Welcome aboard.’
As soon as she walked into the test kitchens, the familiar sense of rightness settled upon her. This was home. She would always be OK here, even if the size and the state-of-the-art equipment along with the view of Central Park were pertinent reminders that she wasn’t in London any more. Everything was that much bigger and better. Her head buzzed with names and details as she was introduced to food technicians and the rest of the food-writing team. They all seemed friendly and envious, in terms of food, of her previous proximity to Europe, especially when she talked about her recent trip to Copenhagen.
By the time she came back to her desk, she’d decided that she was going to be alright here. Things were vaguely familiar, although she was going to have to get her head around cup measurements, which in her book related directly to bra sizes and not flour, butter and sugar. The big question was how many hours could she spend at work each day?
There was no sign of Todd but in the centre of her desk was a hard-backed notebook, with the words My Little Black Book etched in gold on the front, and on closer inspection, she saw that the first few pages had been ripped out. There was also a battered stapler; a box of pink paperclips; a selection of pens with various company slogans on them, in a white tin with a red circle bearing the words Japanese Condom Tin; and a green Perspex ruler printed with an advert for multivitamins. On top of the notebook was a yellow sticky: Desk-warming gifts. Todd —
With a reluctant smile, she touched the embossed letters of the notebook and then with a shake of her head, she opened it for a second time and, picking up a pen, wrote the date and started writing out a to-do list. Todd McLennan was too charming for his own good.
‘Hey there Sophie, how is it?’
Kate’s voice spilled from Sophie’s phone, propped on its side on the breakfast bar of the kitchen, her slightly blurry image dancing across the screen.
‘Hi Kate. How are you?’
‘Little bit tipsy. Me and Ben have been out for dinner with Avril and Christopher. She sends her love, by the way. She’s not drinking, so I drank her share of prosecco. And Ben was being sensible because he’s playing football tomorrow. He’s going to bed.’ Kate raised her eyebrows in mock disgust and in the background Ben’s figure appeared and waved.
‘Night, Sophie. Hope it’s going well.’
There was the sound of a door closing and Kate leaned closer to the screen.
‘So how are you? Are you cooking loads of brilliant food? New York delis are supposed to be amazing.’
‘Mmm,’ replied Sophie with a guileless expression and a noncommittal nod, thinking of the succession of ready-roast chickens she’d eaten since she’d arrived. Chicken and salad nearly every night for two weeks. So much for being an award-winning food writer with an explorer’s quest for new and native tastes.
‘And how are you?’ repeated Kate, leaning even closer to the screen, as if that would help her get a closer look at Sophie’s guarded face.
‘I’m fine,’ said Sophie with a gentle smile.
‘Sure?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, I’m not going to talk about James, unless you want to.’
‘Definitely not. This is a James-free zone.’
‘So what’s it like? Have you been up the Empire State Building? Have you been to Central Park? Have you done any shopping? Or are you too busy? I get the impression that New York is so busy and people work really hard there. Is it crazy?’
‘Yes, it is a bit. The subway’s crazy. Manhattan is busier than London. But I’ve got into a good routine.’ She made her eyes deliberately bright as she talked. Why couldn’t she match Kate’s enthusiasm?
Perhaps because the routine was quite dull.
Up at seven-thirty. On the subway at eight-thirty, coffee at Starbucks at nine-fifteen. At her desk at nine-thirty. It was all very Abba’s ‘The Day Before You Came’. Except there would be no one coming for her this time. During the day she was fine. The job was absorbing, busy and familiar, and she was getting plenty of sleep. Most nights she was in bed by nine.
‘The apartment is lovely. Look.’
Using her phone, Sophie gave Kate a quick tour of the apartment, showing her the deck first before the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.
‘That shower is to die for,’ said Kate when Sophie finally returned to her breakfast-bar perch.
‘Yup, it is rather nice.’
‘Now all you need is a nice man to share it with you.’
‘Kate!’
‘Well, I’ve been thinking.’
Sophie winced.
‘I saw that. Meeting Ben after Josh was the best thing that happened to me. You need a rebound man.’
‘A rebound man?’
‘Yes. Someone to have some fun with to help you get over James. A fling.’
‘I’m fine,’ said Sophie severely.
‘What time is it there?’ asked Kate, surprising Sophie with the sudden change in subject.
‘It’s six-thirty.’
‘Six-thirty?’ Kate’s voice sounded accusing.
‘Yes.’
‘Six-thirty on a Friday night and you’re home alone. You’ve been there two weeks. You haven’t been to the Empire State Building. You haven’t been to Central Park. Have you?’
Unable to lie, Sophie shook her head.
‘You haven’t done anything, have you?’ Concern shimmered in the other girl’s face, evident even through Facetime blurriness.
Sophie pulled a face at Kate.
‘I’m worried about you.’
‘Don’t. I’m fine. Honest. It takes a while to get your bearings. Everyone’s so busy and it feels like life goes at such a speed here. I’ve met lots of people.’ Sophie crossed her fingers out of sight. ‘My landlady Bella runs the bakery downstairs. She’s very friendly. Lives upstairs.’ Sophie wasn’t about to confess to Kate that she hadn’t seen Bella since she arrived two weeks ago. ‘And her cousin, Todd, he works at the magazine. Writes the Man About Town column. He’s really nice. He’s been really helpful at work. Showed me the subway station on my first day. Helped me crack security at the magazine.’ She told Kate the full story and then told her about Madison, and Todd volunteering his desk.
‘He sounds rather nice,’ said Kate.
Sophie
