This event happened a week ago today. I had a friend in town visiting (let's call her Ann), and we decided to meet up with one of my other friends for lunch (we'll call him Brad). Ann and I end up being super late to meet Brad because my cat got out right before we left and it took at least 30 minutes to catch her.

When we finally arrived, Brad was sitting outside the restaurant waiting for us - he said he had been there 45 minutes already.

The three of us go inside, and I run into one of my coworkers who I just happened to have a sort of crush on and had been thinking about lately (we'll call him Carl). This was already a weird coincidence because we both live and work a few towns away; and Carl said this was the first time he'd ever been to this particular restaurant. I also just moved from across the US to this metropolitan area, and I barely know anyone in the area. The chances of running into someone I knew at this restaurant 20 minutes from my new house was very slim.

Carl's alone so I invite him to eat with the rest of us. So now I'm surrounded by three different friends from three different areas of my life, and none of them know each other. The whole thing felt odd because it was a weird combination of people who wouldn't ever be hanging out together in any other circumstances.

Fast forward to today, and I am getting dinner with Brad. I am explaining to him how weird that day was for me and how coincidental the lunch seemed. Brad tells me that he felt the exact same way during the lunch!

What made it even more surreal for him was that him and Carl both arrived to the restaurant at the same time, and then both waited there for 45 minutes before ordering. Carl then decided to finally order just minutes before we did. Reminder that he was alone this whole time - it wasn't as if he was waiting for anyone.

When Brad found out Carl and I knew each other, he was shocked. He told me it was as if him and Carl were both like extras in a video game, waiting around for the big event to load (which was me and Ann arriving at the restaurant).