Mia Patel

The universe, it seemed, had finally run out of familiar faces to throw at Felix Ryder.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

Felix looked up from his laptop to find a woman he'd never seen before gesturing to the empty chair across from him. The café buzzed with the usual Friday afternoon energy, but something about her made the background noise fade away.

"Not at all," he replied, clearing his notebook from the table.

"Thanks. Every other spot is taken." She settled into the chair with a graceful efficiency, arranging her belongings -- a sleek tablet, a small notebook, and what appeared to be architectural sketches -- with practiced precision. "I'm Mia, by the way. Mia Patel."

"Felix Ryder."

For a moment, Felix waited for the familiar dizziness, the shimmer at the edges of his vision -- the telltale signs that he was about to be whisked away. But nothing happened. This was real. And unlike his previous encounters, Mia wasn't someone from his past. She was entirely new.

"Nice to meet you, Felix Ryder," she said, her smile revealing a slight dimple in her right cheek.

Something shifted in Felix's mind -- a subtle but profound realignment. Instead of analyzing the situation, calculating probabilities, or planning his next words, he simply ... existed in the moment. The spreadsheets, the patterns, the **** attempts to control his strange experiences -- none of that mattered now.

"What are you working on?" he asked, nodding toward her sketches.

"Redesigning an old brownstone into affordable housing units," Mia replied, turning one of the drawings so he could see. "I'm trying to preserve the character while maximizing the space."

"It's beautiful," Felix said, meaning it.

Their conversation flowed with surprising ease. Mia was an architect specializing in sustainable urban development. She laughed openly when amused and frowned thoughtfully when considering a point. Her hands moved expressively as she spoke, occasionally brushing her dark hair behind her ear.

When she asked about his work, Felix found himself describing not just what he did, but why it mattered to him. The software he helped develop wasn't just code -- it was a bridge between problems and solutions.

"I've never heard a developer talk about their work that way," Mia said, leaning forward slightly. "You sound like you actually care."

"I do," Felix realized, somewhat surprised by his own sincerity. "I just forgot for a while."

Two hours passed before either of them checked the time. What struck Felix most wasn't just how enjoyable the conversation had been, but how present he'd remained throughout. No mental timers, no strategic planning -- just genuine human connection.

"I should get going," Mia said finally, gathering her things. "This was unexpectedly nice, Felix."

"It was," he agreed, then added without hesitation, "Would you like to do it again sometime?"

Mia paused, her tablet halfway into her bag, and studied his face. Not with the wariness he'd grown accustomed to seeing in women's eyes when he'd fumbled through similar questions in the past, but with genuine consideration.

"I would," she said finally. "I'd like that very much."

They exchanged numbers, their fingers brushing as she handed him her phone. No electric shock, no cosmic sign -- just the simple warmth of human contact that somehow felt more significant than any of his supernatural encounters.

As Felix watched Mia leave the café, he realized something profound had changed within him. The displacements had shown him glimpses of paths not taken, but this -- this ordinary meeting with an extraordinary woman -- showed him the path ahead.

The next morning, Felix arrived at work with a clarity he hadn't felt in months. He tackled his projects with renewed focus, even volunteering for a challenging task. His manager noticed the change right away.

"Whatever you're doing differently, Ryder, keep it up," she said in person. "This is the developer I hired."

Felix nodded, realizing he valued her approval. "Thanks, I just needed to recalibrate."

That weekend, he texted Raj to catch the game at their old bar. His friend's enthusiastic response made Felix realize how much he'd withdrawn while chasing phantoms.

When Wednesday evening arrived, Felix approached his dinner with Mia differently. No rehearsed lines or strategic decisions, just himself, genuine and present, at a small Thai restaurant.

Mia, in a deep blue dress, smiled at him, and Felix felt something steady and real in his chest.

"I was half-worried you'd disappear," she joked.

"Not a chance," Felix replied, grateful for every encounter that brought him to this moment, ready for whatever came next.