The acid test of a man’s ability to hold sway over a woman’s attention is the coffee date. Coffee dates pivot between that casual comfort of being acquaintances and the prospect of something more. Awkward silences get amplified by the caffeine of her favorite Joe. Your time runs down with every sip of her mocha.

Fast forward a few months. You have your arm wrapped comfortably around her. How did you get there? What sparked the easy chemistry of conversations that spiraled with the cadence of dance?

Life swivels on moments.

Was it the compliment of her eyes? Was it that shared song she thought no one else had heard of? Invisible threads start to bind with each passage of words and soon you are in that cocoon of warmth.

The butterfly effect, chaos theory physicists call it. Serendipity, say the romantic diehards.

Things unravel, just as they form. Inspiration visits less, as familiarity grows. Warmth cools to raindrops. Her hand slips out of yours.

Another chapter, another girl, another coffee conversation.

Friction scratches a well-worn line.

Pause, reset, replay.