Monday morning crept in slowly, the soft light of dawn spilling through the blinds, casting long, sleepy shadows across Ivy’s tiny apartment. The TV was still on, frozen on the screen where the movie had stopped playing hours ago. The smell of cold dumplings and leftover wine hung in the air, blending with the comfortable, musty scent of well-worn blankets. On the couch, Ivy lay nestled under a pile of blankets, one foot poking out from the end, while Mia, who had curled up beside her, was half-buried in pillows.
Suddenly, a loud *thud* shook the silence, followed by a groggy groan.
"Ow," Mia mumbled from the floor, her voice muffled by something soft. It took her a moment to realize she had rolled off the couch in her sleep, face-first into a plate of leftover dumplings. She wriggled a bit, half-asleep, trying to figure out where she was.
Ivy stirred, her eyelids heavy as she slowly woke up, the sound of Mia's fall bringing her out of her slumber. She blinked, confused, as her brain slowly caught up with reality. The room was quiet again except for Mia’s groaning, and it took Ivy a second to remember where she was. Then, she saw it—Mia sprawled on the floor, tangled in blankets, bits of dumpling clinging to her cheek.
She almost burst out laughing, but something stopped her—a strange, unexpected feeling in her mouth. She paused, lips slightly parted, before realizing with horror what it was: a leftover piece of dumpling, still stuck in her mouth from the night before. She had a bad habit of falling asleep with food half-chewed, and this time it was no different. Her cheeks burned as she realized that she was seconds away from trying to talk to Mia with dumpling still in her mouth.
Mia groaned louder, peeling herself off the floor. “What the hell? Why are there dumplings everywhere?” She wiped her cheek, grimacing as she stared at her hand, now smeared with cold sauce.
Ivy quickly sat up, cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk as she desperately tried to chew and swallow the soggy mess in her mouth. Her face scrunched up in embarrassment, but also the ridiculousness of the moment, her eyes flicking nervously between Mia and the plate on the floor.
“You okay?” Ivy finally managed to ask, her voice muffled as she attempted to speak around the remnants of dumpling she hadn’t quite swallowed. She could feel her face flushing a deeper red, hoping Mia wouldn’t notice her mouthful of last night’s snack.
Mia blinked up at her, sitting up in a daze, still rubbing her cheek where a dumpling had made its unfortunate landing. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just covered in yesterday’s dinner, but y’know, that’s Monday for you.”
Ivy snorted, finally managing to swallow the last of the dumpling, and then burst out laughing. Mia, now fully awake, glanced at her, then at the mess around them, and started laughing too.
“God, we’re such a disaster,” Mia said, shaking her head. “What even happened? I don’t remember finishing the movie.”
“I don’t think we did,” Ivy said between fits of laughter. “We probably fell asleep like ten minutes in.”
“Classic us,” Mia sighed, leaning back against the couch. “Well, happy Monday, I guess.”
Ivy wiped her eyes, still chuckling softly as she grabbed her phone from the coffee table, scrolling mindlessly through the notifications. There was nothing particularly important—mostly spam emails, a few social media pings—but as she glanced through her messages, one in particular caught her eye: a reminder about the date she had set up through the dating site.
Her stomach twisted slightly. She had forgotten all about it in the chaos of the night before. The guy seemed nice enough through the chat, but Ivy wasn’t sure she was ready for another failed attempt at dating. It seemed like every time she tried to put herself out there, she was met with disappointment. Still, she had agreed to meet him for coffee later in the afternoon. The thought lingered in her mind as she absentmindedly scrolled through her messages.
Meanwhile, Mia, still sitting on the floor, stretched her arms and yawned loudly. “Ugh, I should get ready for work,” she muttered, wiping the last bit of dumpling sauce from her face. Her phone buzzed loudly from the floor, startling her. She glanced at it, eyes widening as she read the message. “Oh crap, I’ve got that audition today. I completely forgot!”
Ivy looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Audition? For what?”
“It’s for a local production,” Mia said, scrambling to her feet and heading toward the bathroom. “I’m not even sure what the role is, but I need to be there in an hour, so I’ve got to hustle.”
Ivy watched as Mia hurried off, the apartment suddenly feeling a bit emptier without her chaotic energy bouncing around the room. She turned her gaze back to her phone, staring at the message from the dating app. Part of her knew she should cancel. She wasn’t in the right headspace to be meeting someone new, not with all the self-doubt swirling in her mind. But another part of her—the part that wanted to believe in second chances and fresh starts—was tempted to go anyway, if only to prove to herself that she could.
“Hey, what’s that?” Mia called from the bathroom, her voice muffled as she quickly brushed her teeth. “You’ve been staring at your phone like it’s got the answer to life’s biggest questions.”
Ivy blinked, quickly locking her screen. “Nothing, just... work stuff,” she lied, feeling a pang of guilt. Mia would never let her hear the end of it if she knew Ivy was about to go on yet another date that would likely end in disappointment. Mia had been vocal about Ivy’s tendency to rush into relationships too quickly, especially after so many failed attempts.
“Uh-huh,” Mia said, stepping out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head. “I know that look. You’re up to something, aren’t you?”
Ivy tried to play it cool, forcing a laugh. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mia narrowed her eyes suspiciously but didn’t press further. “Fine, keep your secrets. I’ll just find out later anyway,” she teased, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. “I’ve got to go. Wish me luck at the audition!”
“Good luck!” Ivy called after her, grateful for the distraction as Mia hurried out the door.
The apartment was quiet again, the leftover dumplings still scattered across the floor, remnants of last night’s chaos. Ivy sat there for a moment, staring at the locked screen of her phone. She was supposed to meet the guy in just a few hours, but the thought of sitting across from another stranger, making small talk, and pretending to be okay when she wasn’t, made her stomach churn.
With a deep sigh, she unlocked her phone and quickly typed out a message: *Hey, I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to make it today. Something came up.*
She hit send before she could second-guess herself and tossed her phone onto the couch. It was for the best, she told herself. No distractions. She had work to do.
Her studio was calling, and with the rent renewal looming over her, she couldn’t afford to waste any more time. The pressure was mounting, and while she craved closure from her recent romantic failures, there was something far more pressing on her mind—her art. It was the only thing she had left to focus on, the only thing that truly mattered.
Throwing on a sweater, Ivy grabbed her keys and decided to take the long route to the studio, hoping the walk would clear her mind. She tucked her sketchbook under her arm and stepped outside, the crisp morning air biting at her cheeks. Maybe a little time alone with her thoughts would help her figure out what to do next.
As she walked, her boots crunching against the fallen leaves on the sidewalk, she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever find the balance between her dreams and her heart.
YOU ARE READING
Love in Overdrive
Romance**Ivy Monroe**, has a condition called emophilia, where she falls in love quickly and intensely. She has been through a series of failed relationships because she constantly mistakes infatuation for true love. Each heartbreak leaves her feeling more...
