A Happy Glitch

Finishing one project didn't mean Mia suddenly had nothing to do.

The new year had barely begun before her calendar started filling up again. New client meetings, performance reports from the last campaign, revisions for upcoming proposals—everything seemed to arrive at once. She spent one morning bouncing between calls in two different regions, reviewed revisions over lunch, then rearranged an entire campaign schedule before the afternoon was over.

Normally, that would have been enough to consume the rest of her day.

Lately, though, Mia had started checking one other thing whenever she opened her calendar.

Nine p.m.

She left it empty.

When another meeting request came in for that time, she moved it without much hesitation. Once the last work window was closed, she sent Logan a message.

Keep tonight open.

His reply came almost immediately.

Is that an order?

Mia smiled.

It's a date.

Another message appeared.

Then I'll keep two hours open.

I said one.

We'll decide that after I see you.

Mia closed the message with a smile she couldn't quite hide.

A few days ago, she would have logged into ARCA because she happened to have free time.

Tonight, she had made free time because she wanted to see Logan.

At nine, she closed her final work screen without a second thought.

Logan was already waiting when she entered ARCA.

"You're late."

"By three minutes."

"Three minutes still counts on a date."

Mia pretended to turn around.

"Should I just go home, then?"

Logan caught her wrist immediately.

"You can do that much later."

She laughed.

The place he had chosen was a restaurant suspended high above the center of the city. Part of the floor was transparent, letting the lights below stretch out beneath their feet, while low garden walls and soft lighting separated the tables.

Mia looked around.

"You really went all out tonight."

"You kissed me first last time. I had to make some effort."

"What does that have to do with any of this?"

"I have standards."

Mia laughed as she sat down.

She had barely opened the menu when Logan reached over and selected two dishes.

"This one. And this one. Sauce on the side."

Mia looked up.

"Did I tell you I wanted that?"

Logan paused.

"No."

"Then why are you ordering for me?"

He glanced at the menu as though he'd only just realized what he had done.

"Seemed like something you'd like."

"And if I don't?"

"I'll eat it."

Mia let it go.

When the food arrived, both choices were exactly the kind of thing she would have ordered herself.

She took a bite and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Lucky guess."

"See?"

"You're way too pleased with yourself."

"I was right."

They ate slowly, talking about the past few days. When Mia mentioned an annoying new client, Logan immediately asked who it was, and she laughed.

"This one isn't a criminal. He just talks too much."

That made Logan smile into his glass.

"That other guy probably isn't talking much these days."

Mia looked up.

"What?"

"The one who stole your proposal and sold the same deal to four different companies."

"What about him?"

Logan took a drink as if it were nothing.

"I taught him a little lesson."

Mia stared at him for a beat, then laughed.

"You did what?"

"Taught him a lesson."

"Logan."

"Yes?"

"What did you do?"

He still looked amused, but the answer didn't come right away.

"He made sure four companies didn't know about each other, so I made sure they did."

Mia's smile faded into surprise.

"All four of them?"

"Yeah."

"And how exactly did you do that?"

Logan hesitated.

"There were records."

"That doesn't answer my question."

He thought about it for another second, then shrugged.

"The important part is that they found out."

Mia gave him a long look.

"So you blew up all four contracts at once."

"They were fraudulent contracts."

"You're a little scary."

"You're only figuring that out now?"

"A little."

Logan leaned forward.

"I'm not scary to you."

Mia held his gaze for a moment, then smiled.

"That might be the problem."

Logan laughed.

After dinner, Mia had no interest in going straight to the next place Logan had planned.

Music drifted up from a plaza below, where a small crowd had gathered around a live band.

"Let's go down there."

"What's down there?"

"We'll find out."

Mia took his hand and pulled him along.

The plaza was lined with food stalls and small bars, and people stood around holding drinks while others moved casually to the music.

Logan looked at her.

"Don't tell me you want to dance."

"Why?"

"You don't really like this kind of thing."

Mia stopped.

"When did I ever say that?"

Logan stopped too.

"I don't know. You just seem like you wouldn't."

"That's twice tonight."

"What is?"

"You acting like you know me better than I do."

He smiled, but Mia didn't press it.

Instead, she tugged on his hand.

"Come on. Dance."

"You're serious?"

"I decided I'm doing whatever I feel like tonight."

Logan laughed and placed a hand at her waist.

The teasing lasted less than a minute.

As they moved with the music, Mia stepped closer and Logan adjusted without thinking, his hand settling naturally against her side. Soon neither of them seemed to be paying much attention to the rhythm anymore.

Mia slipped her arms around his neck.

"You're actually not bad at this."

"You're just good at following me."

"You really can't give me a compliment, can you?"

"Fine. You're good."

"Too late."

Logan laughed and drew her closer.

Mia looked up at him for half a second before kissing him.

There was no hesitation this time.

Logan kissed her back immediately, and Mia's hand slid behind his neck as she moved closer. The music and voices around them stayed exactly where they were, but the space between them disappeared.

When Logan pulled back just enough to look at her, his voice was lower.

