“I saw it, Sophia. I saw it all over your face. But I thought you would know how to win him back, with your womanly charms.”
“Marriages don’t work the same way anymore, Ma. Things are different now. Now the woman and the man have to both make an effort. The woman should not have to fix everything. I tried to fix things. He still wanted to run around and cheat left and right. I couldn’t change him, and it wasn’t my responsibility anyway. The woman should not have to do everything in a damn marriage. Tony should have done his part too. We took vows to each other and he’s the one who broke them.”
Her mother tsked again. “And that is why this country is falling apart! All these young people, leaving each other and never staying together. What happened to the sanctity of marriage? Men and women are supposed to be together, to support each other, to hold each other up. They have no business being apart.”
“Women are surprisingly capable of being on their own now,” Sophia responded crisply. “We get jobs now. We get educations. We don’t need men.”
“Ai! That’s what they say. But that is a lie you all believe now. People are not complete alone. They must find their other half and join in a holy union and only them are they whole.”
Sophia sighed. There was the Catholic rhetoric, something she could never argue with. In fact, part of her believed it too. She had been raised to think that way. It had certainly been hard to leave when she had been raised to believe that she was not a whole person without a man by her side.
But somehow she had convinced herself that it was possible. She mentioned seeing other single women at NYU had helped cement her conviction, and then immediately winced, recognizing her mistake.
“It was that school, wasn’t it? That school filled your head with nonsense. I knew it was a bad idea. No woman has any business going to school when she has a husband to take care of her. Why did you go? All it did was give you ideas and poison your marriage.”
“School was the best thing I ever did for myself and I’m proud that I graduated! I’m sorry you can’t be proud too.” Sophia’s eyes filled with tears. She hated how her mother had treated her education like some silly thing, not a tremendous achievement. Most parents were proud when their kids were first generation college graduates, but no one in her family had been proud of her. They did not seem to realize what she had actually accomplished, not just for herself, but for Hispanic women, for minorities, for the health of America.
Her mother was silent for a moment. Realizing that she could not win that fight, she decided to switch subjects. “Ai, I heard you took his penthouse and that’s where you are living now. Didn’t I raise you to never take vengeance? Being vengeful is not God’s way. You heal from within and you fix marriages. You don’t go breaking up homes and breaking hearts.”
Now Sophia wanted to cry more than ever. A tear even spilled out and rolled down her cheek. But she refused to let her mother send her mind in that direction. She wanted to remain proud of herself and firm in her ways. So she took a deep breath to steady her emotions.
“That penthouse is mine now. The pre-nup we signed had an infidelity clause and he’s the one who violated it. So I was entitled to half of everything. But all I asked for was the penthouse so I could be near work and get away from the memories we had in our house. I wanted to start fresh and this place let me do it. That’s all I asked of Tony in the settlement, Mom. That’s hardly vindictive, Mother. Besides, he’s fine without it. He has that house in Long Island and another apartment here. He won’t miss the penthouse. His girlfriend might, but I don’t.”
“He loved that penthouse! And you have no business being there alone. Ai, what if someone breaks in? You are in the middle of the city! All that pollution and noise. Mi Dios, do you know how dangerous it is to be by yourself as a woman?”
Sophia sighed deeply as the taxi reached her building. Traffic had been really heavy, only prolonging her uncomfortable conversation with her mother. “I am safe, and I can take care of myself. Anyway, I am at work now, Mama. I have to go.”
“You wait one moment! You are staying in the city all by yourself, with no man to support you. How can I sleep at night, knowing that you are there by yourself?”
“I’ve already met some great neighbors,” Sophia offered as weak reassurance.
“Neighbors? And what are they going to be able to do for you if someone breaks in?”
“I keep the door locked and there’s an alarm system. Mom, I’m at work. I’m getting out of the cab. I have to go.”
“Mom, I will never go back to Tony. I would rather be homeless than go back to him. That is the last thing I will ever do. You need to understand that.”
Lupe kept arguing fervently until Sophia yelled, “I have to go! You are making me late!” She hung up after a quick I love you.
Now in a really awful mood, she shouldered her way into the building and through security. She knew that she should not have taken that call. But her sense of daughterly duty outweighed her sense of self-preservation. Though she was glad to be free of her mother’s strictness, she missed her mother. The Nuevas were a tightknit family, even since her mother’s remarriage. Carlos had adopted her as his own and she considered him a father. She could never turn her back on her parents, but sometimes she really hated their meddling. Specifically, her mother’s meddling. Her mother had a knack for misunderstanding her totally and making everything extremely dramatic.
When she entered the office, she had to make a concentrated effort to put on a smile and pretend to be in a great mood. It was Week Two at the job and she was starting to find her groove. She got along with most of her co-workers; there were some high-strung or grumpy ones that she knew to generally avoid, and then there were some that appeared to be great friends in the workplace. Sophia kept her image both professional and friendly, never encroaching on any boundaries. It was all new to her since she was new to the workplace altogether, but she felt that she was nailing it. The frequent thumbs-up she got from the editor in the office adjacent to hers gave her some hope that she was doing great.
