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“Thank you.” Sophie took the business card and stood to leave.
“Good luck, Sophie. Madison Financial is one of our best clients. This is a great first assignment for you.”
When Sophie got home from the temp agency it was almost five, and Aunt Penny was sitting in her living room, in her favorite oversized armchair, with her feet on a matching ottoman and her enormous cat, Charlie, sprawled across her lap. Charlie was a tuxedo cat, black and white with a mischievous face. He looked up as Sophie walked into the room and as soon as he recognized her, he yawned and settled back down.
Aunt Penny smiled when she saw her. “Would you like a glass of wine? I was just thinking it’s about that time.”
“Sure, I’ll pour us both a glass.” Sophie returned a moment later, handed Aunt Penny a glass of chardonnay and settled in the matching chair next to her.
“So, how did you make out this afternoon?” Aunt Penny asked.
Sophie took a quick sip of wine. “Good.” She told her about the assignment.
“And you start tomorrow? That’s impressive.” Her aunt looked deep in thought for a moment. “You know I think I read something about Madison Financial not too long ago. They were one of several companies profiled in an article about high-stress work environments. They are very successful though. After working at a law firm, maybe it won’t seem so bad.”
Sophie laughed. “That figures. Well, it’s just for a week. I doubt it will be as stressful as the law firm, so I’m sure it will be fine.”
“So, what do you want to do for supper? I was thinking we could have pizza delivered. There’s a great place I think you’ll like. They make the best spinach and artichoke pizza. How does that sound?” Aunt Penny asked.
“It sounds delicious.”
Chapter Three
Sophie didn’t think it was possible, but Madison Financial was the most stressful environment she’d ever worked in. Her job was answering phones on the trading floor, in a huge open room where people were crowded together. They sat side by side at tiny desks and they literally screamed all day long as they worked.
They screamed when they made their trade and when they didn’t get the price they wanted. The support staff looked terrified as traders barked orders at them and they scurried off to do their bidding. The only saving grace was that Sophie knew it was just for a week.
When Friday rolled around, she breathed a sigh of relief that it would be her last day. She hadn’t yet heard from the agency, so by three that afternoon, she assumed that she’d have the following Monday off.
But at a quarter to five, her phone rang, and it was Kara from the agency.
“Sophie! We have a new assignment that I think you might love. They want someone to start Monday and be there for two weeks. It’s an advertising agency, a fun, creative environment. People kill to work there. What do you think?”
“Sure, that sounds good.” All Sophie knew about advertising was from the television showMad Menand it made the world look glamorous and intriguing.
Kara gave her the address. “Oh, the dress there is a bit more creative. You’re fine with the black and blue but if you want to mix it up, go for it. Really almost anything goes. Have fun.”
The next afternoon, while her aunt was at her weekly hair appointment, Sophie checked out one of the sample sales on Fifth Avenue. It was in a big warehouse type space and the designers changed weekly. She wasn’t familiar with the designer, but she grew excited as she looked around. The colors were really pretty with lots of sherbet tones—raspberry and blueberry, lemon and orange. She tried on a sleeveless raspberry-colored dress with a simple scoop neck. It was cocktail length and flattering on. With a sweater or cute jacket, it would work for the ad agency. Or if she ever had a date again, for a night out.
She ended up finding a cute pair of jeans too, and an aqua blazer that would look great with the jeans and a simple white t-shirt. She poked in a few other shops, including Barnes and Noble where she picked up a romantic comedy that caught her eye. On her way home, she stopped into Ladurée on Madison Ave to get an assortment of her aunt’s favorite macarons as a surprise.
When Sophie walked into the apartment, she was struck by the smell of something delicious. Her aunt rarely cooked but she was in the kitchen wearing a cute, frilly pink apron with her glasses perched on the edge of her nose as she read a recipe from a cookbook. Aunt Penny smiled when she saw Sophie and picked up a bottle of marsala wine. She poured a generous amount into the large saucepan that held a pile of sliced mushrooms and a melting knob of butter. Thinly-sliced chicken breasts sat on a plate next to the stove. They were glistening and golden and Sophie felt her stomach rumble looking at them.
“We’re having company tonight, our next-door neighbor, Max. He’s around your age, maybe a year or two older. I’m making chicken marsala, my company dish. It’s been a while though, so I had to refresh my memory and look up the recipe.”
“It smells wonderful. Can I help you do anything?” Sophie offered.
“You could fill that pot with water for the pasta. I thought we’d have it over linguine.”
Sophie took the pot to the sink and filled it with water and set it back on the stove. Her aunt had already turned the heat on high. Sophie found the salt and added a few shakes to the water.
“Tell me about Max. I’m surprised he’s free on a Saturday night,” Sophie asked.
“I ran into him earlier today when I went to get the mail. He looked down and said that his plans fell through. His girlfriend is out of town, and he seemed lonely. He’s a nice boy. It would be good for you two to know each other. He has a key to the apartment, and I have one to his. Just in case one of us gets locked out.”
Sophie laughed. “You mean like I did last week!”
“It happens to the best of us. Max has been living here for about two years. He bought his mother’s apartment when she decided to spend most of her time in Florida. She comes back occasionally for long weekends and around the holidays. It’s worked out well for both of them.”
