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The lasagna tasted as good as it smelled and everyone raved about it and the garlic bread, too. The conversation over dinner was lively as they talked about everything from football to real estate and concerts that they’d seen recently.
The guys all went back for second helpings of lasagna. Sophie reached for another slice of garlic bread. When Max sat back down, Tessa looked at him curiously. “I thought Millie was going to come tonight. Is she traveling somewhere exotic again?”
Max sighed. “I don’t really know where she is. We actually broke up yesterday.” He reached for the garlic bread and ripped a piece off. There was a sudden, awkward silence at the table.
Sophie looked at him sympathetically. Now she understood why he seemed off. “I’m sorry, Max.”
He looked at her gratefully. “It’s fine. It was a long time coming.” He glanced Tessa’s way. “Last I knew she was in London hanging out with Rodney Blake.”
“The Rodney Blake?” Tessa was clearly impressed. Rodney was one of the biggest pop stars in the world and was insanely handsome in a sexy, charismatic way.
“Yep. She swears they’re just friends. But it doesn’t matter. It hasn’t been right with us in a while. I never see her. The traveling gets old after a while.”
“I’m sorry, Max. Breakups are tough,” Caroline said.
He nodded. “Thanks. I’ll probably be in my hermit stage for a while, where I lick my wounds and lose myself in stories that are darker than usual.”
“Well, that sounds depressing,” Tessa said.
Max laughed. “I’m being dramatic. But seriously, every time I’ve had a breakup it is usually good for my writing. So, it’s not all bad.”
It didn’t sound overly healthy to Sophie, but if it helped him to deal with the breakup maybe it was a good thing.
“Did anyone save room for dessert?” she asked. “We have tiramisu from the Italian bakery.”
“I think there’s always room for tiramisu,” Max said.
Sophie and Caroline cleared the table while Tessa set out the tiramisu and dessert plates. Everyone had a little and it was so creamy and delicious. It was one of Sophie’s favorite desserts. She loved the coffee and liqueur-soaked ladyfingers and the smooth mascarpone and whipped cream filling. She was too full to have more than a bite or two, but she was already planning to have a bigger slice with her coffee in the morning.
They sat around the table chatting for another hour or so before Max yawned and said he needed to get going. Sophie immediately yawned too and then laughed. “Why is it that yawns are always contagious?”
Max thanked them and said goodbye to everyone. Sophie walked him to the door. “If you need anything, let me know. Maybe we can watchMurderstomorrow night, if you feel up to it?” she suggested.
Max smiled and pulled her in for a goodbye hug and squeezed her tight for a quick moment. “You’re the best, Sophie. It was good for me to get out tonight and get my mind off things. I’ll text you tomorrow aboutMurders.”
“Night, Max, sleep well.”
Sophie joined the others at the table and Tessa raised her eyebrows. “So, Max is single….you should go for it.”
Sophie didn’t think of Max that way and said so. “We’re just friends, and I think that’s what he needs right now. He seems pretty upset about this breakup. I’m sure dating is the last thing on his mind.”
Tessa looked skeptical. “He’s a guy. He’ll be ready to date someone soon, might as well be you, unless you’re not interested? He’s a catch though.”
“I can’t think of him that way. You’re right though. He is a great guy.” She yawned again and stood up. “I think I’m going to call it a night.”
Chapter Twenty
Sophie’s mother called a little after ten Sunday morning. Sophie hesitated when she saw the familiar number on the caller ID. She loved her mother, but they really weren’t close, and she hadn’t talked to her in well over a month when she’d still been trying to convince Sophie to sell the apartment. But she felt more guilty not answering. She took a deep break and said hello to her mother.
“Hi Mom, how are things in Hudson?”
“Everything is fine here. How are you doing, Sophie? Did your roommates move in?” Sophie had told her when they last spoke that she was going to rent rooms to Tessa and Caroline.
“Yes, they moved in not long after we last spoke. It’s going well. We had a dinner party last night.”
“A dinner party? Who did the cooking?” Her mother’s tone made it clear that she didn’t think it would be Sophie.
“Caroline made lasagna. But she showed me how to do it and I helped. It came out great.”
