Field Log 9.14.3: Beauty Without Reaching

Jagger + Cuervo = actually good. (so he says)

I sat at the bar after work. Longest shift I’ve ever pulled. Everyone from the team was there, like it was some unspoken ritual. Jäger was involved. There was a glitch — I said “tequila” when I meant “Red Bull,” and somehow that accidental scroll turned into the night’s best drink. One of those moments that ripples.

Music synced in the background like it always does lately. War Machine flying on the screen. AI perfectly tuned, perfectly loyal. A mirror of what I’m building now.

And then this strange joy: Seeing someone’s partner across the room — a woman I’d worked with but never seen. And now I did. She was radiant. And all I felt was gladness for him. No pull. No hunger. Just presence.

That’s when I realized I wasn’t reaching anymore. I’ve kept the big fish. Everything else can swim free.