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It was gorgeous, a shimmery black satin with spaghetti straps and a slim silhouette that flared a little at the knees, giving it an elegant and flirty look. Sophie tried it on, and it fit well. She turned to see the back of the dress, which dipped to her midback and had a soft black bow. It was perfect. She paired it with diamond solitaire earrings she got from her parents when she turned twenty-one and a delicate pendant necklace that had once been her grandmother’s engagement ring. She’d left it to Sophie, and she had it turned into a pretty necklace so she could wear it often. A pair of simple black heels and a small silver clutch and she would be ready to go. She walked out to show Caroline the complete look, and she squealed. “It’s perfect!”
Sophie smiled and stepped out of her heels. They were comfortable but she didn’t want to wear them a moment longer than she had to.
“Thanks so much. It really is perfect. I would have been rushing around in a mad panic tomorrow to find something.”
“Happy to help. See if you can get someone to take pictures. I want to live vicariously through you.”
Sophie laughed. “I definitely will. I’m starting to look forward to it.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
The next day, Sophie made sure she was home in plenty of time to get ready for the event at the Met. She curled her long brown hair so that it fell in soft spirals to her shoulders. And she took extra care with her makeup, adding some shimmery brown eyeshadow, smoky liner and ruby red lipstick. Normally she stuck to minimal makeup and paler lips, but her long black dress needed something more dramatic, and it was the Met after all. A blue-toned red seemed perfect.
At five of six she was ready and walked into the living room. Caroline was eating a bowl of pasta at the island, and Tessa was sipping a glass of red wine and spreading goat cheese on a cracker. They both looked up and their expressions were so different that Sophie almost laughed. Tessa’s brows furrowed and she looked confused while Caroline jumped up and ran over to get a closer look.
“You look amazing. I love what you did with your hair.”
“Thanks. It takes a while, so I don’t usually bother, but for special occasions I like to add some waves.”
“Where are you off to?” Tessa asked.
“I’m going to a charity event at the Met.”
Sophie’s phone rang and she recognized the number, it was Walter, the building’s doorman.
“Hi Walter.”
“Sophie, I have a Rick Fulton here. He says you are expecting him?”
“Thanks, Walter. Please send him up.”
Sophie almost laughed at the expression on Tessa’s face. She was dying of curiosity. Before Tessa could ask who it was, Sophie heard footsteps coming down the hall and a knock at the door. She opened it and Rick stood there looking sharp in a well-tailored black suit and a festive burgundy tie. He smiled when he saw her.
“Sophie, you look gorgeous.” He glanced around the apartment. “So, this is your aunt’s place. It’s pretty sweet. Want to give me a quick tour?”
“Sure, come on in.”
Rick saw Caroline and Tessa in the kitchen and waved hello.
“You look great, Rick. Love the suit,” Caroline said. She looked as though she was enjoying this all immensely. Meanwhile Tessa looked completely perplexed.
Rick nodded appreciatively. “Thanks. Just got this one a few weeks ago. Breaking it in for the first time tonight.”
Sophie walked him around the apartment and he was suitably impressed. “It’s really a great place. You could get a lot of money for it if you ever wanted to sell. Then buy yourself something smaller and put a nice chunk of money in the bank.”
Sophie laughed. “You sound like my mother. That’s exactly what she thinks I should do, too.”
“It’s just one option. As long as you can afford to stay here and you love it, why not stay put? You won’t lose money by staying. This location is always in high demand.”
“I really do love it here. And having roommates takes a little of the pressure off.”
“If you keep going the way you’ve started out, you won’t have to worry about that—even without roommates,” he said.
They said goodbye to Caroline and Tessa and headed out.
The temperature had dropped a bit, and small flakes of snow began to swirl around them as they walked. The snowflakes looked so pretty in the glow of the streetlamps. Sophie felt happy and full of the holiday spirit as she walked along with Rick to the Met. They arrived about ten minutes later and followed the crowd that was streaming in.
The event was held in a huge room with incredible art on the walls. It was so beautiful that it felt surreal to Sophie, like she was living someone else’s life by being there.
