Paige shivered. A brisk evening breeze whipped at her goose-pimpled ankles. Light from the streetlamps played off the dark surface of the old canal and then danced across the brick walls of the wharf. Utrecht was a magical city, but also a chilly one.
The warm broodje’s in the HEMA bakery were looking appetizing. Paige couldn’t help but consider popping in, picking up one of them as well as a new blanket, and cuddling up with both back inside her flat. But she didn’t feel good about standing someone up on a first date.
Paige didn’t often go on dates. She was happy just spending time with a book and a playlist. On occasion, though, loneliness crept into her life. She would remember how it was to have someone to reaffirm you, to hold you, to share your favorite things with. And she’d figure out, meticulously and analytically, what she needed to do to get back to that place.