"...I feel they're just like my study. It goes from confusing to mainstream to classic stuff and all over again. We present and debate about the artifacts, but not affecting them in any way."

Adam listened to all of that, then mumbled only two words.

"That's nice."

"Uhm... what did you say?"

"It's like when you're at the studio. Really insightful."

"Ah... uhm... thanks...," Jan started to feel too self-conscious. She wrestled with the fact that Adam didn't mind her rambling.

There was complete silence again when they walked from the tram stop to her dorms. She no longer felt the awkwardness like when they left the studio. Now there was only a sad tinge clouding her thoughts on the goodbyes they were going to say soon.

Jan and Adam finally came in front of her block.

"My room is right above these stairs," Jan said with a weak smile. "Thank you a lot for today. I had a great time."

"Likewise! It was great to see you and have you at the studio," Adam wore his signature smile and held out his hand.

So this is it, - she told herself - this is the end.

She shook his hand. It was large and warm, also much softer than hers. She almost felt like she would not let it go. She didn't want to. But she had to, hadn't she?

"Say, are you free tomorrow?" Adam suddenly said.

Jan dropped his hand in midair. "What?"

"The Rijksmuseum seems interesting. I'm into classic stuff as well. If you don't mind, would you want to give me a mini tour tomorrow?"

"Yes... sure," Jan said too quickly, as if Adam's invitation would evaporate at any second.

"Cool, shall we meet here at 12?" Adam was smiling genuinely at her.

"Ok, 12," she smiled back. It was a very big smile.

"Good night!"

"Night!"

Jan stood very still for a while to process what had just happened.

It feels too good, too good to be true, - part of Jan's brain told her.

She ended up dreaming about Adam that night.

She walked into a big empty room in the Rijksmuseum and Adam was sitting on a bench in the middle of the room. He was hunching over something. When she called out to him, he smiled back warmly. Then she approached him and asked him to go and play. His warm smile vanished instantly. He gave her a cold look and said.

"I already have a partner."

Jan was so startled that she woke up in the middle of the night. Cold sweat broke on her forehead. She looked at her hand. A few hours ago, it held Adam's large warm hand. Now, it held nothing but empty cold air.

Jan had a hard time falling into sleep again after that. When she looked at herself in the mirror the next morning, she was terrified. Her eyes were red. Her dark circles were prominent.

No one should see me today. No one, - she thought.

Then she told herself it was ok, nothing was going to happen anyway, what had happened last night was a dream.

So Jan just went through her morning routine, plus examining the plaster cast. And she sat down at her tiny desk and shuffled through the papers for her thesis.

It was a typically quiet Saturday morning when everyone was still hung-over from parties from the night before. Jan was quite sure her roommate had gone home way later than her yesterday and was fast asleep now, or she had crashed somewhere else. That didn't bother Jan at all, as long as she had the much needed quietness to do her own stuff.

That was if she could do her own stuff at all.

She couldn't help glancing at the clock constantly.

Is it 12 yet? What am I going to do when it's 12?

She couldn't help staring out the window constantly either. Usually there wouldn't be a single soul out there at this time of the day. Usually.

But then it was almost 12, and Jan caught a glimpse of a person approaching her block. Her heart skipped a beat.

It's unmistakably Adam. He wore different shades and a different cap today. But it for sure was him.

Her heart skipped another beat when Jan saw that he found out that she was eyeing him and waved at her.

She waved back mechanically, then immediately turned around to gather her stuff. Haste and plaster cast weren't a good combination. She almost tripped up multiple times.

When she hopped to the last stair with the crutch, Adam was already there.

"Good morning!" His dazzling smile shone brightly. Jan almost had to squint.

"... Mo... Morning..." was all she managed to say while gasping for breath.

"How are you?" He stepped back and gave her plenty of room to walk with the crutch.

"Good. And you?" She answered reflexively, still catching her breath.

(cont.)