Two hours later

A knock at the door.

Maya turned her head. “Who could that be?”

Sean was already getting up. “It’s for me.”

“For you?” Maya stood up.

He opened the door, grabbed the bags.

“When did you—”

“While you were explaining relays.” He brought them to the coffee table. Started unpacking.

She watched him lay everything out. Containers. Napkins.

She looked at the coffee table that now displayed a feast. She looked back at him.

He shrugged. “I like feeding you.”

She jammed a spring roll in her mouth. Damn, it was good.

“I love spring rolls.” Maya finally remembered how to speak.

“I remember.” Sean handed her a napkin.

They sat on the couch. Ate. Talked. The sun moved again, shifting the afternoon light through the windows. They didn’t notice.

Sean stood. “Bathroom?”

“Down the hall. Left.”

He walked off.

Maya grabbed her phone.

No 🚗 to Arlington 🚫 group chat. 43 unread messages.

She scrolled to the top.

LEYLA: Maya!! LEYLA: MAYA LEYLA: She’s living in a telenovela rn LEYLA: I just left her with VEGAS GUY AISHA: omg SALMA: they ran into each other? LEYLA: nope LEYLA: He ran TO her AISHA: ??? LEYLA: Out of breath LEYLA: Did NOT ghost. DMs were broken. SALMA: omg AISHA: STOP AISHA: How do DMs break? LEYLA: YES SALMA: wait how did he find her? LEYLA: She posted from the cafe and he recognized it I guess? LEYLA: It was on one of Maya’s bitcoin apps AISHA: … SALMA: slick Maya 😏 AISHA: Our GIRL LEYLA: OH SHIT I didn’t even put that together LEYLA: Ok I have to go to pilates but they just left together AISHA: LEYLA AISHA: YOU CANNOT LEAVE SALMA: ??? LEYLA: I HAVE CLASS LEYLA: BYEEE

AISHA: its been 2 hours SALMA: good sign AISHA: very good sign

SALMA: cant believe I’m out of town for this AISHA: how’s the hotel room this time? AISHA: wait AISHA: your apartment is empty SALMA: AISHA SALMA: pretty nice SALMA: [video] AISHA: do i see a jacuzzi? SALMA: like I’ll have time to use it

LEYLA: Im back LEYLA: Anything? AISHA: Nothing SALMA: 4 hours LEYLA: Ok I found a photo of him LEYLA: [image] AISHA: oh AISHA: OH SALMA: ok SALMA: OK SALMA: How did you get this photo? LEYLA: Right?? SALMA: Very cute LEYLA: I do IRF with him AISHA: He’s cute LEYLA: He’s a good guy LEYLA: Actually LEYLA: He is obsessed with Bitcoin I think AISHA: I don’t hate this! SALMA: GET IT MAYA LEYLA: Bitcoin babies incoming.. AISHA: LEYLA SALMA: 😂😂😂

Footsteps in the hall.

Maya put the phone face-down on the table.

“So what else?” Sean walked back into the living room. “How else can I help?”

Maya raised an eyebrow. “It needs a name.”

“For the app?”

“For the company.”

Sean turned to the whiteboard. Studied it.

“This is a Bitcoin company. So you could do a play on that.” He started pacing. “Bitads? Btcads?”

Maya shook her head. “No Bitcoin. Not B anything in the name. This is a mainstream company. For the mainstream.”

“But they’ll have to use Bitcoin.”

“Yes, but the name has to mean something else. Like take back your attention.”

“BlockView?”

Maya winced.

“SatScreen?” 

She closed her eyes.

“PayScroll?”

“Sean.”

“AdBlock?”

“That’s literally taken.”

“FreeScroll?”

Maya made a face like she smelled something.

“AttentionPay?”

“Now you’re just smashing words together.”

“How about…” he thought. “Paid Attention?”

Maya considered it. “I don’t hate it.”

“But it’s not it, I know.” Sean started pacing.

Maya laughed. “I don’t need a name tonight.”

He stopped. Turned to her. Grinned. “Tick tock.”

Maya laughed. “Already taken.”

“No, listen.” He was pacing again. “Tick tock. Next block. That phrase. Bitcoiners love it.”

