Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then.

Katharine Hepburn

Paul Darrer lounged in his grandfather's chair and brooded to himself. He was aware that at thirty-four he had reached an age when one should neither brood nor lounge, but as usual he could hardly get out of his skin.

His stomach growled, reminding him that it was almost time for dinner. He found the thought of sitting in his kitchen alone unappealing and reached for his cell phone. Maybe he could convince his best friend Daria to come over for a visit. Preferably to bring something to eat. He reached for his phone to pester her via WhatsApp.

Hey Dar, anything on tonight?

Daria's reply wasn't long in coming. You can just order yourself something if you're hungry. I recommend Chinese.

Paul had to grin. She knew him too well. I had it yesterday. Besides, I don't like to eat alone.

Promptly, her retort popped up. Doesn't one of your latest conquests have time for you? A pitying smiley appeared. Not today, sry. I have a real date. Do you remember? It's something where two people meet to see if they might be a good match.

Now that she said it, he remembered it. Ah, yes. Right. How's it going? Any future plans?

In response, she sent him a picture of a smiling turd that left plenty of room for interpretation. He admired Daria's persistence in finding the love of her life. However, he would appreciate it if this part didn't take up so much time. A steady boyfriend automatically meant less time for fencing together and well, for him too. Paul felt bad. Even though he was reluctant to share Daria, he wished her luck.

Paul was toying with the idea of calling one of his siblings when a thump in the hallway announced Moses' arrival. Shortly after, the door was pushed open and an imposing black and white cat entered the room. He took a few steps toward him, stretching extensively. With one leap he hopped onto Paul's lap and made himself comfortable. This made it clear that he could postpone his further dinner plans for the time being to cuddle his friend's velvety back.

When Paul had moved to his small domicile on the outskirts of Hanover last year, he had more or less taken over the cat. Or the animal had taken him over, depending on the perspective. On the first evening, when he was setting up the first furniture and clearing out boxes with Daria and his brother Noah, Moses knocked on the patio door with one paw and demanded to be let in. As soon as Daria opened the door, he inspected the living rooms and finally took possession of the new bed. The cat immediately felt at home and quickly convinced Paul that he was now responsible for the food. Honestly, Paul also enjoyed having a four-legged roommate. Having a large family, he loved the peace his home provided. Still, he didn't handle loneliness well. Moses was a perfect compromise.

Paul never regrets moving into this residential idyll and considered the purchase of the two-story duplex was one of the best decisions of his life. The Mittelland Canal meandered through his neighborhood within a few minutes' walk. The infrastructure was impressive, yet the small cul-de-sac on whose turnaround Paul's domicile stood offered an idyllic component. Sometimes it almost seemed to him as if he were living in the country. Only without roosters and with good connections to nightlife.

His gaze wandered around the room, his library, as he affectionately called it, while he continued to stroke Moses. Books gathered up to the ceiling on rustic wooden shelves, custom-made, of course. Novels, biographies, comics - he wasn't picky, as long as they were good works. In other words, those that he rated as good. Next to his armchair, an antique floor lamp provided pleasant reading light. On the wall hung some of his favorite photographs.

A landscape shot he had taken a few years ago in the Dolomites. Next to it, a photograph of the northern lights from Thingvellir National Park in Iceland shone in various shades of blue and green. But his favorite was the shadow shot, as he secretly called it. It showed the outline of his swinging cousin Nele, whom he had photographed on a midsummer day in the playground at Hannover's Maschpark.

Careful not to disturb the dozing cat, Paul reached for a thriller he had left on the side table. Although Daria liked to tease him about it, he preferred real paper when he read. Moses treated him to a brief excursion into wintry London, but when things got exciting, his roommate rolled over onto his back and baited Paul with the presentation of his soft belly. Being a well-trained human, Paul put the book back and devoted himself to his friend's needs. Amidst the white fur shimmered a black spot, about the level of the heart, and in a way, Paul could not explain, nor did he want to, he always felt tempted to pet that spot. Which, however, would surely be a mistake.

