Loving Sofia

by Alina Man

  “I take it that’s your internal clock telling me you’re hungry,” he jokes. “How about I’ll go get us some Chinese? Unless you want something else.”

  “I can make something here - ”

  “Look, like you said, I invaded your space and your non-cooking day. The least I can do is feed you.”

  I look outside the window and notice it has stopped raining. “Ok fine, but I’ll go with you.” I pull my UGGs on (one of my splurges and every time I wear them I wonder what possessed me to buy them since I almost fall on my face each time I wear them) and grab a jacket. Mark opens the door for me and I welcome the outside cold. It smells like rain and the skies are covered with dark clouds. I love everything about this weather.

  “So what are we getting? Maybe we should pick something other than Chinese,” Mark says as he turns on the car.

  I keep my eyes focused out the window, lost in thought. “Sounds good. Whatever you decide I’m ok with it.” We stop at some burger joint and I can’t help but laugh.

  “Hey, you said you’re ok with whatever,” the smart ass blurts out. “This greasy food is perfect for this kind of weather. Plus we won’t be a hungry an hour later.”

  “No we won’t,” I agree. “We’ll be in a coma or worse: dead from food poisoning.” He laughs and grabs my hand, pulling me inside.

  The smell of fries and hamburgers is welcoming enough and I try not to think of things like “how often do they change the frying oil” or “what parts of the cow - I really hope it’s cow- went into making the patties.” Since I usually shy away from fast food, this is me being adventurous.

  We place our orders and take a seat by the window. At least the place looks clean enough and nothing feels sticky. I can’t stand sticky floors, the ones that make a funny squishy noise when you walk. In less than ten minutes they call our number and I wince. There’s no way in hell anyone can make a fresh patty in such a short time. Think adventure, I say over and over in my head.

  Mark grabs our food and we walk back to the car. I keep thinking that maybe we should stop and get something that I’m more familiar with, just as a backup plan.

  “Listen, I’ve had their hamburgers before and they are really good. Just trust me this time, ok? I can tell you’re freaking yourself out over something silly.” He smiles and I find myself relaxing.

  “I don’t know what you mean. I’m not freaking out. I was just thinking about work and stuff.”

  “Whatever you say, Birdie. I know you better than you think, by the way, so it’s better to just cut the crap because you’ll never fool me.”

  And with that, our hamburger conversation is over. At home we eat in front of the television, sitting on the floor next to the coffee table. Some guy with no teeth is on TV running after some animal and I can’t understand a word he’s saying. How in the world do these people end up on TV? I force myself to take a bite of the sandwich and I have to say it’s pretty darn good. We eat in silence and the teeth-optional man continues to chase his animal for the next hour or so. What a stupid show.

  We clean up after ourselves and I stretch out on the sofa, putting my head on his lap so he can play with my hair. I always said that if I ever won the lottery, I would hire someone to play with my hair 24/7. It’s so relaxing and makes me think of when I was little and my grandma would brush her fingers through my hair and tell me bedtime stories. Life was so simple back then.

  I wake up disoriented and stiff. It takes me a few seconds to realize I’m on the sofa with my head facing Mark’s crotch. What the hell? I look up and watch him breathing softly, his eyes still closed. When did I fall asleep? I wonder. I could hear my phone ringing so I get up as gently as I can, not wanting to wake him up.

  “Hello?” I whisper as I walk to my room, closing the door slowly.

  “Oh my God, Sofia I’m going to kill you!” Mona yells. “I’ve been calling you the whole day and left you a thousand messages. Where have you been?”

  “Slow down woman, I just woke up. I was out to get food with Mark and left my phone at home. When we got home the TV was on, so I didn’t hear it ring. What’s up? Did something happen?”

  “I heard what happened on Friday. Birdie, why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you come straight home from work? I would’ve stayed with you and figured out what to do about it.”

  “How did you find out?” I cringe.

