AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter One
Sophie Lawton stepped off the train at Penn Station, followed the herd of people up the stairs, exited onto Seventh Avenue, and the magic of the city enveloped her. It was like this every time she made the trip in from Hudson, which was only two hours north of Manhattan. But it was a world away.
It was over two miles to her aunt’s apartment on Fifth Avenue, but it was a beautiful, sunny day and Sophie enjoyed the walk. She soaked in the sights and sounds—the cars honking, people walking by in their suits looking important and in a hurry. The energy of the city always amazed her, it felt full of possibilities.
Sophie still dreamed of living in Manhattan—someday. It was impossibly expensive, and it would be many years before she could afford to live there— even with roommates. She’d visited college friends over the years that lived in Manhattan. They’d had high paying jobs and yet they were crammed into the smallest apartment with bedrooms that barely fit a bed.
None of them lived there anymore, though. They’d all married and settled down in the suburbs, Connecticut mostly. While Sophie was still in Hudson and as of two weeks ago, had moved home with her parents—an absolute last resort. But it couldn’t be helped.
She smiled as she reached her aunt’s address on Fifth Avenue. Aunt Penny was actually her great-aunt, and she lived in a beautiful building that was near the Metropolitan Museum of Art and overlooked Central Park. Sophie rang the bell and her aunt buzzed her in. She took the elevator to the fourth floor. There were only two apartments on the that floor and they were both massive by New York standards. By any standard, really.
Her aunt’s door opened as Sophie reached it and Aunt Penny pulled her in for a hug. She always smelled of vanilla and cinnamon. Sophie was only five foot four, yet always felt like she towered over her tiny aunt who wasn’t quite five feet. Aunt Penny had recently turned ninety-two. She looked impeccable, as always, with her snowy hair piled into an elegant bun. And she wore a baby blue sweater suit with a double string of creamy pearls.
“It’s so good to see you, dear. Did you have a good trip in?”
“I did. No delays and it was a nice walk over.”
Her aunt raised her eyebrows. “You should have taken a cab. That’s a very long walk.”
“I didn’t mind at all,” Sophie assured her.
“Well, we’ll be taking a cab to the restaurant. Drop your bag in your room and we’ll head out.”
Sophie did as instructed. She always stayed in the same guest room. It was spacious and had a lovely view of the park. The apartment had four bedrooms, a huge living room, a library with a working fireplace, and a full-sized kitchen, which was unusual. Most Manhattan apartments had tiny galley kitchens. Until a few months ago, her uncle Joe had lived there too. They’d never had children, but somehow the apartment didn’t feel so huge with the two of them there. They’d had visitors often, and Aunt Penny always loved to have friends and family stay with them.
A cab pulled up a few minutes after they stepped outside and as usual, they went to Alice’s Tea Cup for afternoon tea. They’d been going there since Sophie was eight or nine and it was a special place, full of memories. They ordered their usual, the Mad Hatter, which was tea for two and included tiny sandwiches—they always chose the BLT and curried chicken salad. There were also delicious desserts, and the best scones in the world. Sophie measured all scones against the ones from Alice’s Tea Cup—and no others came close. They had tea of course, and as usual, her aunt added a glass of prosecco for each of them.
“To your visit! I’m so happy I have you for a full week, my dear. You know you’re always welcome to stay as long as you like.” Aunt Penny lifted her glass of prosecco and Sophie did the same. They clinked glasses before taking a sip.
“Thank you. I’m thrilled to be here.” It had been a long two weeks since Sophie had moved home. And her mother hadn’t exactly approved of the trip into the city.
“Do you really think this is a good idea? You need to find a job, Sophie. How can you do that if you are gallivanting around Manhattan? I know you adore Aunt Penny, but you need to focus.”
“It’s just a week and I’ve been checking the job listings and mailing out resumes online. I can still do that from there. I haven’t seen her in ages, and I think we both need this visit.”
Sophie split a warm scone and spread a generous amount of clotted cream and strawberry jam over it before taking a bite.
“How is it going at home? Is Ethel behaving herself?” Aunt Penny smiled ever so slightly. She knew that Sophie’s mother could be difficult.
“She didn’t exactly approve of this trip,” Sophie admitted. “But I assured her I can still job search from here.”
“That’s true. You young people can do anything with a computer these days. What kind of job are you hoping for? Do you want to work for another law firm?”
Sophie shuddered at the thought. “I don’t think so. I’ve worked for four now, since graduating college and they’re all the same. I don’t mind the work itself, but they’re all such stressful environments. Lawyers are not happy people and there’s always at least one attorney that makes everyone miserable.”
And Sophie didn’t even mention the support staff—her colleagues—were often just as bad with cattiness and cutthroat behavior. It was exhausting. “I think I might just temp and try out some other industries.”
Her aunt nodded. “That’s a wonderful idea. You have strong office skills, and it might be fun to see where else you can apply them. Will you stay in Hudson?”
“For now, yes. I don’t really have much of a choice. I lost my job a week before I was due to re-sign my lease and the apartment complex required proof of employment. The move home is just temporary—until I can secure a new job and build up some savings.” Sophie was tempted to take on a second job as well so she wouldn’t have to spend as much time at home and could move out sooner.
“Well, I have a proposition for you, my dear. What if you just moved here? Now that my Joe is gone, I have more than enough room and I’d love the company.” She coughed suddenly, a deep rumbly cough that made Sophie instantly worried.
“Aunt Penny are you okay?”
Her aunt waved her concern away. “It’s nothing. Just a little tickle. It comes and goes. My allergies are awful this year. So, what do you think? I know I might not be the most exciting roommate, but maybe it’s better than staying in Hudson with Ethel and Tom?” Her eyes twinkled and Sophie laughed out loud.
“That’s an understatement. If you’re serious I would actually love that.”
