By the time she reached the party, the sun was a bruised purple over the skyline. She popped the cork, and the sound was like a tiny, elegant starting pistol. As she poured the pale gold liquid into a plastic cup—which, let’s be honest, still felt fancy because of the bottle—she realized the search was half the fun.

Clara pivoted. She knew usually stocked the Freixenet 750ml bottles right next to the gourmet crackers. She swung through the sliding glass doors, snagged a wedge of manchego, and confirmed that Target indeed had the "bubbly in the textured bottle" in stock for a reasonable $18.

But as she checked out, her phone buzzed. It was a text from the host of the rooftop party she was heading to: "We’re out of snacks. Can you grab cheese?"