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The bell above the door of The Winding Stairs jingled as Quinn Grant left the bookshop with a thriller and a cozy mystery instead of the latest biography of an entrepreneur or tech mogul. The snowflakes fell thick and lazily, taking their time as they made their way to the ground, the heavy footfall of people in town today not letting it gather.
She’d made sure to evolve her lecture material over the years, adding relevant marketing campaigns that all of her students would recognize and using them to demonstrate the psychology of that company’s marketing tactics.
If Quinn had stuck to the basic material, what was in the textbooks assigned to that course, she’d put her students to sleep. And that meant reading a lot, which she enjoyed, but she also spent more time on social media than she’d like to, even if it was for research purposes. Her own profiles were private, and she actually didn’t know why she bothered keeping them. She never used them, but if she ever did try online dating, she figured she had to have somewhere to direct someone.
She stood outside the bookstore, taking in the festive atmosphere. When she’d entered the bookshop, it had still been daylight, but now the Christmas lights glowed, and the town really did look like something out of a movie. She knew they’d started actively campaigning online to promote this area, and specifically this town, trying to draw more tourists in these last few years, promising beautiful foliage in the fall and a picturesque town just a few hours away from the city.
This was what they should be focusing on. December and all of this festive cheer.
When Quinn had moved here ten years ago, she’d been house hunting this time of year, and she’d been struck by the charm and the community spirit of this town. It was a complete contrast to the busyness of the college town she’d been living in, wanting to be just five minutes from campus, but it had come at a price.
Quinn couldn’t step outside her door without running into a current or former student. They were everywhere, taking jobs and staying during the summer. At first, Quinn had loved that aspect of it, of feeling like their college and town provided a real home away from home for its students, but after a few years, Quinn struggled to switch off.
She’d be enjoying a glass of wine with another lecturer or even a date, and they’d end up having a group of students sitting at the table beside them. It wasn’t that they were loud or immature. It just affected their evening. Quinn wouldn’t feel like she could chat as freely, and she’d definitely be conscious of the glass of wine in her hand, almost afraid to order a second or third.
Quinn remembered wandering up and down this street on an evening just like this, with the Christmas lights bright against the dark sky, and the scent of mulled wine in the air. She’d discovered the bookstore that day and the coffee shop too.
A shiver chased up her spine, and her feet were already moving, thinking about the table beside the fire in that coffee shop and how nice it would be to sip on a latte to warm up.
Quinn strolled down the busy sidewalk, admiring the window displays of the shops and restaurants. How was it December? It seemed like the semester had only started.
This time of year was always a strange one for Quinn. She did look forward to it, but it was always tainted with the twinge of loneliness. Thanksgiving, then her birthday, Christmas, and finally New Year’s. All reminders of the fact that she was alone.
She tried not to focus on that. She knew she had a lot to be thankful for. She’d made the right decision to move to this town, and as a result, she’d made wonderful friends. She still had the job that she loved. She didn’t think she’d ever get tired of teaching.
She just had to stay busy, really. That had always been her antidote to feeling alone. Her home wasn’t even a ten-minute drive away from town, so she made sure to come in often, even when she was tired after a long day at work. On weekends, she came into the coffee shop and had breakfast or a pastry in the early afternoon if she’d already eaten at home.
The snow continued to fall now, and this was the first real snowfall of the season. At least eight, maybe ten or twelve inches, would fall tonight and into the morning. That was what motivated her to buy the thriller and the cozy mystery. She planned on curling up on the couch in front of the fire tomorrow and enjoying some guilt-free reading. Work could wait. She had papers to grade, but she’d get to them in the afternoon when she had a football game on in the background.
Quinn pulled open the door of the coffee shop, the scent of pastries and coffee beans greeting her. She spotted her friend, Lucy, already sitting by the fire, and Quinn gave her a wave before she got in line.
She smiled warmly at the barista who greeted her, and the two caught up on each other’s news until Quinn was ready to order.
Quinn couldn’t resist a gingerbread latte. The aroma of ginger and spice wafted up from its creamy surface, like a freshly-baked batch of gingerbread cookies just out of the oven.
“Shopping?” Lucy asked, eyeing up Quinn’s bag.
“Only for me.” Quinn took off her coat and hung it on the back of the chair before she sat down, the warmth of the fire already permeating her gray jeans. “I got two new books, that psychological thriller I was telling you about and a cozy mystery that sounded interesting.”
Lucy nodded approvingly and sipped at her coffee as Quinn shared more about her plans for tomorrow. “About that… I was wondering if you’d meet—“
“No.” Quinn held up her hand.
“How do you even know what I was going to say?”
“Because it’s always the same thing. And where are you finding all these amazing, single women?”
Lucy shrugged, tucking a single lock of her fiery red hair behind her ear. “Friends of friends.”
Quinn sighed. “If they’re so great, why aren’t you going out with them?”
“You know how much I value my freedom.”
“Hm.” Quinn was starting to wonder if Lucy had the right attitude, if maybe not everyone needed to settle down and be in a relationship to be happy. She’d been doing just fine all these years. Why did anything have to change?
Quinn took a sip of her latte, the taste of cream and sugar comforting her. “You know, I think I’m going to be just fine by myself. I appreciate the thought. But yeah… I think I need to accept that this is more than likely it. Me and you being single,” she added with a smile.
Lucy cracked a knowing smile, a mix of respect and admiration in her eyes. “If that’s what you want, then I support it wholeheartedly.” She raised her cup for a toast before taking a sip. “But staying single doesn’t mean always being alone.”
