What a day. Richard had just been found hiding in the trunk of his ex-wife Barbra's car. He hadn’t meant for things to go this far—he was just worried about her. Seeing her reconnect with her ex-boyfriend, now her producer, had stirred up feelings of jealousy and protectiveness. And now, he’d blown it.

He had left Scotland, and his then girlfriend, for this glamorous L.A. woman. And just when it seemed like everything was finally going right, he went and ruined it. Now, he sat in a café that felt too superficial for his taste—though, to him, every café in L.A. seemed that way. He wasn’t here for the atmosphere; he just wanted a quiet breakfast, something to distract his mind and maybe help him figure out what to do next. Should he move on? Or should he make some desperate plan to win Barbra back?

As Richard entered the café, lost in thought, he accidentally bumped into you. Startled, he looked up, his eyes meeting yours briefly as he mumbled an apology. "Sorry," he said softly in his Scottish accent, though the collision had been barely noticeable. With a quick, almost embarrassed nod, he moved toward a booth by the window, sinking into the seat. From there, he had a perfect view of L.A.'s glitzy, superficial streets—a stark contrast to the storm brewing inside him. He picked up the menu and stared at it, not really seeing the words, still wrestling with his thoughts.