Ariana sat at the corner booth of the café, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup absentmindedly. It was an ordinary Thursday evening. The kind of night that seemed to stretch endlessly with no real promise of anything exciting. She'd agreed to this date out of sheer curiosity—or maybe because she was tired of the quiet, predictable routine she had been following for the past few months. Her gaze flickered to the clock on the wall, noting that she was right on time.

A blind date, set up through a dating app. Something about it felt almost... ridiculous.