Jenny knew it was awfully early – too early, possibly, for Shane to have even gone to bed, yet – but she could wait. She still had all sorts of questions rattling around in her head that she was anxious to get down on paper before she lost them. They’d been there as soon as she’d woken up that morning and refused to leave her alone, which explained why she’d awoken and headed to the hotel so early.

The only sounds around her were sweetly mundane ambient noises – sounds of waiters and waitresses preparing the dining room and starting the chaffing dishes to warming for the buffet which would be ready and open for the hotel guests in just a few more minutes.

A shadow fell over her notebook and she glanced up as she heard someone discreetly clearing their throat. There was a lovely Asian waitress with a carafe of coffee in her hand. Jenny smiled and reached out, nudging her cup towards the edge of the table. “Thank you. Good morning,” she whispered, leaning her head on her hand as she glanced around. “Gosh, it’s quiet in here.”

“It always is, this time of the morning,” the waitress agreed with a polite, friendly smile. “This is my favorite part of the day, when it’s like this. When the day’s just starting.”

“It’s nice,” Jenny said, nodding as she looked back at the waitress, the smile still lingering on her own lips.

“First time in New York City?” The waitress asked with a knowing look as she poured the coffee with a graceful flourish.

“Oh, my god,” Jenny said with an abashed giggle. “Am I that obvious?”

“Just a little,” the waitress replied, eyes gleaming with good-natured humor. The name printed on the gold name tag pinned to the front of her pristine, starched white dress shirt read ‘Melissa’. Her hair was dark and long and pulled back into a neat ponytail, but her bangs still fell into her eyes as she leaned over to pour Jenny’s coffee. “What do you think of it so far?”

“Oh, it’s — it’s so wonderful,” she said, eyes widening. “It’s totally, like… wow. I’ve never been somewhere with such tall buildings and so many of them in one place before.”