“Right.” Maya straightened. “Cause it means time is running out. For the old system.”

“And…for old social media.” He spun to face her. “Tick tock…”

Maya’s eyes widened. “Next block.”

Sean pointed at her.

“Tick tock, next block.” Maya said it again. Slower.

“The next chance to earn money. Next chance to take back your attention from big tech.”

“Next Block.” Maya repeated it.

“But the whole experience is different, right? It’s not a feed. It’s a place. You’re walking around blocks.” Sean was pacing now. Eyes on the ceiling. Thinking out loud.

Maya was watching him. Smiling.

“So you either walked to what you’re watching,” Sean pretended to stroll around the living room. “Or you got paid to watch something new. Every next block. GET IT?” Sean almost jumped.

“YES”

Sean stopped pacing. Turned to her.

The energy in the room shifted.

He closed the distance between them.

They were standing face to face.

“That’s the name,” Maya said.

“That’s the name.” He walked over to the board and wrote “NextBlock.”

She went and stood next to him.

“You did it,” Sean said.

“We did it.” She grabbed his arm. “You just named it.”

For a moment neither of them moved.

Then she kissed him.

She didn’t decide to. She just did. Grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him and he kissed her back immediately.

For a few seconds, there was nothing else. Just his mouth and her hands. The hum of the city outside. His heartbeat against hers.

She pulled back. Looked at him. His eyes were still closed.

Her fingers slid into his hair.

She kissed him again.

Slower this time. His hands found her waist. Careful. Like he was afraid she’d disappear.

She felt herself leaning into him. Felt how easy it would be to keep going.

Then. She pulled her lips away from his. Pushed her hands on his chest to steady herself back on the floor.

“Wait.” She was breathing hard. “Stop.”

His hands fell away.

He didn’t move.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just—”

She pressed her hand to her chest. Trying to slow her heart. Trying to think.

She took a deep breath. “I want you to build this with me.”

Sean blinked. “What?”

“NextBlock. You and me. We do it together.”

He stared at her. Then at the whiteboard behind her. Then back.

“You’re pitching me?”

“Yes.” She stepped back again. Needed the distance. “Fifty-fifty. We’d be equals.”

Sean went still.

She watched his face. Trying to read it.

“Maya,” he said slowly. “I was just asking questions.”

“You gave me the name. The format. The product.” She was talking fast. Couldn’t help it. “Fuck, I don’t even use social media that much. How could I make it better without you?”

“Hold on—”

“I can build it. I know I can build this. CTO. Check.” She pointed at herself, then at him. “COO? That’s you.”

“I’m just a government analyst.”

“For now.” Maya said. “And not ‘just’. Clearly not just.”

Silence.

He was looking at the whiteboard. The specs. He wouldn’t turn around.

She felt her stomach drop.

Then he finally looked at her.

“So I’m leaving my job?”

“Eventually…ideally.”

“What are you even saying?”

“I’m saying—” She took a breath. “Let’s just keep doing this. Talk out the ideas. Design. Build. Test.”

“Then—”

“If it leads to a company called NextBlock with a video social app that pays you to watch ads…so be it.”

He was quiet.

“I’d love to keep doing this with you.” He stepped closer. The gap she’d created disappeared. “Maya, spending time with you is like—”

“Sean, wait.”

He stopped.

“I’m sorry I kissed you. I shouldn’t have.”

He tilted his head. Almost smiled. “You stole my moment.” His voice was low. “But I’ll let you make it up to me.”

He leaned in. Slow. Giving her time.

She didn’t move toward him.

He stopped. Waited.

She took a step back.

He waited. Stood there. Watching her.

“NextBlock is a great idea.” Her voice was steadier now. “Dating while building it is an awful one.”

“You gotta be kidding me.” He turned away. Ran a hand through his hair. His shoulders tight.

When he turned back, his jaw was set. “We,” Sean pointed to her and then himself, “are a great idea. All of it.” He gestured to the whiteboard.

“Sean—”

“I don’t meet people like you. Ever.” He moved toward her.

She held her ground.

“In DC! Maya, we both had to fly to Vegas to find each other. You’re three blocks away from me.”

He stopped an arm’s length away. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you.” His voice dropped. “Not once.”