  “Well that bitch from your office called you and when you didn’t answer, she got my number from your employee file since you listed me as your emergency contact. She wanted to tell me that you left some plant and a picture in your office when you were let go on Friday. I told her what she could with both and hung up on her. You were too good for that place anyway. I still think you should talk to my dad and sue their asses.”

  I listen quietly since there’s no way I can interrupt when she’s on one of her rampages. “Yeah well I don’t know how good I was since I no longer have a job. And no, I don’t want to sue. You and I both know how that works. The big guys with their big bank accounts will win, and I’m going to waste my time for nothing. Instead, I’m going to use that energy to look for another job.”

  “Good, that’s good. So what’s this I hear about you moving with Mark?” I can tell she is smiling now.

  “What the hell, do you have spies all over the place? How did you -”

  “Jon that’s how. I guess he talked to Mark last night and he mentioned it. Mark was asking if we had extra boxes. Is it true? Are you going to move in with him? And why are you whispering?”

  “Mark’s asleep. And about the move-”

  I get cut off by Mona’s screams of excitement. “Finally you biatch. And you didn’t say anything this whole time?”

  “What the hell are you talking about? Nothing happened you horny animal. That’s all you ever think about. He came over, we watched movies, and he fell asleep on the couch. End of story.”

  “Oh I should’ve known better…but one can only hope,” she says deflated. “Maybe after you guys live together, eh?”

  “Enough with the sex talk, ok? Look, he was nice enough to help me out. He offered and you know I couldn’t afford the condo on my own, even if I still had my job.”

  “I’m sorry girly. You’re right. And yes it was so nice of him to offer. You still should’ve said something. You know my dad would totally pay the lease for another year if he found out you lost your job. He thinks of you as his daughter.”

  There was no way in hell I would ever accept his help, but I don’t want to say that to her. Her parents have always been really good to me, but they already helped enough. I have to do this by myself. We are still talking when I hear the soft knock on my door.

  “Gotta go. Mark is awake. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I hang up before she has a chance to say anything else and I open the door.

  “Hey,” he says as he brushes a hand through his hair.

  “Hey, sorry I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “I was going to head home but wanted to check and see if you’re ok. I can come back tomorrow with some more boxes and help you pack. If you want.”

  I know I’m staring but I can’t help it. OhmyGod he looks so good with his messy hair and sleepy eyes, and all crumpled.

  “Birdie?” he waves his hands in front of my face.

  “Oh sorry. Yeah sure. Tomorrow. Boxes. Sounds great,” I say all fast, trying to catch my breath.

  I walk him to the door and then watch him wave goodbye and drive away. As soon as he’s gone I lock my door and lean against it, finally taking a long deep breath. Moving through the living room, I pick up the empty cans of soda, a reminder of Mark’s visit, and arrange the pillows on the sofa. With everything put away, I walk to my room and change back into my pajamas. I wrap the blanket around me, kindle in hand. Not five minutes later my phone buzzed.

  Mark – I had fun today

  Me – me too

  Mark – Have a good night Birdie. I’ll see you tomorrow

  Me
– k

  Once again he found a way to invade my thoughts, leaving me breathless. I know I won’t be able to read tonight. I’ll just close my eyes and dream of him. That’s better than any bestseller I have on my kindle, anyway.

  Chapter 8.

  Sofia

  Sunday morning I wake up at seven as usual and get ready for my day of packing. I am on my second cup of coffee when I hear Mark’s truck pull up. I open the door for him and help carry the empty boxes into the living room. We spend hours wrapping dishes and packing all my stuff. I almost forgot how much crap I’ve accumulated over the years, some stuff so random making me question my sanity at the time of purchase. The books fill up most of the boxes but there is no way I could ever part with them.

  Mark takes box after box to the truck. While he’s doing so, I prepare us a few sandwiches for lunch. I am exhausted and it feels so good to sit down and enjoy my first meal of the day.

  “Are you sad to move?” Mark asks, his eyes on me.

