Regaining consciousness in the intensive care unit, the wealthy man overheard his wife’s conversation on the phone…

It’s a car accident. What colour is your car? Dark green. When I touched your hand I immediately understood.

That car will be involved in a terrible accident. But it won’t be your fault. It will be someone very close to you.

I saw it the moment I touched your hand. It struck me like lightning. James looked at his colleague with irony.

He didn’t believe in any prophecies, of course. In his understanding, it was sheer nonsense. And all these fortune-tellers and seers were just charlatans.

There was that one madam who predicted a long and thorny path to success for him, back in his student years. And so what? The path did await, of course. But it required a great deal of hard work.

And those predictions had nothing to do with it. Emma looked at her boss with concern, realising he didn’t believe a word she said. Excuse me, Mr Williams, but I heard you.

Refrain from driving for the near future, she said. He just smiled. Oh, don’t worry, Emma.

I’ve been driving for over ten years. And I’ve had no issues with it. Besides, I never exceed the speed limit, so there’s no need for unnecessary concern, all right? An accident is definitely not in my cards.

Emma nodded in agreement, looking at James as if he were already doomed. All right, then. Get back to work and don’t dwell on the negatives.

By the way, how are your little ones? If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll help however I can, said James, as he headed to his office. Thank you.

Everything’s fine, Mr Williams. I just need your permission for something, Emma cautiously asked. Permission, of course.

Go ahead. What do you need? James replied. The dishwasher hesitated for a moment, as if gathering her strength, then said, I want to ask for your permission to take home the dishes that customers rejected.

Just one or two. I’ll pay for everything, don’t worry. Can it be deducted from my salary? James smiled.

Yes, of course. What’s the matter? And no payment is necessary. They’re going to be disposed of anyway.

Besides, it seems both you and the kids will benefit and take as many as you want. It’s just leftovers. Joyful sparks danced in her eyes.

This was real luck. Meanwhile, James went about his usual business, talking on the phone with the restaurant manager, approving menus and preparing for the inspection, ensuring everything ran smoothly. Yet from time to time he remembered Emma’s words, which had struck a chord with him.

Can you believe it? A kitchen worker with fortune-telling abilities. That’s a first for me. But soon thoughts of a possible road accident faded away, making room for meetings with new suppliers, tasting new dishes and discussing current restaurant matters with the administrator.

Maintaining an atmosphere of trust and cooperation, James gently resolved disputes using the stick far less often than the carrot. Time passed unnoticed, crossing the three-hour mark. The fury of the storm still raged, but its morning impact had diminished.

The city’s utilities surprisingly quickly took control of the situation and cleared most of the vital roads. Although there was still an hour and a half left in the workday, James decided to leave early today. An interesting plan had matured in his mind regarding how he could fill this February evening with an aura of love and romance.

James decided to pamper his spouse with a gorgeous bouquet of roses, a bottle of wine and something delicious from his own restaurant kitchen. While the last two items didn’t take him much time, searching for flowers in the snow-covered city, turn it into a real quest. To James’s immense dismay, most of the flower pavilions were closed.

Most likely the owners of the stalls had decided that there would be hardly anyone interested in buying flowers on such a day. And just when James was almost losing hope, he noticed that one of the shops at the street corner was still open. With a joyous heart, James parked his car by the roadside and stepped inside…