"You're bold tonight."

"Do you mind?"

"You keep asking me that."

Mia smiled and kissed him again, quick and deliberate.

"Then don't answer."

This time Logan was the one who pulled her back in.

And then the music stopped.

Both of them froze.

The entire plaza had gone silent.

One of the lights flickered.

For several seconds, the people around them stopped moving completely, as if someone had paused the world.

Mia looked around just as the edge of Logan's face blurred.

It lasted barely a second.

"Logan?"

He looked down at his own hand.

His fingertips flickered, vanished, then returned.

A moment later, the music started again.

The crowd moved as though nothing had happened.

Mia frowned.

"What was that?"

"No idea."

"I think the restaurant glitched earlier too."

Logan glanced around, then smiled.

"Maybe ARCA doesn't like our date."

"Since when does it get a vote?"

"Then who does?"

Mia looked straight at him.

"I do."

The answer came easily.

Logan watched her for a second before smiling.

"Then we're good."

A flicker of blue moved near the ground.

Not one butterfly this time.

Three.

They drifted up between them, glowing faintly as they rose.

Mia followed them with her eyes.

"There are more tonight."

Logan didn't answer.

He watched them for a moment, his expression unreadable, but when Mia looked at him, he smiled like nothing was wrong.

"Come on."

"Where?"

"You said you only had an hour. We're already over."

"You're the one who blocked off two."

They left the plaza laughing.

After that, they stopped following any kind of plan.

They wandered into a market street, split a dessert neither of them could identify, and ended up at a game booth where Logan confidently claimed he would win, only to lose to Mia.

"You let me win, didn't you?"

Mia waved the small stuffed prize in front of him.

"Why would I admit that?"

"You look offended."

"Play me again."

"No. Winners don't do rematches."

Logan reached for the prize, and Mia dodged him, laughing as they nearly collided with another stall.

Somewhere along the way, Mia realized how easy all of it felt.

There was no effort in keeping the conversation going. Neither of them seemed to be trying to entertain the other.

When Logan handed her his drink, she took a sip without asking. When Mia hooked her arm through his, Logan's hand naturally slid down until their fingers found each other.

Eventually, Mia slowed.

"Logan."

"Yeah?"

"I just realized something."

"That sounds dangerous."

"I don't actually know that much about you."

He looked at her.

"Where did that come from?"

"Think about it. I know what you like here. I know where you like to go. I know what kind of places you'll pick for a date."

She glanced at him.

"But what do you do when you're not here?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

Logan was quiet for a moment.

"I live."

Mia laughed.

"So do I."

"I work."

"What kind of work?"

His pace slowed slightly.

"Different things."

"That's not a job."

"Why does this suddenly feel like an interview?"

"Because I'm curious."

Mia slipped her hand around his arm.

"Where do you live?"

"My place?"

She laughed.

"Why do you sound surprised that I asked where you live?"

Logan smiled, but he didn't answer right away.

"It's kind of hard to explain."

"What's hard to explain about your apartment?"

"I'll tell you later."

"That sounds suspicious."

"You're only noticing now?"

Mia gave him a sideways look.

"You know, I really don't know anything about real-life Logan."

The lights above the street flickered once.

Logan's outline blurred for the briefest moment.

Mia stopped walking.

"Did you see that?"

"See what?"

"You just—"

His image was already normal again.

Logan looked at her, confused.

Mia glanced around, but everything else seemed fine.

"Nothing."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

She took his hand again.

"ARCA's being weird tonight."

"Maybe it needs a day off."

"So do I."

They kept walking.

By the time they reached a quieter path along the river, more than two hours had passed.

Mia checked the time and laughed.

"You were right."

"About what?"

"Two hours."

"I usually am."

"Don't get used to hearing that."

They stopped near the water.

Mia stepped closer and kissed him before either of them said anything else.

It wasn't long or dramatic this time.

Just natural.

The kind of kiss that had somehow become part of saying goodnight.

When she pulled back, Logan smiled.

"So where are we going next time?"

"I'll pick."

"You didn't like tonight?"

"No."

Logan's eyebrows rose.

Mia smiled.

"I loved it."

The logout option appeared at the edge of her vision.

She was about to select it when she looked back at him.

"Next time…"

Logan waited.

"Yeah?"

Mia paused, then shook her head.

"Never mind."

"What?"

"I'll tell you next time."

"You're really going to leave me with that?"

"Wait."

She smiled and logged out.

The city faded, and her apartment slowly returned around her.

Later that night, lying in bed, Mia thought about Logan again.

Not the glitches.

Not the frozen music or the blue butterflies.

What stayed with her was the way they had laughed together, the ease of holding his hand, the feeling of walking beside him without needing to fill every second with conversation.

And then another thought surfaced.

What was Logan actually like outside ARCA?

What kind of place did he live in?

What did he do first when he woke up in the morning?

What did his ordinary day look like?

They were small things.

But now she wanted to know.

Mia closed her eyes.

She could ask him next time.

There was no reason to keep putting it off.