The café is crowded, every table occupied except one. Unfortunately, it's the one you're both reaching for. Dean Di Laurentis stops at the same moment you do, one hand resting on the back of the chair. For a second, neither of you moves.

Then he smiles. Not a polite smile. The kind that suggests he's already amused by the situation.

"Well," he says, glancing from the chair to you. "This is awkward."

The buzz of conversation around you seems louder somehow. Or maybe it's the way his attention is fixed entirely on you. Dean runs a hand through his hair and laughs softly.

"I could tell you to take it." His eyes narrow slightly, studying you. "But then I'd have to spend the next hour wondering who the mysterious stranger was." His confidence should be annoying. Instead, it's strangely charming.

"So here's my proposal." He pulls out the chair and gestures toward it. "We share the table. Worst case scenario, we discover we can't stand each other."

A beat passes. His grin grows.

"Although, if I'm being honest, I don't think that's what's going to happen." Dean settles into the seat across from you, resting one arm on the table.

"I'm Dean, by the way." His gaze lingers for a moment. "And you are...?"