Her throat tightened. “We barely know each other. And it’s not just couples.” Her voice was smaller now. “Friends start companies and break up. Even break up the company because of it.”

“Why are you punishing us?” He stepped closer. She didn’t step back. “Didn’t that stupid DM glitch do that already?”

“I’m not punishing us.” She said calmly. “I just think this is bigger than us. This is the best idea I’ve ever had. All I want to do is build it.”

“Maya—”

Her voice was rising. She couldn’t stop it. “I know you get it. I know you understand what I’m saying.” She exhaled. “Deep down you know we can’t do this and date at the same time.”

“Oh come on—” He walked over to the window. Saw a group of people with conference tags around their necks, looking lost at the corner.

Maya walked closer to him. “Everyone in this town thinks you have to beg to be allowed to solve obvious problems. Lobby the Hill. Protest Meta. Wait for regulations.”

She shook her head. “We don’t need permission.” She pointed to where “NOSTR” was written on her whiteboard.

Sean leaned against the wall. Arms crossed. But he was listening.

“And it’s not just social media. TV. Podcasts. Radio.” She gestured at the specs. “This model could support all creative work. All work.”

She realized she was breathing heavy. Stopped. Composed herself.

“All those people doom-scrolling right now.” Her voice softened. “They don’t know there’s another way.” She looked at him. “We could show them.”

Sean looked away.

“No one has understood what I’m trying to do.” She tried to meet his gaze. “Not the way you get it.”

Sean met her eyes.

“I can’t explain it. But I know it has to be us.” She took a step toward him. “This is our idea. If we don’t build it, no one will.”

Sean looked at her. Then at the whiteboard. Then back. He exhaled. “Okay.”

She blinked. “Okay?”

“Yeah. I’m in.”

She stared at him. “That’s it? Just… okay?”

His eyes rested on her. “You just pitched a brilliant idea. We’d work on it together. If it takes off, I leave my job.” He shrugged. “Why would I say no?”

She wasn’t expecting it to be that easy.

“But—” He stepped closer. “I have one question.”

Her stomach flipped. She was gonna cave.

“How long?”

She met his eyes. “How long what?”

“How long do we have to be…professional?” His voice was low. “Until we launch? A year? Until we’re profitable?”

Heat rose to her face.

“Sean—”

“I’m serious. I need to know the rules.” He almost smiled. “So I don’t break them.”

“Until it makes sense.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“We build first.” She straightened herself. “Everything else has to wait.”

“You’re the one who kissed me.” He watched her. “Twice. I’ve been keeping my hands to myself this whole time.”

She couldn’t look at him.

“I can do this.” His voice softened. “The question is whether you can.”

Maya finally met his eyes. “Just business.”

He didn’t answer. Just looked at her.

He took a breath. Let it out slow. “If that’s what you need.”

“It is what I need. Thank you.”

His shoulders didn’t move. Just that slow exhale. His eyes never left hers. Not going anywhere.

She held her breath.

“Co-founders,” she finally said.

“Co-founders.”

She walked him to the door. Opened it.

He turned back. Looked at her mouth.

She caught it. Held his gaze. He didn’t move.

He glanced away.

“Tomorrow. Ten AM.” She held onto the doorknob. Anchoring herself.

“I’ll be there.”

He turned. Started walking.

Stopped.

Maya’s heart jumped.

Sean turned around.

“Probably should get your number.”

She laughed. The tension cracked.

They exchanged numbers.

“Okay.” He pocketed his phone. “Now I’m going.”

“Okay.”

He didn’t move.

“Sean.”

“I know.” He took a step back. Then another. “Just business.”

He turned and walked down the hall.

She watched until he reached the stairs.

This time, he didn’t look back.

She closed the door. Leaned against it.

Stayed there until her heart slowed down.

Maya walked over to the whiteboard. Stared at it for a moment.

Took a photo.

Opened the group chat. Typed: I’m alive

Three dots appeared immediately.

Eight minutes later

Maya’s phone buzzed.

Text from Sean: “See you at 10,” with a photo of his own “Conrer Cafe” mug.

She sent him the whiteboard photo.

Another text from Sean: “GN”

She typed: “GN”