  “A little. I’ve never been very good with change.”

  “I know what you mean. I just don’t see this as too big of a change. Not like you’re moving in with a stranger, right? I, for one, am excited to have you move in.” His honesty takes me by surprise. I decide not to say anything and we finish the rest of our lunch in silence. All I can think about is how tonight is going to be my last night in this place. My mind drifts as I remember all the good times I’ve spent with Mona in this very kitchen.

  “I think I’ll stay here tonight Mark. I’ll come over tomorrow.”

  “Do you want me to stay with you?” he asks and for a moment I almost say yes.

  “It’s ok. Just send me a text when you’re off work and I’ll meet you at your place.”

  “Our place,” he winks at me. “Ok, if you’re sure. Call me if you get lonely.”

  I thank him again for the help and once again I am left alone. My room is almost empty except for the furniture, and that’s when reality hits. I am moving, Mona is getting married, and our lives will never be the same. It is time to grow up and I don’t think I am ready. Am I? Are we ever ready to grow up? How can I grow up when I can’t even keep a job?

  I pick up my phone to send Mona a quick text, wondering if she is still awake. Five minutes later I get her reply.

  Mona – hey

  Me – I hope I didn’t wake you

  Mona – nah I was just packing. I’ll be home tomorrow.

  Me – I packed all my stuff and Mark took it to his place.

  As soon as I hit send my cell rings scaring the crap out of me. “Hello?”

  “What do you mean you packed already? We have two more weeks on the lease.”

  She sounds upset and I wonder why. I mean she’s moving too, so I don’t see what the problem is with me moving first? She’s the reason I had to move in the first place. Plus almost every night she’s at Jon’s leaving me alone, so what the hell was her problem?

  “Well I didn’t see the point in prolonging the inevitable. You’re at Jon’s most of the time now and I know the next two weeks are going to be crazy, so I figured it would be easier if I just moved now. As in tomorrow.”

  “So are we still celebrating Thanksgiving together? I just told my parents I had plans already because I didn’t want you to be alone.” Even over the phone I can tell she’s pouting.

  “Mona we’re still going to be together on Thanksgiving. I’ll come and cook here or you can always come over to Mark’s. Nothing has changed and it never will.” I knew that was a lie. Everything was changing. “Look I’ll pick you up from the airport tomorrow and we’ll talk some more. Go get some sleep, ok? Don’t worry about anything. You know I love you and that will never change, no matter where we live.”

  “Fine, I guess. See you tomorrow Birdie.”

  That went well, if I do say so myself. I check the doors one last time, and after a quick shower, I go to bed and pray sleep will come.

  MARK

  I was one lucky bastard. I had to be. I wanted to find a way to spend more time with her and I was getting my wish. She was actually going to be living with me. In my fucking house. This was just too good to be true. Someone above was looking out for me and giving me a chance with Birdie. I was going to grab that chance with both hands and hold for dear life. I drove home with a big smile on my face. I knew that once Jon found out he was going to give me shit about it and boy was I right.

  “Dude are you stupid or are you stupid? How can you ask her to move in with you?”

  “Well hello to you too.” I wait a few seconds and when he doesn’t say anything I just keep going. “Ok which part of she lost her job and needs a place to stay don’t you get? I know you’re getting married and everything is perfect in your world right now, but I was not going to let her stress out more than she already was. Besides you are the one that always said I should tell her how I feel. Go for what you want in life and shit. Remember?” I was getting really annoyed at having to explain myself.

  “Do I need to tell you that if you hurt her, I’ll freaking break every bone in your body? She’s been through so much, Mark, and you know it. Shit I worry about both of you. One of you is going to get hurt and it’s going to suck for all of us.”

  “Listen no one is going to get hurt, I would kick my own ass before I’d let anything happen to her. You know that. She needs me right now and…I don’t know, I just have to do this. It will be good, you’ll see.”