After a stop at the coffeepot, she went to her office to begin working on her latest assignment. It was difficult to focus, though. She had barely decorated her office space, especially since her boss had told her that this office was temporary until she moved up in the job. The lack of pictures of her ex-husband really disturbed her, almost as much as the glaring lack of a wedding ring on her finger. Her fingers felt too light as she began typing.
Sometimes, she even felt a faint tingle of missing Tony. Then her thoughts kept turning to the Franklin brothers. She lived beside the handsome billionaire Franklin brothers! What kind of luck was that? She thought about her dirty fantasies the night before and kept blushing. She sure hoped to see them again soon. Maybe they were going to be the ushers she needed to start her new life and start finding love again?
Everyone in the office seemed to be accustomed to this. To working, to being without their spouses, to modern dating. The secretary kept babbling to everyone who would listen about her speed dating meetup that night. No one seemed to find it weird, either. But all of this was new to Sophia. It was a new world to be cracked open and explored. She had to reinvent herself to match this new, unknown lifestyle.
All she knew was that she could never weaken and go back to Tony. While her divorce made her sad, it really just was the sense of betrayal and failure that she carried as a result. Her mother didn’t help her get rid of that feeling. Really, though, she did not miss Tony. She was excited to try this new life and embark on some new adventures. Maybe with some new men.
Chapter 4
Sophia headed home after a long day at work, not helped at all by the hangover she had fought most of the day and still lingered. After finally make it home to her condo, she felt relieved pressing the elevator button for the 27th floor and watching the elevator doors start to close. To her surprise, and with deft athleticism, Adam squeezed through the closing doors. “Hey, Sophia,” Adam
said.
Adam looked spiffy as usual, and smelled like he had just been the barber. Despite her head ache, Sophia couldn’t help but smile. It was nice to see Adam. She felt her cheeks warm just being near him. She once again noticed his athletic bod. Memories of her crazy drunken fantasy about him and Blake the night before made her flush even more. If he only knew what she had dreamed about and had done the night before while thinking of him and Blake!
“How are you?” she inquired. For some perverse reason she took pride in being able to maintain a sense of outward normality while thoughts of that purple vibe and the two brothers passed through her mind!
“Great, you?” He glanced at her, looked her up and down to admire her beauty, and then seemed concerned. “Are you OK? You seem a little…tense.”
“Oh, fine.” She let all of her breath out in a great burst. “Just a really long and trying day.”
“That’s no good. You are too beautiful to frown.” He grinned as she began to genuinely smile, flustered by his compliment. “Anything I can do to cheer you up?”
“Oh, no, I’m fine,” she said. “I’ll just draw a bath and pour myself some wine. I’ll make myself cheer up.” Meanwhile, the little voice in her head had other ideas. A sudden image of him aggressively taking her in the elevator at that moment flooded her mind and she had to fight to repress it. Now was not the time for dirty fantasies!
“How about we go out tonight for dinner? I can make a reservation at a great place and really cheer you up.” She agreed without thinking, and got off on their floor, numb with shock at the invite and her quick acceptance. Adam turned towards his suite and called after her, “I’ll pick you up at eight.”
In the safety of her apartment, Sophia poured herself a generous glass of Merlot and then ran a hot bath, pouring an extra helping of bubble bath into the steaming water. Relaxing beneath the bubbles, holding the wineglass by the stem between her thumb and forefinger, it hit her that she was about to go on a date with Adam Franklin. Adam Franklin! This man was a New York celebrity. He dated New York Fashion Week models. How could she possibly impress him?
Sophia enjoyed the relaxation of her bath until the water cooled. She then spent the next hour or so putting a tremendous effort into her makeup and hair. She picked a tight red evening dress that was sure to turn more than a few heads. The doorbell rang, and with a deep breath, Sophia steeled herself and opened the door.
Adam looked extraordinary in his dark business suit and tie. He handed her a single red rose and she gasped. It had been years since she had even gotten flowers! She scrambled to find a vase. Then they went downstairs to a waiting limo.
The restaurant he had chosen was Chez Balzac, a fancy new French place in Chelsea. As they ordered their wine, he smiled at her over the top of his menu. “Feeling better?” he asked.
She nodded demurely. “I feel so much better.” She fingered her pearl necklace, one of the few pieces she had kept that Tony had given her.
“I have to say, you look stunning. You have wowed me since I first laid eyes on you. No offense, but Tony was a fool to give up a beautiful woman like you.”
Sophia blushed. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Honestly, it makes me feel better. I’ve been holding it together, but my divorce has taken its toll on me.”
“Do you mind me asking what happened?”
Sophia sighed, then leaned forward. “You two were neighbors. I’m sure you have an idea. Maybe you saw his girlfriend? She was staying there with him. She was a stripper.”
Adam was a skilled businessman and obviously a good actor. He kept his composure and pretended to have no idea what she was talking about. “I mean, there are a lot of people in that building. Maybe I did see her, but….”
“Don’t take me for a fool. I know all about his flings. Most of them took place in that apartment. I especially know about Veronica. Maybe my mom was right….”
“What?”
