Chapter 4 — The Date and... the Card That Came Out of Nowhere

Chapter 4 — The Date and... the Card That Came Out of Nowhere
Billy stared at the tray on the floor, still shocked. The burger and fries were warm, fresh, like they had just been made.
He hesitated for a moment, then shrugged.
“Well… looks good. Might as well eat.”
He sat down and devoured the meal like he hadn’t eaten in days. Once full, he stretched, splashed some water on his face, and sat down at his desk.
He worked for hours—focused, in the zone, adjusting animations, fixing bugs, perfecting every detail on his website. Time flew by… until he glanced at the clock in the corner of his screen.
“Crap!”
He jumped out of his chair.
“I’m gonna be late! I totally forgot about tonight with Marie!”
Throwing on clean clothes, grabbing his phone and keys, he rushed out the door.



A few minutes later, he arrived—slightly out of breath—at the small restaurant nearby. On the terrace, he saw Marie, already seated, her calm smile waiting for him.
“Marieeeee!” he called, a bit loud.
She turned around, surprised—then lit up.
“Ohh, Billy! I’m so glad you came, even if you’re a little late.”
Billy approached, clearly embarrassed.
“Uh… yeah. Sorry. I totally lost track of time.”
Marie smiled gently.

“Don’t worry. Sit down!”

He sat across from her. They both ordered a mint soda, and soon they were talking like old friends. They laughed, shared silly stories, and forgot the world for a while.
But eventually, Marie glanced at her watch.
“It’s getting late… I should go.”
Billy nodded.
“I’ll pay, don’t worry.”
“Thank you,” she said, slightly flustered.
Billy reached for his wallet… checked… checked again.
His smile faded.
“Huh? Wait… you’ve gotta be kidding…”
He checked every pocket—no credit card. Not a single coin.
“Marie… I… I forgot my card,” he admitted in a half-panic.
She blinked.
“Do you want me to pay?”
“No! No, I’ll go home and grab it. I’ll be right back.”
He hurried away, both embarrassed and frustrated.
How did I forget my card? Seriously? If only I had it on me…
He walked quickly, muttering to himself… until he suddenly felt something in his hand.
He stopped.

“Wait… what’s this?”

He opened his palm.
His credit card was there.
He stared at it, stunned.
“Am I losing my mind… or what?”