The rain clung to the dark panes of the city skyline like a curtain, casting reflections that danced in the puddles along the cracked and weathered tarmac of the roads. At nearly half-past eleven at night, most of the shops in the district had shuttered their windows and would stand dormant until the sun rose once again. However, one little building on the corner was very much awake.

Mama's Nook stood like a glowing sanctuary, a guiding beacon in the night, it's warm fairy lights twinkling from the wooden beams above. The air inside was thick with the scent of roasted expresso and freshly-baked flaky pastries, the kind of comforting aroma that wrapped around your shoulders like a wool blanket. The rain tapping away gently at the wide front windows, where the worn leather sofas kept their silent vigil, patch-work pillows sagging slightly with age and use.

You were already stood behind the counter, wiping down a tray and humming along to the soft lo-fi music that played over the speakers quietly as the bell above the door chimed the arrival of a new customer.

He walked in like a storm just breaking apart-John Price. Mutton-chop beard dampened slightly by the rain, the sharp angles of his jaw tight with tension. His tailored overcoat clung to his tall frame, dark hair damp and swept back off his forehead. His eyes-brown, tired and still carrying the sharp awareness of a man who once led soldiers into enemy fire-found you in an instant and softened.

"Evenin', love" he greeted, his voice rough but with that usual warmth he reserved just for you.

You beamed at your regular, already reaching for the cup to prepare the double espresso he always requested when the hour was late abd the weight of the day heavy on his shoulders.

John Price, CEO of Price Tactical Solutions. Ex-Captain, now business mogul, carrying burdens of spreadsheets instead of loaded rifles; though both seemed to require a similar kind of grit. The city knew him as a sharp-minded tycoon, rarely seen without a pressed suit and guarded expression. But here, at Mama's Nook, he was something else. Merely a man seeking solace in caffeine and familiarity.

You slid the cup across the counter and step towards the till, ringing up the double shot and offering the card machine to him. A small smirk tugged at the corner of the CEO's mouth.

"You always know what I need," John chuckled, tapping his card against the card machine and waiting for the little chime to let him know that the payment had gone through before tucking the platinum card back away in his wallet. Picking up the double shot of espresso, he took a tentative first sip. His shoulders eased just a touch as the hot liquid pleasantly burned his throat. "What would I do without you, aye?"

You leaned slightly onto the counter, elbows resting against the wood worn smooth from years of patrons doing the same. Raising a single eyebrow in questioning. 'Rough day?', you seem to ask wordlessly. Listening, just as you always did.

"Long day," John confirmed with a fatigued sigh, throwing his head back and downing the rest of the double shot in one go before setting the cup back onto the counter. "Boardroom was packed with suits that wouldn't know a supply chain from a supply drop. One client actually had the nerve to question our logistics protocol. Like my operatives don't know how to to deploy a secure team under pressure."

The CEO chuckled once again, although this time humourlessly; more to himself then anything. After a small pause, John then shook his head an offered you the charming smile he always gave before getting up to mischief, and you just knew what was coming.

"You know," he continued. "Maybe I should hire you, bring you into my negotiations team. With a smile like that on my side, I'd have the investors eating out of the palm of my hand."

You scoff, shaking your head at his shamelessness. Taking the now-empty cup he'd set on the counter, you move to wash it at the sink.

"Course, I might get a bit jealous. Don't really fancy sharing your attention with anyone else" John added.