30

The woman would be delighted with the idea of having friends, going out drinking and dancing, living in a nice place with her friend and being able to enjoy a normal life. No negligent and abusive parents, no harassing bosses and misogynistic men, no financial difficulties and, above all, no lies.

Blair was in a trance, looking up and imagining thousands of chances. There was no reason to sabotage yourself again.

And as she thought about a likely, and perhaps inevitable, future, she felt a hand close around her wrist and pull her back. The woman needed a second to snap out of her thoughts and return to the real world, realizing that a man was pulling her towards him.

"I just want to talk" he almost shouted. His tone of voice seemed altered, out of character.

She didn't know how to react, she was still trying to assimilate the situation. The man, taller and with many more pounds, continued to pull. His eyes were red and his clothes were shabby, like a homeless person.

The woman felt pa