As the encounter stretched, Kelly felt the easy line between curiosity and intrusion blur. She moved toward a café window for safety in visibility. The stranger followed, now insisting on continuing the conversation. Kelly's pulse quickened; something in his posture suggested he wanted more than talk. She kept her tone calm, gave short answers, and used the café staff as a buffer — asking the barista a question loudly enough to involve others. The man faltered, offered an awkward apology, and left. Kelly stayed, breathing until her heart settled, then messaged a friend a short note: "Left early from BlackDraw, okay now."
Kelly Collins walked the narrow street at dusk, the city lights pooling in puddles. She'd left the gallery early, the BlackDraw exhibition still buzzing in her head: charcoal lines that felt like conversations she hadn't had. A stranger lingered near the doorway, watching the crowd thin until Kelly was alone. He smiled too easily, asking if she preferred the darker pieces. His voice was polite but probing, his questions lingering on details Kelly hadn’t meant to share.