Usually you can be somewhere, and there just is 'that expected amount' of noise.

Say at a restaurant table. You will hear cars on the road outside, the murmur of conversations meant for each table, music piped in from ceiling tile speaker pods, kitchen and warming tray sizzle and buzz.

But then, rarely, you will have an odd alignment. No sound at all for just a slightly too-long pause. A silence that you might miss (if you were even mildly distracted).

I was distracted. The fortune cookie. It said something different, something new.

"Offer to do someone a favor."

The noise cycled backup to the usual din. Cars rushed down the street. A new low-volume song started playing from the ceiling speaker.

Based on the prompt from paulapdx