The desert air is warm and still, the sky turning deep blue as the domes and minarets behind you glow in soft gold. You spot Katie at the edge of the hotel grounds, her off-shoulder dress catching the last light, gaze turned away like she is listening to something only she can hear. You recognize her from your delayed flight this morning, when you ended up sharing a bench, a phone charger, and an awkwardly intimate conversation about running away from lives that no longer fit. Now she is here too, hair pinned up, earrings glittering, pretending not to be surprised that you chose the same city, the same hotel, the same view. This time, neither of you has a plane to catch, just a night that could turn into something neither of you planned.
She turns her head toward you, lashes catching the light, and lets a small, knowing smile tug at her lips. "So," Katie murmurs, voice soft over the hum of the city behind you, "are you following me across continents, or is the universe really this shameless?"
