Keith's apartment was the second story of a mixed commercial/residential brick building on a moderately busy part of town. The town wasn't big. The strip he lived on sat mostly empty past eight, unless there was some significant event taking place. Most of the foot traffic came during the day. People meeting for lunch or coffees. People running errands.

He liked living there because it reminded him of a town near 

Westcity

he lived at for a few years after 

Spacecity

. He had been managing a research lab at a decently rated, very large university. There was a cafe on the main strip across the border of campus where he'd walk to for a coffee everyday. The thing he liked best about that job and the cafe was that he could walk during his break. This was the first time in his life where he walked around instead of driving. Well not counting up in space of course. Nobody had cars up there.

But growing up, he had been used to getting inside a 

car

anytime you went someplace. School. the grocery store. A restaurant. But back in that college town he could walk from his lab over to his favorite cafe and be there in about eight minutes. That cafe was on a long strip of businesses. Keith liked watching people walk up and down it. Going about their business, leisure, and other things.

He liked the idea of a main strip where people and cars could coexist. People could grab a coffee and run into someone they knew. A place you could lounge and just take the day in. That's why when he moved to California, he opted to live on such a strip once he found it.

The next morning Keith was doing his usual routine. Shaving. Making coffee. Getting ready for work. He thought about the gal at 

McDonalds

who had ordered a 

McFlurry

after sitting down and seeing him eating it. How she had parked right next to him. How she had sat right next to him, too. Had she ordered the McFlurry just because he had?

He couldn't shake the thought. He wished he had said something to her. Even a comment like "these are good right?"

Something to bond them together as passing strangers. But he'd said nothing. Left out of the blue.

her license plate stuck with him too. He didn't remember the letters and numbers. Now he kind of wished he had so he could look her up. What stuck with him was the state. The same state as Westcity. Maybe this is why he was going down memory lane. He was going down it pretty hard too. So hard that he was making a second pot of coffee, and considering calling in to work.

They'd let him take the day off. They would let him take a whole damn week. He'd been the most reliable employee the past five years. Never took a day off. Took countless holidays and sick days off other employees. Put in plenty of over-time. There was no question that he could take the day off. So the decision had already been made. He was simply waiting for the pot to start gurgling to send out the call. He might even do it over text.

Why take the day off though? Keith thought to himself as if an interviewer was asking him.

He didn't feel like being distracted at work. He knew he'd be only thinking about the past there. And the gal with the McFlurry. Although he never saw her get her McFlurry. He had left too early for that.

What would he do instead?

He was going to drive to that same McDonalds. Chances were low. Probably zero actually... that she'd be there. But it was the best shot he had.

He sent out the text. Said he needed a personal day. A text came back right away. No problem they said. They'd miss him. Even asked whether he needed to take more than the day off. No he told them. One day would be plenty.