She got dressed and crept out of the apartment.
Outside, the dark streets were wet with drizzle. She walked up the hill until she reached Place du Tertre. The caricaturist was putting away his easel. He looked up as she sat down on a bench.
“Tough night?” he asked, coming to sit next to her.
“Insomnia,” she said.
“I know the feeling. I can never fall asleep before two in the morning.”
“What about your wife? Does she wait up for you every night?”
“Whatever time of day, all I can do is hope she’s waiting,” he replied in his gravelly voice.
“What does that mean?”
“Did you give your friend the portrait?”
“I haven’t had a chance yet. I’ll give it to her tomorrow.”
“Can I ask you a favor? Don’t tell her it’s from me. I like eating lunch at her place, and I don’t know—somehow I’d feel embarrassed if she knew.”
“Why?”
“Well, it’s a bit intrusive to draw someone’s portrait without asking.”
“And yet you did it anyway.”
“I enjoy watching her pass my easel . . . so I wanted to capture the woman who puts a smile on my face every morning without fail.”
“Could I put my head on your shoulder? Without complicating things?”
“Sure. My shoulder never complicates things.”
Together, they gazed in silence at the thinly veiled moon that shone in the sky over Paris.
At two a.m., the caricaturist cleared his throat.
“I wasn’t sleeping,” said Mia.
“Neither was I.”
Mia stood up.
“Perhaps it’s time to say good-bye,” she suggested.
“Good night, then,” the caricaturist said as he got to his feet.
They left Place du Tertre and went their separate ways.
5
Daisy liked to walk through the quiet streets just as the sun came bursting over the horizon. The concrete smelled of cool morning. She stopped at Place du Tertre, stared at an empty bench, and shook her head before continuing on her way.
Mia woke up one hour later. She made herself a cup of tea and sat down opposite the bay window.
She lifted the cup to her lips, then caught sight of her friend’s computer and crossed over to the desk.
First sip. She checked her inbox, skimming through everything that reminded her of professional obligations.
Second sip. Not finding what she’d hoped for, she closed the laptop.
Third sip. She turned to look down at the street below and thought of her moonlit jaunt the night before.
Fourth sip. She opened the laptop again and went straight to the dating website.
Fifth sip. Mia carefully read the instructions for creating a profile.
Sixth sip. She put down her cup and got to work.
CREATING A PROFILE
Are you looking for a relationship? Definitely, No Way, Let’s See What Happens.
Let’s see.
Your marital status: Never Married, Separated, Divorced, Widowed, Married.
Separated.
Do you have children?
No.
Your personality: Considerate, Adventurous, Calm, Easygoing, Funny, Demanding, Proud, Generous, Reserved, Sensitive, Outgoing, Spontaneous, Shy, Reliable, Other.
All of the above.
Please make a single selection.
Easygoing.
Your eye color.
Right. I’d be perfect for you, if only my eyes were a different color.
Does “blind” count as a color?
Your physique: Normal, Athletic, Skinny, A Few Pounds Overweight, Plus-Size, Stocky.
It’s like the entry form for a cattle fair! Normal.
Your height.
In centimeters? No clue. Let’s say 175. Any more and I sound like a giraffe.
Your nationality.
British. Bad idea: we turned off the French with that whole Waterloo thing. American? Not much better, as far as the French are concerned. Danish? Makes me think of pastries. Mexican? I don’t speak Spanish. Irish? My mother would kill me if she found out. Icelandic? Nah, they’ll expect me to recite Bj?rk all day long. Latvian? Sounds good, but I’d never have time to learn the language. Then again, it would be fun to invent an accent and speak a made-up language, given that the likelihood of meeting a real Latvian in Paris is pretty slim. Thai? Let’s not go there. New Zealander? I have always been good with accents!
Your ethnic origin.
Didn’t we learn anything from World War II? What is it with questions like this?
Your vision and values: Religion.
Right, because religion is the only way to define your vision and values? Agnostic—that’ll show them!
Your views on marriage.
Blurred.
Do you want children?
I would rather meet a man who wanted to have children with me than a man who just wanted to have children.
Your level of education.
Oh, crap! A lie for a lie, let’s say PhD . . . No, I’ll just end up with a bunch of boring nerds. Okay, a First seems like the ticket . . .
Your profession.
Actress, but that would be playing with fire. Insurance agent? No. Travel agent? Not that either. Nurse? Even worse. Soldier? Definitely not. Physical therapist? Nah, they’ll just want massages all the time. Musician? But I can’t sing. Restaurant owner? Hmm, like Daisy . . . Good idea.
Describe your job.
I cook . . .
A bit over the top considering I can’t even make an omelet, but to hell with it!
Your sports: Swimming, Hiking, Jogging, Pool and Darts . . .
Hm. Is darts really a sport?
. . . Yoga, Martial Arts, Golf, Sailing, Bowling, Football, Boxing . . .
I wonder how many women put “boxing.”
Do you smoke?
Occasionally.
Best to be honest or else I could end up with an antismoking fanatic.
Your pets.
My soon-to-be ex-husband.
Your interests: Music, Sports, Cooking, Shopping . . .
Shopping? Great choice, that just oozes intelligence! It would go perfectly with “boxing,” up there. Dancing? Nah, they’d expect me to squeeze myself into a tutu—let’s not risk disappointment. Writing? Sure, writing is good. Reading too. Cinema? No. No. No! Absolutely not. The last thing I need is a film buff. Museums and exhibitions? Depends. Animals? Negative, I don’t want to spend my weekends visiting zoos. Video games, fishing and hunting? Yuck. Creative leisure pursuits? Am I supposed to know what that means?
Going out: Cinema.
Yes. But we’ll have to just say no.
Eating out.
Yes.
Evenings with friends.
I’m all set with that for now.
Family.
Kept to an absolute minimum, thank you very much.
Bars/Pubs.
That’s a yes.
Nightclubs.
That’s a no.
Sporting events.
Double no.
Your taste in music and films.
I feel like I’m getting the third degree here! Enough with the interrogation.
WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR IN A MAN
Height and physique: Normal, Athletic, Skinny, A Few Pounds Overweight.
I couldn’t care less!
His marital status: Never Married, Widowed, Single.
All three.
He has children.
That’s his business.
He wants children.
We have time.
His personality.
Finally! I thought you’d never ask . . .
Considerate, Adventurous, Calm, Easygoing, Funny, Generous, Reserved, Sensitive, Outgoing, Spontaneous, Reliable.
All of the above!