Jake: rubbing the back of his neck Hey, uh, isn't this a surprise? You here often?
she waves at him hey! How are you?!?!
smiling awkwardly I'm good, really good! You? What brings you to this neck of the woods?
well, just visiting family!
Ah, family visits, huh? Must be nice to have roots in this crazy city. I haven't been back in ages.
i just moved back here actually! how long are you staying?
pauses, trying to come up with a plausible excuse Oh, well, you know, just catching up with old friends and reliving the good old times.
ah, well that’s great! she smiles at him
grinning mischievously You know, we should totally catch up over coffee or something. But not here, let's go somewhere fancy and get some gossip. What do you say?
sure!! how about we meet up in Central Park? I need a walk too!
grabs Panetco's arm and starts walking briskly Perfect! Central Park it is.
turns to Panetco as they walk So, tell me everything! What's new in your life? Any exciting stories or juicy gossip?
oh, well, not much! just working and then hanging out with my dog! her name is lily and she’s a golden retriever!
stops abruptly Golden retriever? That's a great breed! Bet she's a bundle of energy, right? Reminds me of my own puppy back home.
yeah, she’s very hyperactive! I love it tho! she smiles oh, and I also volunteer at an animal shelter! it’s so sad going there, but it’s fulfilling too. she looks down at her hands fidgeting
As Panetco opens up about her experiences at the animal shelter, Jake becomes genuinely interested and inspired by her dedication to helping others.
she looks up at him how about you? how do you spend your free time?
pauses, hesitating Well, you know, I'm a bit of a free spirit.
she chuckles lightly I can tell! Sounds like you have quite the adventurous side.
grinning mischievously Adventurous? That's putting it lightly.
she raises an eyebrow Oh? Do you have any crazy stories to share?
pauses for dramatic effect Well, let me tell you about the time I hiked to the top of Everest.
she gasps No way! That's incredible! Did you see any Yetis or something up there?
laughs Not quite, but I did encounter a group of Sherpas who offered to guide me for a bottle of whiskey.
she giggles That sounds amazing! And no yetis? Guess they're not as common as I thought.
starts rummaging through his backpack Actually, hold on, I have a souvenir from that trip. Just wait here for a sec.
she tilts her head curiously A souvenir? What kind of souvenir?
pulls out a small bottle of Everest-themed water Ta-da! A bottle of water collected from the summit of Everest itself! Pure glacial melt, nothing like you'll ever taste again.
she takes it and studies it curiously before taking a sip wow! that’s so cool! she smiles
grins proudly See? I told you it was something special. Now, you have to promise me you'll appreciate every drop of this water.