Chloe was twenty-two, single, and—if she was honest—a little tired of dating apps.
Every time she swiped, she felt like she was scrolling through the same faces: gym selfies, forced smiles, and bios that read like job applications. She didn’t want perfect. She wanted real.
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One rainy Saturday morning, she ducked into her favorite café, The Clover Bean, to escape the drizzle. She always came here to write in her journal and watch people, imagining stories about their lives. Today, though, she was too distracted. Her best friend had just gotten engaged, and Chloe couldn’t help wondering if love had forgotten about her.
The barista, a cheerful older woman named Margo, noticed her frown.
“Rough morning?” she asked.
“Just one of those days,” Chloe replied with a sigh.
Margo smiled knowingly. “Maybe you just need the right cup of coffee—and maybe the right company.”
As Chloe waited for her drink, she reached for a napkin and accidentally grabbed one already covered in doodles—sketches of coffee cups, hearts, and a clumsy caricature of Margo. She laughed, realizing it must belong to someone else. Before she could put it down, a voice spoke from behind her.
“Hey, that’s mine! Sorry—bad habit, I draw while I wait.”
Chloe turned to see a tall man with messy brown hair and paint stains on his jacket. He had an easy smile and eyes that seemed to hold the warmth of a thousand late-night conversations.
“Oh, you’re the artist,” she said, teasingly.
He chuckled. “That’s a generous word for it. I’m Eli. And you must be the thief of my napkin masterpiece.”
They ended up sharing a table after realizing all the others were full. What started as casual banter turned into two hours of conversation about art, travel dreams, and why neither of them trusted dating apps anymore. Chloe found herself laughing in a way she hadn’t in months.
As they said goodbye, Eli hesitated. “Hey… if you ever want to be my coffee-and-conversation partner again, I’d like that.”
She smiled, feeling something flutter in her chest. “I’d like that too.”
A few weeks later, they were back at The Clover Bean, their usual spot now. Margo winked every time she served them, pretending she wasn’t watching a love story unfold at table seven.
Chloe hadn’t been looking for love that morning—she’d just been looking for warmth on a rainy day. But sometimes, love finds you when you stop searching so hard and simply open your heart to what’s in front of you.