Lunch with Marcus

The next day I met Marcus at the sandwich shop like we'd planned. I kept the conversation light at first, asking about his classes and how things were going with the youth group. We got into a deeper talk about faith, temptation, and how easy it is to fall when no one's watching. Marcus was all in on the discussion, quoting scripture and nodding along like he was preaching to me.

Then his phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at it and smiled. "Amy just texted," he said casually, already typing back. My ears perked up at the name. Amy. That was it. I hadn't remembered it from the first time we met, but now it was locked in.

Marcus apologized and said he had to reply real quick. Before he could even finish, someone he knew from church walked in and waved him over. Marcus stood up, still apologizing, and walked over to the cashier with the guy to grab something. His phone sat there on the table, screen still open on the message thread.

I didn't hesitate. I reached over, grabbed it, and scrolled up fast. Her full name popped right up—Amy Thompson—and right below it, her number. I punched both into my phone in seconds, heart pounding the whole time. I set his phone back exactly where it was before he even turned around.

Marcus came back a minute later, still chatting with the guy, completely unaware. I just sat there, sipping my drink, already thinking about how I'd use that number. Amy. Marcus's girlfriend. The next one I was going to take.