Un encuentro en Madrid

Story Summary

Twenty-eight-year-old art teacher Elena sits nervously in a Madrid café, waiting for her blind date. Her friend Ana has set up this meeting with Pablo, a thirty-year-old bookstore employee who shares her love of books and cats. Wearing her lucky red scarf, Elena mentally rehearses what she'll say.

Pablo arrives by walking straight into a chair, which breaks the ice in the most adorable way. They order coffee and food from a hilariously slow waiter who moves like he's underwater. What starts as awkward small talk quickly blossoms into lively conversation about their shared interests.

They discover their cats are equally crazy: Elena's Picasso only eats expensive food and fetches exclusively blue pens (why only blue ones?), while Pablo's Hemingway sleeps on his keyboard and sends bizarre emails when he's not looking. These cat stories spark laughter and create an instant connection.

Elena shares funny stories about teaching teenagers who have creative theories about art - like thinking the Mona Lisa smiles because she forgot her homework. Pablo confesses he almost drank cat food this morning after accidentally putting coffee in Hemingway's bowl.

Time flies as they chat over Rioja wine. Two and a half hours pass in what feels like minutes. When it's time to leave, they eagerly exchange numbers and plan a second date at a book market near Plaza Mayor, with Pablo joking he'll try not to crash into the famous bear statue.

The story ends hopefully as both text Ana to thank her for the perfect match. Though their respective cats couldn't care less about their romantic adventures, Elena and Pablo know they've found something special. Madrid becomes even more beautiful when you meet someone who makes time disappear.