The evening stretched on, and the café had quieted down as the night grew darker. The comforting hum of soft jazz music filled the air, the sound of quiet conversations mixing with the clinking of cups and the occasional rattle of chairs.
Nick and Sylviane had lingered at the table for a while now, both lost in thought. The feeling of familiarity between them had only deepened with every passing moment, but neither knew exactly how to explain it. It wasn't something they could put into words.
Nick finally broke the silence, his voice quieter than before. "Do you think… it's possible that we've met before, even if we don't remember it?"
Sylviane glanced at him, her brow furrowing slightly as she considered his question. "I don't know. It's… strange. We've never crossed paths, right? I mean, you would've remembered me."
"I would think so," Nick said, his fingers tapping nervously against his cup. "But it feels like… I don't know. Like I'm supposed to know you."
Sylviane hesitated, chewing on her lip. "Yeah, it's like this nagging feeling I can't shake. But… I don't think we've met. Not before today."
Nick nodded, though he wasn't sure he believed it. He couldn't ignore the strange pull he felt toward her, as if some invisible force was drawing them together. But how could we have met before?
"Maybe we just have one of those faces," Nick joked lightly, trying to ease the tension. "You know, where people think they've seen you somewhere even though they haven't."
Sylviane smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Maybe. Or maybe… maybe it's something else."
Nick looked up at her, a sudden realization crossing his mind. What if this isn't just a coincidence? The thought sent a strange chill down his spine.
Before he could voice his next question, his phone buzzed. It was a text message from Patrick: "Hey, man. You still at the café? Something's… weird. Call me when you can."
Nick furrowed his brow and quickly typed a reply: "Yeah, I'm still here. What's up?"
The message came through almost immediately: "I can't explain it, but I feel like something's off. I think I might have been set up on the wrong date."
Nick's heart skipped a beat. His phone buzzed again: "I'll explain later. Just… something doesn't feel right."
"Everything okay?" Sylviane asked, noticing his shift in demeanor.
"I… I don't know," Nick replied, shaking his head. He looked back at his phone, feeling the weight of the conversation. Could this be about the connection we're both feeling?
Sylviane's expression softened. "If something's bothering you, you don't have to stay. We can always meet up some other time."
Nick was torn. On one hand, he wanted to stay with Sylviane, who felt like the only thing in his life that made sense right now. On the other hand, Patrick's message sounded serious, and he couldn't ignore it.
"I think I should go meet my friend," Nick said reluctantly. "He's… I don't know. Something's off with him."
Sylviane nodded, her face understanding. "I get it. You should go check on him."
Nick smiled gratefully, standing up from the table. "Thanks for understanding. I'll make it up to you. Maybe we can do this again sometime?"
Sylviane smiled, her eyes softening. "I'd like that."
As Nick walked out of the café and into the cool night air, the feeling of familiarity clung to him like a heavy fog. He wasn't sure what was happening, but something about today felt like the start of something much bigger than a simple date.
[Meanwhile, Patrick and Sylvia]
Patrick sat in a booth at the other café, his fingers tapping nervously against his phone. He had felt unsettled ever since he and Sylvia had parted ways, but the feeling had intensified with every passing second. He stared out the window, watching people pass by in the dark, their lives completely unaware of the strange connection that was beginning to form between him and Sylvia.
What the hell is going on? Patrick thought, feeling the weight of his thoughts. He couldn't shake the sensation that this was all part of something much bigger than a simple mix-up of dates.
His phone buzzed, snapping him from his thoughts. It was a message from Nick: "Are you sure everything is okay?"
Patrick typed back quickly: "I don't know. Something just feels off about today. Like I was meant to meet Sylvia, but at the same time, I feel like I'm in the wrong place."
The response came almost instantly: "I'm starting to feel the same way. Something's definitely up. I'll talk to you more about it later. I'm meeting up with Sylviane."
Patrick stared at the screen for a moment, his mind racing. What did Nick mean by that? But before he could think more about it, he heard a voice call his name.
"Patrick?"
He turned, his eyes meeting Sylvia's, who had just stepped into the café. She looked different now, a subtle change in her expression that made him pause.
"Hey," he said, standing up. "You okay?"
Sylvia smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah. Just… needed to talk."
[Back to Nick]
Nick hurried down the sidewalk, his footsteps echoing in the quiet street. The air felt colder now, the weight of the evening pressing down on him. What if we were supposed to meet someone else?
He felt a chill creep up his spine again, the sense that something bigger was unfolding just beneath the surface. But who? And why?
As he rounded the corner, he saw Patrick standing on the sidewalk, looking up at him with wide eyes.
"Patrick," Nick called out, catching his breath as he walked toward him. "What's going on?"
Patrick didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked past Nick, his eyes searching the street as if expecting someone to appear.
"Nick, I think… I think we were supposed to meet the wrong person today," Patrick finally said, his voice low. "I don't know why, but… it feels like we weren't meant to meet Sylvia and Sylviane."
Nick frowned, his heart racing. "What are you talking about?"
Patrick looked him dead in the eye. "I think we were supposed to meet each other's dates."
Nick's breath caught in his throat. "What? But we—"
"I don't know, man," Patrick cut him off. "I can't explain it. It's just… this weird, gut feeling."
Nick stood frozen for a moment, the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place.
So, it wasn't just me…