She pulled on her favourite red dress, tugging the tight-fitting summer garment down over her smooth silken skin. She loved the way the dress fit her, hugging her body and accentuating her waist. She buckled up her sandals and took a moment to check her reflection. Bending her hips to the left and right she studied her reflection in the mirror. Something about today made her feel sparkly, confident. She chucked on her denim jacket and ran her fingers through her long, curly hair. Taming it with a little spritz was, at best, optimistic. Her hair had a mind of its own and she had learnt long ago to work with it, not against it. It tumbled across her shoulders, the auburn curls catching the sunlight from the windows as she ran outside.
The sun was beating down on her, the delicious sort of spring day that warmed you from the inside out. She headed to her favourite bookshop and perused the shelves, flicking through the eccentric assortment of second hand copies of Enid Blyton, Jilly Cooper hardbacks and trashy romance novels. Finally deciding on a second-hand mills and boons novel she paid in coins, pausing to chat to the lovely old lady behind the counter who complemented her on her choice of the 'Pirate Lover'. Not something that would win awards but something she could lose herself in, the ridiculous dialogue and the meeting of two souls resulting in an inevitable marriage something to be treasured.
Grabbing a coffee and croissant on her way to her favourite spot she took she walked through the narrow streets smelling the jasmine from the nearby gardens and secretly spying on the people going about their business. She always liked to look at peoples faces, to track who was a million miles away and who would respond to her, inventing backstories and past lives for the people around her. Her mind wandered as she walked, replaying the date from the night before with the nice man with the mysterious smile.
She reached her favourite spot in the park, hidden behind a large oak tree out of sight of the rest of the park. She settled back, the grass pricking her legs as she lay on her side, legs folded. She tucked into the croissant, the flaky, sweet pastry melting on her tongue and the dark chocolate filling awakening her senses. The coffee was smooth and rich and she savoured every drop before opening her book and starting to lose herself in the ridiculous, predictable storyline. The sounds of the park, the kids playing and the dogs barking faded away as she got further and further into the story.