Mia made her way out with her gaze glued safely to the shop’s hardwood floor. Was Lou going to start turning up in all her happy spots? Even though it was irrational, Mia felt hunted, chased down. A layer of sweat had formed on the back of her neck and she had to take a few more deep breaths before she could start walking—and scout the streets of Newtown for a much-needed second Pink Bean location.

Mia impatiently waited for the theatre to open so she could sink into one of the plush chairs, lose herself in the movie, and forget about reality for a few hours. She hadn’t seen any suitable locations on King Street for the second Pink Bean which meant they may have to start looking in the side streets, which Mia didn’t think would be a good business idea. Newtown was different than Darlinghurst and the branch here would need to attract more foot traffic than the other Pink Bean, which could rely on regulars from the neighborhood to keep the books comfortably in the black.

During her first two weeks there, Mia had been amazed at the amount of regulars the Pink Bean had. The Newtown branch would not be like that. The population was much more transient, made up of students and tourists rather than young families of which the parents needed their daily shot of caffeine to make it to the end of another tiring day.

The beginning of an idea was brewing in the deep recesses of her subconscious, an idea she couldn’t put her finger on quite yet. She would need to let it percolate for a while longer before it made itself known.

More people were starting to arrive and Mia checked her watch. The previous screening should just about be finished and soon there would be stream of people coming out. Mia found a spot near the wall from where she could keep an eye on everything. Most of the small crowd waiting with her were staring at their phone screens, missing out on the glorious pleasure of people watching.

A woman arrived whom Mia vaguely recognized but she couldn’t pinpoint from where. The woman didn’t give any signs of knowing her, so Mia tried shooting her a quick smile, but the woman’s eyes remained just as glazed over. She glanced around furtively, scanning the queue. She was obviously meeting someone.