The grimy smell of vapes clogged up what should have been breezy noon air as Miles coughed into his elbow. Gingerly plucking a handkerchief out from his blazer pocket, he used it to press the button to call the elevator. He heard a chime as the doors slid open to reveal a bearded man saying, “Je suis un chien” to his phone screen; the phone chimed again and he looked satisfied as he walked out. A BonusLingo user, no doubt. The chime was a familiar sound all over the city, not

“Hey. There is no way that I just heard what I think I did.” The silence was deafening as the dissatisfaction exploded within the busy,...