The East Wind By Julian Barnes

#midlifecrisis, #faileddates
This is a quietly intriguing short story set in a sleepy English seaside town, where nothing much seems to happen—until it does. It follows an unlikely romance that begins with cautious politeness, moves through hesitant intimacy, and takes a turn that no one (least of all the characters) quite expects. With Barnes’s signature wit and sharp observations, the story plays with cultural contrasts, unspoken tensions, and the occasional awkward silence that says more than words ever could. And just when you think you know where it's going, the ending arrives with a twist—because, of course, the East Wind never just brings fair weather...