The bell above the café door jingled as Alex stepped inside. The smell of coffee and fresh cakes filled the air. Soft music played in the background. At a corner table sat a young woman in a blue dress, looking at her phone.
Alex's hands felt sweaty. He wiped them on his pants and walked toward her table.
"Sophia?" he asked, his voice cracking a little.
She looked up and smiled. Her dark eyes were kind, and her long black hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail.
"Alex? Hi!" She stood up and held out her hand. "It's nice to officially meet you."
"You too," Alex said, shaking her hand. "Sorry if I'm a little late."
"Only by two minutes," Sophia said with a small laugh. "I've been counting."
Alex smiled despite his fears. At least she had a sense of fun.
"Should we order?" he asked, pointing to the bar.
They walked up together. Alex got a simple black coffee while Sophia ordered a caramel latte with extra whipped cream.
"Sweet tooth?" Alex asked as they returned to their table.
"Guilty," Sophia admitted. "Life's too short not to enjoy the sugary things."
Alex relaxed a tiny bit. This wasn't as weird as he'd feared.
"So," Sophia said, stirring her coffee, "should we talk about how weird this is?"
Alex nearly choked on his coffee. "What?"
"Our parents setting us up like it's 1950." She rolled her eyes. "My mom has been talking about you non-stop for days. 'Alex is so responsible. Alex has such a good job. Alex is so handsome.'"
"I'm sorry," Alex said, feeling his face get hot.
"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault." Sophia took a sip of her coffee, leaving a dot of whipped cream on her nose. "I just want you to know I'm not expecting anything. We can drink our coffee, tell our parents we tried, and move on with our lives."
Alex gave her a napkin and pointed to his own nose. "You've got a little..."
"Oh!" Sophia wiped her nose, looking ashamed. "Thanks."
For the first time since walking into the café, Alex laughed. A real laugh.
"What's so funny?" Sophia asked.
"Nothing. Just... this whole situation."
Sophia laughed too. "I know, right? My grandma keeps asking when the wedding is."
"Mine too! It's like they've already decided for us."
They both shook their heads, smiling.
"So, Alex Rivera," Sophia said, leaning forward. "Tell me something about yourself that isn't on my mom's approved husband checklist."
Alex thought for a moment. "I collect comic books. The old ones, from when I was a kid. My best friend Ethan and I used to save our allowance to buy them."
"Ethan? The one from your parents' Christmas party? Tall guy, talks a lot?"
"That's him," Alex said, surprised she remembered. "We've been friends since first grade."
"That's cool. Most of my school friends moved away after college." Sophia took another sip of her latte, more carefully this time. "I have a secret collection too, but not books. I gather old typewriters. I have seven so far."
"Typewriters? Really?"
Sophia nodded. "I love the sound they make. And how you have to mean every word you type because it's so hard to fix mistakes."
"That's... actually really interesting," Alex said, meaning it.
For the next hour, they talked about their jobs (Sophia had just started at a marketing firm), their families (she had two older brothers who teased her constantly), and their favorite books (they both loved mysteries).
The more they talked, the more Alex found himself enjoying Sophia's company. She was smart and funny and easy to talk to. Not once did she make him feel pushed or uncomfortable.
As they finished their drinks, Alex noticed something surprising: he was having a good time.
"Do you want to walk around the park across the street?" he asked, not ready to end their meeting yet. "It's a nice day."
Sophia smiled. "I'd like that."
The park was small but pretty, with a duck pond in the middle and benches under shady trees. They walked slowly along the path, watching kids fly kites in the open field.
"Can I ask you something personal?" Sophia said after a while.
Alex tensed. "Sure."
"Are you doing this just for your parents? Meeting me, I mean."
Alex stopped walking. He could lie and say no, but something about Sophia made him want to be honest.
"Yes," he admitted. "At first. But I'm glad I came."
Sophia nodded. "Same. My mom nearly pushed me out the door this morning."
They kept walking, a comfortable silence between them.
"My last boyfriend was... not great," Sophia said suddenly. "He cheated on me with my roommate. That's why I moved back home after law school."
"I'm sorry," Alex said. "That's awful."
