Twenty years have passed since the death of my beloved Nathan. Twenty years of raising our daughter single-handedly, only to see him again reflected in her porcelain face. I thought for sure my time for love had come and gone. But a recent trip to P...
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I met a man today. But this wasn't just some ordinary man like the one you pass by on the street. No, this man was different. Different than I'd ever seen. He was quiet, mysterious and sexy as hell. Except, I don't know what came over me when I decided to sit down next to him, in front of the local cafe with my glass of red wine. We sat and talked for what felt like hours when it was only half that. And when the rain came down. I knew I had to make my exit. But suddenly a voice appeared in my head, telling me to say hi to Astrid.
When really it felt more like a push than anything else. It just came out and without warning. And the name felt natural on my tongue too, like I'd been saying it my whole life when in fact I'd never even heard of it until today. I walked away feeling strange and out of touch with my true self. I didn't know what think so I went home. A charming furnished studio apartment located on the fourth floor of an eighteenth-century old building nestled near the heart of the city of Marais.
The rent was a little high for my tastes but with it being within walking distance to work beggars couldn't be choosers. Walking up to the door, I was forced to set down a couple bags as I reached for my keys from the pocket of my red jacket. Then I put the key in the lock, twisted it and opened the door. The light switched on illuminating the darkened space caused by the storm that was still raging outside. As I crossed the threshold, I placed the bags down on the counter and returned to claim the rest outside in the hall.
With groceries for the week and some new clothes for work, it didn't seem to take that long to put everything away. I guess that's the joy of renting a tiny apartment. And speaking of a tiny apartment. It only took eight steps to walk from the kitchen to the living room as I grabbed the remote off the couch and turned on the TV. The volume increases as the news reporter's voice got higher to the point where I felt comfortable enough to hear it, as I started the process of cooking dinner for myself yet again.
Sure would be nice to have someone to come home to though, I thought to myself. But in this day and age, I've never had much luck when it came to dating. I've experienced everything from being stood-up to getting ghosted all within a year. It just seems to me that nobody is ever interested in dating anymore. When what they're really looking for is the next big score or to add another notch in their bedpost. I tell ya, if I had it my way, dating would be made so much easier. Or at least come with a how-to-manual on how to land the perfect date.
That's because you lay all your cards out on the table, I heard myself say. Guys want someone who seem confident, contented and not needy or desperate. Just let them come to you.
I rolled my eyes and cracked open a box of noodles as I poured them into the boiling pot. Steam swirled in the air, hitting me in the face, heating up my skin. A few more stirs and it was time to lower the temperature just a little bit while I worked on putting the finishing touches to the sauce. A few chopped mushrooms and that was it. I grabbed a bowl from the cabinet nearby and dumped the noodles into the strainer that sat in the sink. Whereas my stomach was growing impatient by the minute, it was time to satisfy it.
