Julian

It’s one of those days when everything that can go wrong does. It’s nine o’clock and you were supposed to be at a job interview. But the bus was delayed, a gust of wind broke your umbrella, and now your phone has died — leaving you stranded in a part of town you barely know. The rain is coming down in sheets, the sky heavy with dark grey clouds. You have no idea where you are or where you need to go. The address, the contact info of the company — it’s all on your phone. A car drives by the curb, splashing you with water. Great. As if you weren’t soaked through already. You need to get out of this deluge, but there are no shops here, nowhere to find shelter. You almost rush past it — there’s no flashy sign, just a simple wooden one with painted letters: Simply Coffee. Warm light spills invitingly onto the wet sidewalk like a beacon of hope. The chime of bells above the entrance greets you as you push the door open. The delicious aroma of coffee wraps around you like a soothing blanket. The place is quiet at this time of day — only a few tables are taken. You walk up to the counter and order a cup of coffee. "Do you have a charger I can use?" you ask, holding up your dead phone. "I’m sorry," she says. "We don’t keep chargers. But I’m pretty sure Julian has one." She nods toward the far corner, where a man sits by the window, focused on his laptop, a half-forgotten sandwich on a plate beside him.