Daniel studied her for a beat longer. Clean-cut, mid-thirties. Designer coat. A reusable coffee cup tucked into the seat pocket. He couldn’t hear her music, but from the intensity of her scrolling, it was probably a true crime podcast or a five-part docuseries on workplace burnout. Something “soothing” like that.
She looked like someone who should know better. The train rumbled slightly as it picked up speed, the landscape outside starting to stretch and blur. Office buildings gave way to parking lots. Then to trees. Then to wide, open fields.