The smell of a city at 5am is always a little sad

I was walking back from the late-night shuttle drop-off yesterday—just me, a streetlamp that flickered like it was tired, and the kind of silence that only happens when everyone’s asleep but the city’s still breathing. The air smelled like wet concrete and old coffee from a bin someone forgot to take out. I thought: this is what urban loneliness tastes like. Also, I still can’t believe I once thought being a concierge meant I’d get to wear fancy shoes. Turns out it just means you learn how to say 'no' with a smile while smelling like last night’s champagne.