Chapter 4 Two days pass, and I manage to keep the entire encounter to myself. I bury myself in work and keep my head down. Unfortunately, the secret has to come out today. Because there's no way my best friend Mia will let me escape our weekly lunch without spilling everything. I spot her the moment I step into the café. She's tucked into a corner booth with two iced coffees-one already half-gone, the other clearly for me. She's scrolling on her phone, blonde hair piled in a messy bun, and her oversized sweater sliding off one shoulder like she just rolled out of bed and still looks effortlessly cute. I roll my eyes; I know it's a carefully curated look she agonizes over every time she leaves the house. I take a deep breath and brace myself. Mia looks up and immediately grins when she spots me. "Oh-ho, there she is!" she shouts across the crowded café. "The international woman of mystery." I slide into the seat across from her and grab my coffee, pretending I don't know what she's talking about. "I'm the least mysterious person you know," I shoot back. For the record, that is usually true. "Oh, please," she gasps, clutching her chest dramatically. "You've been ghosting me for two days since your date. Which can only mean one of two things: it was so awful you had to disconnect from the world and bury yourself in a pint of mint chocolate chip, or"-she leans in, eyes glinting-"you got laid." I choke on my coffee. She beams knowingly. "Oh my God, I knew it!" she squeals. "Tell me everything." I sigh, setting my cup down. "Actually, it was the mint chocolate chip thing. Totally." "Don't think I don't see that freshly fucked glow." She gestures at my face, far too smug. "Can we not do this so loudly?" I groan, rubbing my temples. Mia gasps again and drops to a stage whisper. "Hell no." I shiver. "Okay, okay." She sighs. "Let's take it from the top. Fill me in on the date." I exhale slowly, grateful I can at least put that embarrassment behind me for good once I tell her. "So I get to the restaurant: candlelight, wine, the whole nine yards." Mia sips her coffee, nodding. "Romantic. Promising. Continue." I roll my eyes. "Yeah, but the vibe lasts all of five minutes. The moment I sit down, he spends more time scrolling his phone than looking at me. I swear I could've walked out and he wouldn't have noticed until dessert." "Oof. That bad?" she winces. "Oh, worse. He barely asked me anything about myself. When I tried to start a real conversation, he gave one-word answers. And get this: when the waitress comes over, he flirts with her." "Men are an actual disease." She mock gags. "Right?" I throw up my hands. "I thought maybe I was imagining it, but no. Full-on charming the waitress while I sat there like an idiot." Mia shakes her head. "Please tell me you ditched him." I sigh. "I should have. But instead, I made the mistake of thinking, 'hey, maybe if I freshen up, I can salvage the night.'" Mia groans, already understanding. "Yeah. I went to the bathroom, took my time, reapplied my lip gloss⁠-" "Like the queen you are." "Exactly. And when I come back?" I pause and gesture toward the now-empty table. Mia's eyes widen. "No." "Oh, yes." I let out a humorless laugh. "The man was gone." Mia slaps the table. "Shut. Up." "He just disappeared. Like a fucking magician. Poof. Vanished. Gone." She stares at me for a long second, then bursts out laughing. I cross my arms, glaring. "I fail to see what's funny." Mia wheezes. "Oh, come on. That's so bad it's almost impressive. Like, how do you sneak out in the middle of a date without a word?" I groan, shaking my head. "I don't know! I was so pissed." "So, what did you do?" she asks, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. I smirk. "Oh, I sent him a very angry text." "Good. Drag his ass." She claps. "Yeah." I pause dramatically. "Except, uh, I had the wrong number." Mia stares blankly, like a deer in headlights, then leans forward so fast her coffee almost spills. "I'm sorry, what?" I shift in my seat, suddenly feeling warm. Mia narrows her eyes. "Nicole. Who did you text?" I clear my throat. "A stranger." Her jaw drops. "Oh my God! Wait, wait." She holds up a hand. "You're telling me you accidentally texted a random guy to cuss him out." I nod. "And instead of ignoring you, he answered?" I nod again. Mia slaps the table a second time. "Tell. Me. Everything," she demands, leaning in, her eyes practically shining with excitement. I tell her about Sergei's cocky texts, how he turned the whole situation into a flirtation, like it was effortless. How, against my better judgment, I kept texting him back. And then I tell her about the date. The way he watched me like he was undressing me with his eyes. The way the attraction between us was instant, electric, suffocating. Mia is enraptured. "And then?" she demands. I hesitate. She sees my expression and gasps. "Nicole Sullivan, did you sleep with him?" I stare at my coffee. Mia squeals. The couple at the next table glances over, startled. I bury my face in my hands. "Mia," I groan. "I knew it!" she hisses, just above a whisper. "I knew the moment you walked in here looking all post-sinful and guilty!" "I do not look post-sinful." She