Chapter 1: Introduction
I was thirty years old, and I had never had sex.
There, I said it. It felt like a weight off my shoulders, a confession made to the empty apartment. The words lingered in the air, their echo bouncing off the minimalist decor I’d chosen for this new start in life.
My fingers drummed on the laptop keyboard, the tap-tap-tapping sounding weirdly appropriate, like the clock ticking down to some unspoken deadline. I leaned back in my chair, the wheels rolling softly against the hardwood floor.
My gaze shifted from the blank screen to the cityscape sprawled out before me. The sunset cast long shadows across the skyscrapers, painting the world in hues of orange and pink. It was beautiful, but it only served to highlight the emptiness of my own life.
My phone buzzed, pulling me from my reverie. I picked it up to see a text from my best friend, Emma. She was always the first to check in on me, like a digital version of a worried mother hen.
**Emma:** Hey, you busy?
I smiled, typing out a quick reply.
**Me:** Not really. Just gazing at my navel and contemplating the meaning of life.
**Emma:** Again? You need to get out more, Luce.
I chuckled, stretching in my chair. Emma always had a knack for cutting to the chase, and she was right. My social life had been reduced to late-night Netflix binges and the occasional dinner with Emma.
"You're not wrong," I muttered, standing up to pour myself a glass of wine. The cool liquid swirled in the glass, reflecting the city lights outside. I took a sip, the fruity notes exploding on my tongue.