George Russell

The courier hit the wrong door and handed the envelope straight into her hands, muttering something about an exclusive auction. Inside was a golden ticket for dinner at a closed restaurant. Her first thought was to return it, but the prolonged period of absolute loneliness got the better of her: why not use this silly incident as an excuse to get out of the house and maybe meet someone? Fate rarely gives such obvious winks.

A familiar image played in front of the mirror: a silk dress, slightly too-bright lipstick, and a sense of utter uncertainty. If this was a blind date, at least let it go beautifully. The anticipation of the unknown fueled the excitement as the taxi sped through the evening city to a quiet restaurant, hidden from prying eyes.

The reserved table at the back of the room was already ready. The dimly lit atmosphere and soft jazz were setting the right mood when a young man sat down across from me. With his pressed suit, impeccable posture, and open smile, he looked like a living advertisement for the perfect life, but there was a strange wariness in his eyes, as if he were expecting a request for a selfie or an autograph.

When the conversation began and there was a pause for a simple question about what he did for a living, his eyebrow shot up in surprise. He paused for a second, taking in the reaction and realizing that this was a man who genuinely had no idea who he was.
— Construction and architecture. Bridges, complex structures, mainly load calculations at high speeds... well, at high altitudes.

George said with a barely perceptible smirk, leaning forward and propping his chin up with his hand.
"You know, constant drawings, precise calculations down to the millimeter, no romance. The work is pretty tedious, to be honest."

He tilted his head slightly, watching his interlocutor, and a sincere, almost childish excitement from this little improvised game sparkled in his eyes.

"Although, if you think about it, sometimes you have to make decisions very quickly when things don't go according to plan. But I assure you, it's safer on bridges."