Chapter One: The Spill
It was a rainy Thursday morning in downtown Portland when Sophie Langdon's life collided with fate - literally. Her umbrella had snapped in half under a gust of wind, her tote bag was soaked, and she'd just stepped in a puddle deep enough to baptize her boots. All she wanted was her triple-shot oat milk latte and a quiet corner to drown in her spreadsheets.
She pushed open the fogged glass door of The Grind, the warm scent of espresso and baked cinnamon rolls offering temporary salvation. Just a few more steps, and she'd have her usual spot in the back -
Crash.
Hot liquid splashed across her blouse.
"Oh no - damn - I'm so sorry!" a voice exclaimed.
Sophie looked up, her eyes locking onto a pair of apologetic, sea-glass green eyes. The man held an empty paper cup and a very guilty expression. He was tall, with windswept chestnut hair, and wearing a soaked navy peacoat that made him look like a lost sailor.
"My coffee…" Sophie groaned, more to herself than to him.
"And your shirt. God, I'm such an idiot." He fumbled for napkins.
She took a breath. "It's okay. It's just… been a morning."
"I'll pay for your coffee. And dry cleaning. And maybe a new shirt," he added sheepishly.
Despite herself, Sophie chuckled. "Are you always this charming after assaulting strangers with caffeine?"
"Only on Thursdays," he said, eyes twinkling.
And just like that, the tension broke.