"It was. But maybe it was for the best. We wanted different things anyway." She kicked a small stone on the road. "What about you? Any bad breakups?"
Alex's mind flashed to Ethan. Not a breakup, but a different kind of sadness.
"Not really. I haven't dated much lately."
"Too busy with work?"
"Something like that," Alex mumbled.
A group of ducks waddled across their path, headed for the pond. Sophia stopped to watch them.
"I like ducks," she said. "They seem so peaceful on the surface, but they're paddling like crazy underneath."
"Kind of like people," Alex said.
Sophia turned to look at him. "Exactly like people. Everyone's fighting a battle no one else sees."
Their eyes met, and Alex felt something shift. Not sexual feelings, but understanding. Sophia got it—the feeling of pretending to be fine when you're not.
"What's your battle, Alex?" she asked softly.
The question caught him off guard. He looked away, watching the ducks fly across the pond.
"I'm in love with someone who will never love me back," he said, the words slipping before he could stop them.
Sophia didn't seem shocked. "How do you know they won't love you back?"
"Trust me. It's impossible."
"Because...?"
Alex hesitated. He'd never told anyone about his feelings for Ethan. But Sophia was practically a stranger. Sometimes it was easier to tell the truth to someone who didn't know you well.
"Because he's my best friend. And he's straight. And he's dating someone."
"Ethan," Sophia said. It wasn't a question.
Alex nodded, looking at the ground. "Please don't tell anyone. My parents would—"
"I won't," Sophia promised, touching his arm softly. "Your secret is safe with me."
Alex felt a weight lift from his chest. Saying it out loud made it real, but also less scary somehow.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"For what it's worth," Sophia said, "I understand impossible love. My first love was on my brother's best friend. He never even knew I existed."
They started walking again, the road taking them back toward the café.
"So what now?" Alex asked. "What do we tell our parents?"
Sophia thought for a moment. "We could tell them we had a nice time. Which is true. And that we'd like to see each other again."
"You want to see me again?" Alex was surprised.
"Why not? I like talking to you. And it keeps our parents happy." She smiled mischievously. "Plus, I could use a friend who understands Duck Theory."
Alex laughed. "Duck Theory. I like that."
As they reached the café parking lot, Alex checked his phone. Three missed calls from Ethan.
"Everything okay?" Sophia asked.
"I need to call my ride," Alex said, suddenly remembering Ethan was meant to pick him up.
"I can drive you home," Sophia offered. "My car's right here."
Alex paused, then nodded. "Thanks. Let me just text him so he doesn't worry."
As Sophia opened her car, Alex quickly typed: "Got another ride. Talk later."
Almost instantly, Ethan replied: "With her? Must be going well."
Alex looked at the message, trying to read between the lines. Was Ethan happy for him? Jealous? Just being a friend?
"Ready?" Sophia called, already in the driver's seat.
"Ready," Alex answered, getting into the passenger side.
On the way to his apartment, Alex found himself thinking about Sophia's words. Maybe seeing her again wasn't such a bad idea. She was easy to talk to, and she knew his secret now.
And maybe, just maybe, spending time with her would help him get over Ethan.
When they reached his building, Sophia put the car in park. "This is it?" she asked.
"This is it. Thanks for the ride."
"Thanks for the coffee and conversation."
Alex opened the door, then stopped. "Would you like to go to dinner sometime? As friends," he added quickly.
Sophia smiled. "I'd like that."
As Alex watched her drive away, he felt strangely upbeat. Not about romance, but about opportunity. Maybe his parents' crazy idea wasn't so crazy after all. Not for the reasons they thought, but for reasons all his own.
He climbed the stairs to his apartment, wondering what he would tell Ethan about his day. Half-truths seemed safer.
But when he opened the door, he froze. Ethan wasn't alone. Olivia was there too, and they were sitting close together on the couch.
"There he is!" Ethan said, jumping up. "The man of the hour! How was your date with the future Mrs. Rivera?"
Alex forced a smile, suddenly aware that his safe place—home—didn't feel safe anymore.
"It was just coffee," he said, closing the door behind him. "Not a date."
But as Ethan's arm wrapped around Olivia's shoulders, Alex couldn't help thinking that maybe it should have been.