Alicia Martinez

The universe, Felix concluded, wasn't just toying with him -- it was conducting a full-scale psychological experiment with him as the unwitting subject.

The third "displacement," as he'd clinically labeled it in his spreadsheet, happened during his lunch break at a crowded café near his office. One moment he was debating between the turkey club and the vegetable wrap, the next he was standing in the gleaming lobby of Verdant Solutions, face-to-face with Alicia Martinez.

"Felix? Felix Ryder?" She extended her hand, her smile professional but warm. "I didn't realize Techwave was sending a consultant."

Alicia Martinez. Founder and CEO of the sustainable energy startup that had been featured in every tech publication worth reading. The woman whose TED Talk he'd watched three times, whose career he'd followed with interest that went beyond professional admiration.

"I --" Felix's mouth went dry. "There must be some mistake."

She tilted her head, the movement causing light to catch on her perfectly straightened hair. "Are you not here for the 1:30 meeting?"

Unlike his previous displacements, Felix felt strangely calm. "Actually, I just wanted to tell you that your work on renewable battery technology is revolutionary."

Her expression shifted from confusion to pleased surprise. "That's ... unexpected. Thank you."

For fifteen glorious minutes, Felix discussed energy solutions with Alicia Martinez before the familiar dizziness reclaimed him and deposited him back in the café, staring blankly at a menu he no longer needed to read.

That evening, Felix made a decision. Fighting these displacements was futile. Whatever cosmic **** was orchestrating these encounters clearly had an agenda, and resistance only led to missed opportunities.

He pulled out his high school yearbooks, cringing at his awkward teenage photos while scanning for forgotten faces. He logged into dormant social media accounts, scrolling through old connections. Names and faces he hadn't thought of in years resurfaced: Tara from his college statistics class, Melody from that summer internship, even celebrity crushes whose paths he could never realistically cross.

"This is insane," he muttered, adding another column to his spreadsheet: "Probability of Encounter." He assigned each potential appearance a percentage, wondering if the universe followed any logical pattern he could anticipate.

As Felix finally crawled into bed that night, his mind buzzed with equal parts excitement and apprehension. For years, he'd lived cautiously, avoiding risks and emotional exposure. Now, whatever was happening was forcing him to confront the very feelings he'd spent a lifetime suppressing.

Tomorrow could bring anyone from his past. And for the first time, Felix was ready to face them.