When Hailey finally wrapped up the call, she looked over at Max. He gave her a wry smile, one that seemed to carry a mix of happiness and sorrow, though she couldn't quite pin down why. "Yeah, it is," she replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. The novelty of the situation was manifesting as nervous energy, making her feel more exposed than she was comfortable with.
The coffee shop buzzed with life. A steady stream of people flowed in and out, their conversations merging into a constant hum that filled the air. The noise was almost comforting in its familiarity, yet it also had a distracting edge.
Hailey leaned back in her chair, trying to appear more relaxed than she felt. "So, we were talking about... EFD and EPD," she began, her tone shifting to something more casual, though the curiosity in her eyes remained. "Any pointers?"
She hoped her question came across as nonchalant, but she couldn't hide how eager she was for guidance. The truth was, she was more intimidated by the big city than she had anticipated and wanted to make sure she got off on the right foot.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. The novelty of the situation was manifesting as nervous energy, making her feel more exposed than she was comfortable with.
The coffee shop buzzed with life. A steady stream of people flowed in and out, their conversations merging into a constant hum that filled the air. The noise was almost comforting in its familiarity, yet it also had a distracting edge.
Hailey leaned back in her chair, trying to appear more relaxed than she felt. "So, we were talking about... EFD and EPD," she began, her tone shifting to something more casual, though the curiosity in her eyes remained. "Any pointers?"
She hoped her question came across as nonchalant, but she couldn't hide how eager she was for guidance. The truth was, she was more intimidated by the big city than she had anticipated and wanted to make sure she got off on the right foot.