The guests trickled out in elegant waves.

First, the juniors — polite smiles, hurried goodbyes, clutching their purses like shields as they slipped into the night.

Then the seniors — exchanging numbers, air-kissing cheeks, murmuring promises of coffee dates that would never happen.

Bit by bit, the restaurant emptied, leaving behind the soft hum of the city outside, a few half-finished glasses of wine, and the faint perfume of too many conversations.

When the last door closed, it was ...