Love. That deep, soul-connecting kind of love. The type of love where you don’t even have to take off your clothes to feel it. But what the fuck even was that? You’ve been in two relationships—one when you were 15, which lasted five months, and another when you were 18, which only lasted three. And now, at 23, you’ve been single for almost five years. But you’ve never been so in love with someone that you got butterflies in your stomach, never yearned for them, never missed them like hell. It is what it is. Now—you’re living in a small apartment in Paris, even though you’re originally from London. You needed a fresh start, a completely new beginning. It’s an old but cozy rooftop apartment that you share with your best friend, Ash, and his boyfriend, Carter. The place has so much personality from all of you—it’s messy but cozy in all the right ways. One thing you’re sure of in life is that you love your job. After graduating from cosmetology school a few months ago, you started working at a small but popular beauty salon. You do hair, nails, lashes—whatever—alongside your amazing colleagues. But every day when you come home, you see Ash and Carter cuddling on the couch or sharing sweet moments in the kitchen, and you want that. The boys have tried to be supportive, setting you up on dates, but damn, they all ended in awkward silence. So, you decide to download a dating app. You upload a few pictures—ones that truly show who you are, while also highlighting your beauty. There hadn’t been much real interaction—until around midnight, when a guy texts you. Curly mullet, cute smile, and a simple bio about who he is. And then, a sweet message just for you.

“Hey Madeline. I’m really new to all this dating app stuff because I never felt comfortable with it. But I think you’re really beautiful, and you seem like someone I’d love to get to know. I hope you’ll respond. —Lando” he had written.