  Was I wrong to think so? Even if I was going to get hurt, at least it would happen with her in my house. My heart was doing a ridiculous happy dance just thinking about having her under my roof.

  “Ok man, you know better. Want to meet for drinks tomorrow night? Frank’s around six?”

  “Sounds good.”

  After we hang up, I start thinking about what he said. Shit, maybe he was right. What do I know about relationships, after all? I spent the last couple of years salivating over my best friend and wishing for a miracle. Maybe this was the miracle I’ve been waiting for.

  The next day I woke up feeling much better about the whole thing. This was going to be good; I just knew it. So screw anyone that didn’t think so. My first job was an hour away, so after I got my coffee ready I hit the road. I was thankful this new customer didn’t mind meeting midmorning since traffic would’ve been a bitch to get to the other side of town. From our phone conversation, I already had an idea of what kind of project this was going to be, and I was having mixed feeling about taking it on.

  I got there just as I was finishing my coffee and almost had a heart attack when I noticed who was waiting in front of the building.

  “Hi there. You must be Mark.” He stretched his arm out in from of him, ready to shake mine.

  “Mayor Withers? Hello Sir. I am so sorry to keep you waiting,” I said as we shook hands. Shit I should’ve paid more attention to my calendar. No one ever keeps Mayor Withers waiting. This was bad. I prayed he didn’t take the job away.

  “Oh damn, son, call me George. Let’s get out of this cold and I’ll tell you what I’m looking to do here.”

  We walk into what looks like an oversized barn and I wonder what in the world he would want with this place.

  “So here it is, son. The new shelter for every foster kid in this damn city. What do you think?”

  “Sir, I don’t think I know what you mean exactly. You want to turn this barn into a home?” Was he out of his mind? I did have a crew to help out, but this was much bigger than anything I’d ever worked on.

  “I know you can do it. I could’ve hired anyone, but there’s a reason why I picked you. You see, I knew your grandpa; great man and good work ethic. He used to talk about you all the time. I understand he taught you everything he knew. Look, before you say no, let me show you what I have in mind.”

  Hearing him compare me to my grandpa makes me smile a little. Everything I am today, is due to my grandparents. I knew from an early age that I wanted to work in construction. So even after I finished
college, I still wanted to work with my hands and build things. George points to the table, the only piece of furniture in the large room, and I notice several sheets of paper filled with drawings and numbers.

  “When my wife passed a few months ago, she made me promise that I would do this. I figured I could keep my promise, help out a few kids and create a few jobs all at the same time. Here are the floor plans. I should tell you that you’ll have unlimited funds for this, so no worries on the cost. My grandson, Bradley, did the designs and he is on board to make whatever changes you need him to. I know it’s a lot. Why don’t you take a few days to think about it before giving me an answer.”

  Was he kidding? No one could say no to this guy. Not if you wanted to keep working in this town.

  “Actually I don’t have to think about it, sir. I will be more than happy to take the job. I’ll still have to look over the plans and meet with my crew.” We spend the next few hours finalizing the budget and putting the finishing touches on the floor plans. Once he knew what to expect in the coming weeks, we parted ways. I drove back to the house, excited to start the ordering process for the job. Or maybe I was excited for other reasons. Well, one in particular. I was still thinking about her when my cell rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi there. Busy?”

  Speaking of the devil. Man even her voice is sexy. “Nope not busy. Just got home from a job. What’s up? Ready to come home?”

  “You bet, unless you changed your mind.”

  “Not a chance. Want me to pick you up?” Please say yes, please say yes.

  “Ah nope I’m good. I have only a box or two left but they are not heavy. I guess I’ll see you in a few.”

  Oh shit with capital “S.” This was happening and I was acting like a freaking horny teenager. I looked outside and saw her park the car. As I went to open the door, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I was smiling like an idiot. Seriously dude get a grip. I had to find a way to wipe the stupid grin off my face, or she was going to freak out and run. She was trying to get both boxes out when I finally made it outside.