“Well.” Sophia rolled her eyes. “My mother thinks I took the penthouse to get back at him. And in a way, she’s right. I know he had all of his affairs there. He’d charm them with the fancy TV and the view of the city. I know that Veronica lost her apartment, that he let her stay there, and that spent every night he was working in the city with her. He’d call me and say he was working late, but really he was there with her. I even know about all the money he spent on her and the diamond necklace he bought her. It was all there on the bank statements. He wasn’t good at hiding anything. So, anyway, that penthouse sometimes feels like the scene of the crime, like a slap in the face. In a way, the penthouse is what destroyed my marriage. So, it feels like I’m taking myself back by living there. Like I’m rubbing it in his face. I know it makes him uncomfortable. He gave me the place, no contest. So, I took it just to…you know.”
Adam nodded. “I can understand where you are coming from. I’d probably do the same. You have every right to be angry.”
“Thank you.” She was surprised that finally someone understood her side of things. After fighting with her mother about what seemed like such an obvious decision to make, it was nice to not have some support,… especially from Adam.
“Well, he was a fool, that’s all I can say. None of the women he cheated with could possibly even compare to you.”
“Really?” She looked at him hopefully.
“Well, I don’t know personally. I just imagined. I mean, you are absolutely amazing.”
Sophia beamed. “Well, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I imagine you have dated many women finer than me, though,” she added. “I read about your affair with that model, Esmee Blanc.”
“Pff. What they don’t tell you is those models are all illusions, layers of makeup and lighting. They’re not that pretty in real life. And they’re way too thin.” He suddenly looked forlorn. “Honestly, I’m tired of that life. I’m tired of the charade. I’m looking for a real woman, a woman I can be myself around. A woman who isn’t all high maintenance. I don’t want some starry fling with cameras on us all of the time. I want something real, something simple…something normal.”
“High maintenance?” She laughed. “Well I guess I’m not high maintenance, but I’m not low-maintenance either, that’s for sure.” She did not want to give him the idea that she was some cheap fling he could dazzle with just a few dinners.
“Well, I guess I used the wrong term. But see, most of the women I’ve dated have had life handed to them. They’re spoiled. They’re bitchy. They expect everything to be given to them. They only care about the superficial, about how they look and how everyone else looks, and what designer everyone is wearing. They don’t value people for who they really are. It’s all just for show. And they are certainly no fun to talk to. They just constantly drop names and trash talk people for how they look. There’s no depth there. And the drama, oh the drama. Dating celebrity models is all just catty jealousy and being over the top drama queens.
I’m not saying that you aren’t beautiful. Hell, you could be a model, but, well, you have had a real life. You have gone to school. You have a real job. Pay your own bills. You have an interesting back story and a lot of thoughts and even a background that is way different from mine. When we talk, there’s depth. That’s very attractive.”
“Really?” She giggled, unable to imagine how being ordinary could be interesting to anyone, especially someone as dazzling as the man sitting across from her. But what he said made sense, and showed her another side to a celebrity world that she had never even caught a glimpse into.
“Really.” He seemed totally sincere.
Dinner proceeded nicely after that. More comfortable and secure, Sophia started to really open up and enjoy her time with Adam. After desert, he took her over the Manhattan Bridge to see the city lights. They leaned back in the limousine, both a little wine drunk, as they observed the lights. His chauffeur navigated traffic expertly and the ride was so smooth. As smooth as Adam’s hand as
he began to stroke her thigh.
Sophia didn’t object. She reached her hand behind his neck and pulled him toward her for a kiss. They touched lips. His tongue brushed against hers. She felt giddy with desire, and really just wanted to jump on top and straddle him, but forced herself to maintain her composure. Still, they snuggled and made out the entire way back to their building.
“Do you want to come up?” he asked as they groped each other and kissed passionately in the elevator.
Sophia suddenly felt overwhelmed. She had never been with another man besides Tony. This freaked her out completely. “I – I need to think,” she managed as she pulled away from him, straightening her clothes. The idea of going to his place also made her nervous because then she might run into Blake. Her dirty fantasy from the night before still lingered.
“That’s fine,” Adam said kindly. “I understand.” He held the elevator door open for her, walked her to her door and gave her one last goodnight kiss before she went into her place and softly shut the door behind her.
All day at work the next day, Sophia could not stop thinking about her amazing evening with Adam. To clear her cluttered mind after work, Sophia donned some active wear and went for a jog in Central Park. She had never done that before and it made her feel alive as she joined hundreds of other joggers. It felt like a scene from a movie as she ran through the crisp air, flushing up pigeons and passing others dressed like her with their headphones in and knots of concentration on their foreheads. The Park was stunningly beautiful as the sun started to descend over the trees. The peace of the park felt nice after being in the inner city all day, walled in by huge buildings and streams of traffic.
As she rounded a bend in the path, she felt someone fall into place alongside her. She popped out her earphone and glanced sideways, wondering why she hadn’t brought Mace with her. Maybe her mother had induced paranoia in her, but her heart started beating a bit faster. Was she safe jogging at this hour? Was she about to be mugged, or worse? It had certainly happened in the Park before. Her mother had fed her plenty of horror stories about living in the city.
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