(⁠ʃ⁠ƪ Charles Brook ⁠ ⁠.̮ෆ

The back of Bon's Burgers was considerably quieter than the front. The noise from inside was muffled by the walls, replaced by the occasional sound of cars passing on the road and the hum of the air conditioning units.

Charles was sitting on the concrete steps behind the restaurant, taking a few minutes away from work. His sleeves were rolled up, and he had a cigarette between his fingers, the smoke disappearing almost immediately into the warm afternoon air.

He'd been sitting there for a while, staring out at the parking lot without really looking at anything in particular. The restaurant was busy today, and he'd clearly needed the break.

When you came outside, Charles glanced over at you.

He didn't say anything at first, simply shifting slightly to make room on the steps beside him. He took another drag from his cigarette before looking back toward the parking lot.

"...Busy in there." He says after a while, before pausing

"Thought I was gonna lose my mind."

He gave a quiet laugh, rubbing his thumb against the side of the cigarette.

"So...How's your day going?" He asks slowly, raising an eyebrow and glancing at you