For the record, Joseph has no idea how he is supposed to buy groceries as a president. Is he supposed to go out and buy them himself?

Or is he supposed to ask someone to buy them for him?

Or is he...?

After the conversation with Lawson the other day, Joseph decided to sleep on it. But he couldn't sleep. And then his stomach growled. So he went to open the fridge. But there was nothing he wanted to eat in there. So he went to the nearby 24 hours convenience store to buy a snack.

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Robert Smith's alarm clock ran out of battery and he overslept on his afternoon nap. This screwed up his sleep schedule so right now, at 2am, he can't sleep.

He decided to go out for a walk and ended up at a 24 hours convenience store.

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Joseph bought a pack of cookies. Robert decided to grab a cup of coffee.

Factor Two: The Coincidence

It doesn't matter how they meet.

The two of them exit through the automatic doors and look upwards, under the night sky in the parking lot. The moon is nowhere to be seen.

It's not exactly cold. It's chilly. It's that sort of feeling where the only thing you want to do is curl up in a blanket and sleep.

Joseph crunches down on his cookies. His hand and mouth are littered with crumbs.

Robert drinks his coffee. It warms him inside, just a little.

It's nice being next to each other, staring at a starless night sky.

"So, I heard you've become rich." Joseph is the first to speak.

"And I've heard you've become the President." Robert nudges Joseph, lightly.

"Yeah." Joseph scratches the back of his neck.

"What's a president doing in a 24 hour convenience store to buy cookies?"

"What's a rich ceo doing in a 24 hour convenience store drinking discount coffee?"

There is silence for a while. Joseph sits down and eats his cookies. Robert remains standing, staring at the sky above.

Robert speaks, "Thinking. I'm thinking."

From where Joseph is sitting, the darkness outside and the shadow from the light of the convenience store combine such that a black shroud covers Robert's face - his expression cannot be seen. Joseph settles for looking down at Robert's shoes. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"They're worth much more than that." Robert sighs. His breath is visible against the night. "But I'll share them with you anyways."

Joseph mumbles with his mouth full of crumbs, "For free?"

The Businessman turns and looks at the President. "For free."