»You can take your bait again, you hoodlum,« Paul grumbled, tickling Moses on the chin. Today he didn't feel like pulling claws out of the back of his hand. The cat finished his cuddle session and climbed onto the window sill, then nudged the window pane with one paw. Smiling, Paul stood up and complied with the unspoken command. Moses hopped out the upstairs window and then onto the roof of the adjacent carport. Just as Paul was about to close the window again, his eyes caught on something.

***

Lisa Ritter had spontaneously thought of walking to the nearby pizzeria to get a calzone to go. As she was about to turn off to her semi-detached house with her fragrant booty, she was surprised to see a Volvo parked behind her silver Renault. Its green paintwork looking rather rusty.

Curious, she looked around the corner and spotted a blond stranger ringing her front doorbell. He had tried this several times in vain because now he knocked demanding.

»Hello, Mrs. Ritter? My name is Viktor - your grandmother sent me!« Damn. Lisa took a few cautious steps back and bumped into her neighbor's trash can, which he had left next to his carport. The pale man turned in her direction. She wondered if he had heard her. Damn, damn.

Ever since her grandmother Trude, whom Lisa loved dearly, had decided to move into a senior residence a few months ago, the elderly lady had been trying everything to get Lisa to man up. Several times a month, a few strange characters would drop by to invite her to dinner, visit, or take her out. The more she emphasized to her grandmother that she didn't want such support in her life, the more she stubbornly refused. Lisa simply could not make her understand that her relationship status was not due to a lack of opportunities, but to her inner attitude. A man just didn't fit into her life at the moment. If that ever changed, her grandmother would be the first to know, too.

»Hello?« Her unwanted visitor trotted down the gravel path in her direction. Lisa didn't have much time left to avoid another, probably unpleasant encounter. She had already learned that anyone who depended on a relationship mediation from the retirement home brought with them an annoying tendency to be pushy. She quickly climbed onto the trash can and from there onto the flat carport roof. Soft light shone from her neighbor's adjacent room, providing enough illumination from the streetlight to give her a good view of everything. The troublemaker emerged from beneath her and looked around searchingly. No one ever looks up, she noted with satisfaction. Then he shrugged, rummaged in his pockets, and lit a cigarette a moment later. Disgusted, she wrinkled her nose and brushed a dark brown strand from her face. Really?

Lisa had a good look at his incipient baldness and the few hairs he tried to use to conceal his blemish. She didn't care about a man's existence or lack of hair, it was just silly when you couldn't stand by something so natural. Maybe a short haircut would have suited him better? Lisa shook her head and called her thoughts back to order. This detail didn't matter at all, because really nothing could make Lisa want to meet a man who had been chosen by her grandmother. Especially because just the word 'date' was enough to make the hairs on the back of her arms stand up. Some people were not made to share their lives. Why should they, when it was much nicer not to have to answer anyone?

The man below her blew a puff of smoke into the cool autumn air. She couldn't even imagine how the old lady set up these appointments. >Hello, you over there at the medicine counter. You seem to be my granddaughter's age. Wouldn't you like to visit her sometime?< Creepy.

It had become a fixation of Grandma Trude's that she still wanted to meet great-grandchildren. Not that anything indicated an imminent demise, but when her grandmother set her mind on something, she was hard to dissuade. Judging by the lack of harassment reports from her brother Niklas, Grandma Trude was also completely focused on her only granddaughter. What a stroke of luck.

The autumn wind blew a few leaves across the roof and Lisa began to freeze. Her slim jeans and pink hoodie had been a good choice for a quick trip to the pizzeria, but unsuitable for lounging around on the roof of a carport on a cold, damp evening.

Sullenly, she squinted first at her pizza, which was slowly cooling besides her, and then back down at the smoker. He dropped his cigarette and stomped it out. As he prepared to finally walk to his car, she heard the window open behind her. Lisa froze.