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“I’d love the company, but don’t you have more exciting plans? You should be on a date with your girlfriend,” she said.
He grinned. “She’s out of the country and I was just planning on a quiet night. How about Chinese? I can pick it up and come around seven if that works?”
“That would be great. Really great. Thank you.”
Max knocked on her door at seven sharp, holding a huge bag of Chinese food. “I wasn’t sure what to get so I got a little of everything.”
Sophie laughed when she saw all the food. He really did get everything it seemed. There were several appetizers, steak teriyaki, chicken fingers, and egg rolls. Spicy chicken lo mein, garlic shrimp with broccoli and house fried rice. She got plates for them both and opened a bottle of Aunt Penny’s favorite prosecco. They spread all the food on the coffee table in the living room and settled on the sofa.
Max raised his glass of prosecco and toasted Aunt Penny. “I think she’s watching over us now. She’d want us to celebrate her life, not be overly sad. She’s with her Joe now.”
Sophie nodded. It was hard not to be sad, but Max was right. “I just wish I’d had more time with her,” she said.
Max smiled sadly.“It was quality time though. Your aunt went on her own terms.”
“She did. She only just told me she was sick less than a week ago. I think she knew it was close. And you’re right. She’s with Uncle Joe now.”
She sipped her prosecco, and they dove into the Chinese food. While they ate, they shared memories of her aunt. Max had known her for several years and long before Sophie had arrived, they’d had the occasional movie night.
“She was a great lady. She really lived life to the fullest,” he said in admiration.
“She did. And she was so encouraging.” Sophie thought about their conversation the night before. “Aunt Penny told me to follow my passion. To explore real estate if that’s what I loved.”
Max nodded. “That sounds like good advice. What’s next for you?”
Sophie frowned. “I’m not sure. I might have to move home for a while. But it will only be until I find a new place. I didn’t think I wanted to live with a bunch of girls in a tiny apartment, but I’d rather do that than live in Hudson. Now that I’ve been in the city for a few months, I want to stay. Even if it means a bunch of roommates.”
“I think you should stay. Who cares if you have a bunch of roommates? It’s just a place to sleep.” He grinned. “Once you become a real estate mogul, you’ll be able to get a better place, a penthouse even!”
Sophie laughed. And was surprised that it was even possible to laugh, given how sad she was. But Max was helping to cheer her up. “I’d settle for a studio of my own,” she said.
“You can do it,” Max encouraged her.
They stayed up until midnight. Around ten, Sophie opened the box of macarons that she’d bought earlier for her aunt. She handed the box to Max. “They were her favorite. I bought them on my way home from work to surprise her.” She felt the sadness sweep over her again as she sat back on the sofa.
Max took one and handed the box to her. “She’d want us to enjoy these.” Sophie took a raspberry-filled macaron and popped it in her mouth. She felt the tears threaten to fall again. But a moment later, Max made her laugh and she forgot to cry and reached for another macaron instead.
Finally at a little after midnight, when Sophie had yawned several times, Max stood. “I should probably let you get to bed. Are you okay?” he asked gently.
She nodded gratefully. She was exhausted and ready for bed. “I am, thanks to you. Thanks for keeping me company.”
Max pulled her in for a tight hug. His arms wrapped around her and made her instantly relax and feel safe. “It was good for both of us. I miss her too.” He pulled back and looked her in the eye. “If you need anything, I’m right down the hall.”
“Thanks, Max.” She walked him to the door and once he’d gone, she put the half-eaten box of macarons in the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water and headed to bed. Charlie followed her and hopped up on the bed, settling by her feet. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she drifted off to sleep.
Sophie spent the rest of the weekend keeping as busy as possible and was mostly out of the apartment. It was too sad to be there for hours on end by herself. She took her laptop and went to a local coffee shop once she’d showered and changed. While she sipped a coffee and ate a blueberry muffin, she combed the online listings of roommates wanted.
There were quite a few available. Most were three or four to an apartment. Her share of the monthly rent would still be higher than Sophie had paid in Hudson for her own place, but that wasn’t a surprise. The temp agency kept her steadily busy and when she crunched the numbers, she could just barely afford to rent one of these places. She hated the idea of roommates that were complete strangers, but she thought of what Max had said—how it was a place to sleep and it kept her in the city. Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad.
She emailed several of them to express interest and also looked at the job listings. The only real estate openings she saw were for sales and they were all commission only opportunities. But they all promised unlimited earning potential. But Sophie knew it was risky. Especially now where she’d have to make monthly rent payments, she couldn’t take that kind of risk. She needed the security of steady temp work.
She went to a movie that afternoon and she took herself out to dinner at a local restaurant she’d been curious about trying. She sat at the bar and people-watched while she sipped a glass of wine and waited for her order of shrimp scampi to arrive. She chatted with an older couple that sat next to her and they’d recommended the scampi.
When she finally made it home to her aunt’s apartment, it was after eight. She watched TV for a while and went to bed early. She did the same thing on Monday, and while she was at the coffee shop, she heard back from two of the places she’d contacted about roommate openings. She made arrangements to visit both the next day. She went to a different restaurant for dinner. She hated to spend the money but she hadn’t spent much since she’d been in the city and she just couldn’t stay home alone in her aunt’s apartment for too long. The hours stretched ahead of her, long and lonely and it helped to get out.
Later that afternoon, Kara called with a new assignment to run by her and Sophie filled her in on what had happened.
“I’m not sure on my timing. I’m looking into new places to stay but it might be a few weeks before I’m available again.” They left it that Sophie would call once she was settled.
