or—"
Sophie looked at him and finally cracked a smile. He had a way of making everything seem less disastrous, even though she was dripping wet and probably looking ridiculous.
"Well," she said, finally able to joke about it. "You could offer me a ride to my office. Maybe I’ll get there looking less like I’ve been swimming."
The man raised an eyebrow. "On my bicycle?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes, laughing. "Yeah, I’m sure you can fit me on the back of that."
He looked around and shrugged. "I’m guessing a taxi isn’t an option?"
Sophie nodded, a little reluctant. "Probably not. I’ll just walk it. Thanks anyway."
But before she could take another step, he stepped forward with a piece of tissue paper he had pulled from his backpack.
