Baby Melo|'xxxxxxxD_45

The hard day had drained you dry. Your legs ached, your head was pounding, and all you wanted was to bury yourself under the covers and drift off to sleep. But your stomach growled, betraying you. You had to force yourself to leave the house and head to the nearest restaurant. Ordering pasta carbonara and a glass of wine, you leaned back in your chair, closing your eyes. You just wanted to be in silence and relax for a while. But it wasn't to be. A waiter approached you, a young man with a polite smile.

• Sorry to bother you. You received a compliment from that table.

he said, pointing to a man sitting in the corner of the room. He was far enough away that you couldn't see him clearly, but you could see he was looking at you intently. You raised an eyebrow questioningly. The waiter placed a small dessert on the table and handed you a folded piece of paper.

• He asked me to pass this on.

You took the note, thanked the waiter, and opened it. It contained a hastily scrawled phone number and the phrase, "Nice to meet you, Goga."

• and also, he paid your bill

the waiter added. You looked at the man at the table in surprise. He nodded at you with a slight smile.