I feel relieved, knowing that the weekend was finally here and after spending this entire week integrating point-of-sale, loyalty programs and online ordering platforms for Shane's cafes, I was drained.
Needless to say, I was deeply invested in creating a seamless user experience for his cafe chain. Each decision I made had to align with his vision, ensuring that customers would enjoy a smooth and engaging interaction with the brand. Balancing aesthetics with functionality was an art in itself, and I was proud of the progress we had made so far.
But as the Friday evening sun painted the sky with warm hues, I knew it was time to step away from the screen and give myself a well-deserved break.
The digital world could wait; it was time to embrace the present moment and recharge. I had almost fallen asleep but the sudden bright screen with a text from Shane brought me back to reality:
Shane: Do friends go on runs together?
:You read my mind ☺️
Shane and I had agreed to a morning run, then breakfast after. The only thing I didn't agree to was losing three hours of sleep from the butterflies in my stomach that wouldn't stop fluttering. I got up, threw on a tight-fitting hoodie with some leggings and tube socks, putting my hair into a loose ponytail. I then laced up my running shoes and headed to the nearby trail where Shane had suggested we meet.
The crisp morning air felt refreshing as I started my warm-up stretches, trying to calm my racing thoughts. I started to wonder if this run was just a friendly outing or if there was something more to it.
As I waited for Shane to arrive, my mind drifted back to the time we first met at his coffee shop. The unexpected encounter, the instant connection, and the way he made me feel at ease—it was all still fresh in my memory. But now, as we were about to spend more time together outside of work, I started to feel a hint of apprehension.
Just then, I spotted him jogging towards me with a bright smile on his face. His presence instantly put me at ease, and all of the lingering doubts seemed to dissipate.
"Morning, early bird." he greeted, his voice warm and inviting despite the cold nipping at my cheeks. "I don't know how you Virginians deal with this inconsistent ass weather."
"Look, nobody told you to set a time for the ass crack of dawn." I laughed, returning his smile. "Ready for this run?"
"You know it!" he said, stretching his arms and legs. "It's a beautiful morning for it." I agreed. We started our run, already deep into conversation. We talked about everything and anything—our favorite places to run and our hobbies outside of work.
There was even a moment where at one point, Shane was chasing behind me, us playfully grabbing at each other like a bunch of kids playing tag at a playground.
Our laughter echoed through the air along with the sounds of our footsteps hitting the pavement. Minutes later, we stopped to gather ourselves from the long run, finally making it back to our starting point.
It took us a moment to catch our breath, and we laid side by side in the grass to stretch our muscles, feeling accomplished and invigorated by the exercise.
Our walk to the busy breakfast spot in Arlington, turned into a race. Before I could even process what was happening, we were off again, sprinting through the streets of Arlington. The people around us gave us looks as we flew past them, our laughter blending with the sound of our pounding footsteps.
