The following Saturday, Nairobi was unusually quiet. The city had exhaled after a week of chaos—traffic jams, power outages, and political noise. But in a small café tucked between a bookstore and a flower shop, Zed waited.
He wore a simple white shirt, sleeves rolled up, and a pair of jeans that had seen better days. He wasn't trying to impress. He just wanted to be real.
Joey arrived five minutes late, wearing a navy-blue dress and a denim jacket. Her hair was tied back, her eyes alert but soft. She spotted Zed and smiled—a small, cautious smile that made his heart skip.
"Hey," she said, sliding into the seat across from him.
"Hey," he replied. "You look… like you read poetry in the rain."
She laughed. "That's oddly specific."
"It's a compliment."
They ordered coffee—hers black, his with too much sugar—and settled into conversation. It started light: favorite books, worst dates, childhood nicknames. Joey told him she used to be called "Joey Beans" because she hated beans. Zed confessed he once wrote a breakup letter in rhyme.
But beneath the laughter, there was tension. Not bad tension—just the kind that comes when two people are trying to figure out if what they feel is real.
Joey leaned forward. "So… why me?"
Zed blinked. "What do you mean?"
"You could've talked to anyone. Why me?"
Zed paused. "Because you didn't try to be seen. You just were. And that made me want to see more."
Joey looked away, touched but unsure. "I've been seen before. It didn't end well."
Zed nodded. "I'm not trying to end anything. Just trying to begin."
They sat in silence for a moment, sipping coffee, letting the words settle.
Joey smiled. "You're good at this."
"At what?"
"Making people feel safe."
Zed shrugged. "Maybe because I know what it's like not to."
They talked for hours. The café emptied, the sun dipped, and the city began to glow. When they finally stood to leave, Zed walked her to the bus stop.
As the bus approached, Joey turned to him. "Thank you. For today."
Zed smiled. "Thank you. For replying."
She stepped onto the bus, turned, and waved.
Zed watched her go, heart full, mind quiet.