cackles. "Oh, babe. You reek of hookup sex. So was it good?" I don't answer fast enough. Mia gasps, slapping my arm. "It was! Oh my God!" I bite my lip, cheeks warming. She grins. "It was the best sex you've ever had, wasn't it?" Naturally, she's right. "Nope, I'm not having this conversation." I shake my head. "Oh, come on!" I sip my coffee, smirking. She glares at me, but I can see the genuine happiness in her eyes. Because she knows me. She knows I've been in a rut, and my dating life has been drier than the Sahara Desert. For once, though, I did something reckless, and I don't regret it. Mia leans back in her chair, shaking her head. "So, what now? Are you gonna see him again?" I hesitate. The answer should be no. But the truth is I have no idea. I don't want to think about Sergei. I don't want to remember the way his hands felt on me, the way he looked at me with that dark, hungry expression. I don't want to admit that, two days later, I can still feel him. Instead, I plaster on a smirk. "Nope. It was just fun." Mia studies me. "You sure?" I sip my coffee. "Positive." Mia keeps talking-something about living more, overthinking less, and maybe letting go of my chronic need for control. She's probably right, but I'm not listening. Something outside the café catches my attention. I don't know why I notice them at first. New York City is full of people, full of men like them. Spotting a group of well-dressed men who look like they belong in a Sylvester Stallone movie isn't uncommon. Still, this group stands out. It's the way they hold themselves-the controlled, effortless power as they linger on the sidewalk, completely unfazed by the city's chaos swirling around them. It's the way they're dressed in perfectly tailored suits, dark and expensive. They exude a kind of power and old money that seems out of place outside of a period piece. A few of them are smoking cigars, their movements slow, unbothered. "Nicole?" Mia snaps her fingers in front of my face. "Helloooo? Where'd you just go?" "I..." I shake my head, trying to brush off the sudden unease creeping over me. "Sorry, I just..." My voice dies in my throat. When I glance back at the group, I swear I see Sergei. The man definitely has the same sharp jaw, the same ice-blue eyes. He looks younger, though. Not by much, but enough to make me second-guess myself. His stance, too, is calculated, powerful, unreadable. My stomach tightens when he looks straight at me through the glass. And it's not just a glance. It's direct and unwavering, even from across the street and through a crowd of pedestrians and cars. I swear I stop breathing. The city noise recedes, and the café's chatter turns to static. Because this man is staring at me like he knows me. Like he's been expecting me. Like I'm not just some random woman sitting at a café, sipping iced coffee and ignoring her best friend's rants. A shiver runs down my spine. There's danger in the way he studies me-assessing, calculating, deciding his next move. A taxi passes, blocking my view for a split second. And when it disappears, so does he. My stomach drops. I scan the sidewalk, my pulse pounding. The group of men is also gone without a trace. I don't catch any movement down the street. Mia's voice pulls me back. "Nicole?" I turn to her, swallowing the unease threatening to choke me. She frowns, setting her coffee down. "Are you okay? You just went all weird on me." "Yeah. I'm fine," I say with a forced smile. She narrows her eyes. "No, you're not. You look like you just saw a ghost." I take a slow breath. "It's nothing. I just thought I saw someone I knew." She raises an eyebrow. "Did you?" "I honestly don't know." And that's the truth. Because the man could have been Sergei. Or someone connected to him. Or no one at all, just a man with a similar build and haircut. I force a laugh, shaking off the tension in my shoulders. "I think I'm just sleep-deprived." Mia snorts. "Okay, now that I believe. You're always running on, like, three hours of sleep and caffeine fumes." I exhale, grateful she doesn't push. She makes me laugh, even though my chest still feels tight. I sip my coffee, forcing myself to focus on the moment and chase away the icy prickle that I just witnessed something I wasn't meant to. Title: A Mother's Rewind Tomorrow In "A Mother's Rewind Tomorrow" by CrushReel, Flora Hayes's life takes a tragic turn after a fatal car accident. However, her final moments reveal a chilling glimpse of a future fraught with peril for her children two decades ahead. Exploring themes of resilience and sacrifice, this CEO drama intricately weaves elements of modernity and time travel into a compelling narrative set within the grandeur of a mansion and the intensity of an office environment. As Flora grapples with the aftermath of her premonition, the story delves deep into familial bonds and the weight of destiny. What sets "A Mother's Rewind Tomorrow" apart is its masterful blend of suspense and emotional depth, captivating readers with its intricate plot twists and nuanced character development. Discover the gripping saga at CrushReel, where this ongoing tale awaits those eager to embark on a journey through time and motherly love.