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When they left Sean and Grace went in the opposite direction and Sophie walked to her apartment and was home in about ten minutes. She called Sue to let her know she had a deposit.
“Fantastic,” Sue said. “It’s a great place, but I didn’t think it would go so fast. Most people don’t want to spend that much on a rental. As soon as you get the application to me, I’ll submit it and we should be all set in a day or two.”
Sophie settled at the kitchen island and opened her laptop. She emailed the rental application to Sean and checked her emails and returned several calls. She smiled when she saw the return email from Sean a half hour later with the completed application. She clicked it open to make sure it was filled out completely before forwarding it to Sue.
She glanced at the financial section and saw that both Grace and Sean earned mid-six figure salaries. Together they were just shy of a million. So, it made sense that they could afford to pay more for a rental. She forwarded the email to Sue. Hopefully in a day or two they would be approved. And Sophie would have another commission coming her way. She still felt a little badly though that it meant Tessa lost out. She hoped that Tessa wouldn’t be too upset about it.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Tessa was decidedly cool toward Sophie for the rest of the week, and she only saw her in passing, as Tessa went out with friends every night. Sophie and Caroline sat in the living room every night in their sweats and watched Tessa head out. They were both sound asleep when she came home. Sophie didn’t know how she managed it, as Tessa still made it to work on time every morning.
That Thursday night, while Caroline and Sophie were in the kitchen discussing whether to order Thai takeout or Indian for dinner, Tessa strolled out of her bedroom looking gorgeous in a sleek black strapless dress and very high heels. Her long blonde hair was curled and fluffed, and her makeup was flawless, with a hint of gray shadow that made her blue eyes pop and a slick of nude lipstick that looked elegant and sophisticated.
“Where are you off to? That looks like a date outfit,” Caroline said.
Tessa grinned. “It is. My date should be here any minute.” She glanced Sophie’s way when there was a knock at the door. Tessa swung it open, and Max stood there looking more handsome than Sophie had ever seen him. He had a hint of a shadow along his jaw and his dark hair was combed back as his wayward waves were a hint too long. But Sophie thought he looked great. He was wearing dress pants, a white shirt, blue gray tie and a charcoal gray blazer. He smiled when he saw them.
“Where are you two off to?” Sophie asked.
“Tessa’s taking me to see a show. We’re going to see Josh Groban in Sweeney Todd.”
“And we’re going to dinner first. To Rao’s. I’ve always wanted to go there.” Tessa seemed excited and Sophie couldn’t blame her. It was nearly impossible to get a table at Rao’s. The famous tiny Italian restaurant only had nine tables and all of them were owned by long-standing customers.
“How did you get in there?” Caroline asked in awe.
“My mother and her best friend, Shirley, share a table,” Max said. “They have a slot once a month. Neither one of them could go tonight so my mother asked if I wanted to go.”
“Sounds like fun,” Sophie said. She forced a smile. It sounded like a dream date. She hadn’t realized Tessa was that interested in Max. She hadn’t mentioned him all week, or that they had plans. When they left and the door shut behind them, Caroline turned to Sophie. “What was that? Has she said anything at all to you about going out with Max again? She hasn’t mentioned him at all to me since they last went out.”
Sophie shook her head. “No, I had no idea. Max didn’t mention it either. I was surprised to see the two of them together.”
Sophie and Caroline were still up and watching the news when Tessa waltzed through the door a little after eleven. That was early for her. Sophie felt a slight sense of satisfaction that they’d come right home after the show.
“How was it?” Caroline asked.
Tessa shrugged off her coat and flopped in one of the club chairs adjacent to the sofa where Sophie and Caroline were sitting. “It was incredible. Such a great night. The food at Rao’s is as good as they say. And the whole place has the coolest vibe. And Frank, the owner, knows Max! He came right over and asked after his mother. The show was great too. I wanted to go dancing after, but Max said he needed to be up early.” She smiled big and glanced at Sophie. “Still, it was a very romantic date. Max is a catch. I could possibly fall for him.” Sophie felt a pit in her stomach. Could Max be as interested in Tessa?
“Sounds like fun. Do you have plans to go out again?” Caroline asked.
“Not yet, but I’m sure we will. I’ll make sure of it!” She stood. “I am actually pretty tired. I’m going to head to bed and get out of this dress. Night!”
Tessa disappeared down the hall and Caroline and Sophie exchanged glances.
“What do you think of that?” Sophie asked.
“I’m not sure. I don’t really see them as a couple, but Tessa seems pretty determined. I’m not sure Max knows what he’s getting into,” Caroline said.
Sophie agreed. She hated the thought of Tessa chasing after Max—especially if Max was flattered by the attention and decided to give it a go.
Chapter Forty
“Sophie, there’s a Russ Winston on line one. He’s called the main number and said he was willing to talk to either you or Tessa, whoever was available as you both sent him a postcard. He’s a potential buyer. After you talk to him, come see me if you get a chance. I noticed something the other day that seemed a little weird.”
“Thanks, Ava, will do.”
Sophie clicked over and took the call. Russ Winston had received her postcard and was the first person that responded. “Your timing was perfect as I’m ready to start a search,” he began. “I’m looking to downsize. My wife passed recently and frankly, it’s too sad to stay here.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Sophie said.
