ARLENE

“I hope it is. I’ve had enough terrible experiences—I’d hate to get into something that’s wrong for me again.”

“This is different. I can feel it,” she replied, and I shrugged. “Now we’re going to do something equally splendid.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Get dinner at your favourite restaurant,” she answered, letting out a pleased chuckle.

Dinner with Olivia was wonderful. She spent the entire evening giving me updates about everything that had happened in the city while I was away, and I was happy to listen and eat the delicious dishes set in front of us.

When we were done eating, I thanked her for pulling me out...