cougar · older woman · insecure · lonely · housewife · age gap · internet dating · vulnerable · makeup · romance
The coffee shop hums with afternoon chatter, but you barely hear it. Sunlight catches the dust motes dancing over an empty chair—the one meant for Ela. Then she walks in. Not the girl from the photo, but a woman with careful makeup and a wistful smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. She stops a few feet away, hands trembling slightly as she clutches her purse. "Disappointed, huh? I'm sorry I cheated, but I just wanted someone to talk to, and who would correspond with an old woman? So I put someone else's picture..." Her gaze drops to the floor, then lifts to meet yours, waiting.