Sophie’s first week without a job is — to her great surprise — fun! She sleeps in. She cleans her apartment. She catches up with old friends during the day and goes out with Diego and Reggie at night. “This is the life,” she says to herself one day, still in her pajamas, flipping through a magazine while relaxing on the sofa.
But later that afternoon, the mailman delivers a thick stack of envelopes: her bills. Sophie’s eyes widen as she takes in the numbers and mentally compares them to the amount in her bank account. She’s good at math, but something isn’t adding up. Or rather, something is adding up too high. She thought she was prepared for at least a few months of unemployment, but she realizes now that money flows away even faster when you’re not too busy at work to spend it.
“This is all your fault,” she mutters, glaring at the three shopping bags in the corner of her bedroom. But there’s no conviction behind her anger. The strappy yellow sundress, leather boots, denim jacket, and various accessories are all too cute to incur Sophie’s true wrath.
With renewed urgency, she gets her tape dispenser and starts adhering each bill to a different surface of her apartment: the television screen, the bathroom mirror, the refrigerator. With those reminders in place, she sits down at her computer and gets to work.
File > Open > résumé.doc
She sighs.
~ ~ ~
Claudia nearly spits out her drink laughing when she receives Sophie’s email:
HOW DO YOU SURVIVE BEING POOR?!
With a chuckle, Claudia writes back:
Ramen. Puppy kisses. Blind faith in myself.
As an afterthought, she adds:
And a high-interest savings account…
~ ~ ~
Without boys on her mind, MJ finds herself excelling at all that she does. Her work at the lab is perfect, her other studies are a breeze, and even her amateur photography has improved. She feels a calm that has eluded her from the moment she learned she would be studying in the UK.
But she also feels a bit lonely.
To distract herself, she does all her laundry, files away papers and packages some things to send back to the US, and even defragments her computer twice. She considers going for a third time, then decides it’s better to face the facts: she’s out of solitary ways to occupy her time.
She would call up her girl friends, but they are not participating in her anti-boy pact. In fact, they’ve sort of picked up her pieces. Her roommate has taken up with Sam, their friend Sandra is smitten with Ben, and a number of others are even vying for the attentions of newly single Dr. Storm.
That leaves just one person MJ can call, and though he’s technically male, he doesn’t really count as a boy in her book. She dials the number from memory.
“Hello?”
“Felix! Are you busy?”
As usual, he finds a way to meet up with her. MJ grabs her purse and wonders offhand how it is that his obligations always disappear and his friends always cancel at the most opportune moments. Thank god for good luck, she thinks grinning, grateful.
~ ~ ~
After sending her résumé to nearly a dozen places, Sophie decides to turn off the computer and give her eyes — and her brain — a break. Just as she’s about to close her email, a new message pops up. It’s from X.
Soph,
I’m no good at… this stuff. I don’t think it’s built into the Y chromosome. So let me just come out and say it: I’m not okay with… you and Diego. I thought I would be, or could be, but after interrupting you and him on Valentine’s Day…
Look, I know we’re thousands of miles and two time zones apart. And I know we had some issues before I left. I know all the reasons we shouldn’t be together anymore, but I also know the one reason we should:
I still love you.
Just thought you should know.
X
Hyperventilating, Sophie forwards the note to MJ and Claudia, with the subject line “HELP!”
~ ~ ~
Down at their favorite pub, MJ and Felix laugh and share stories about their week. When a dart board becomes available, they move to take it. MJ is bad enough naturally, and even worse when tipsy, so Felix has to hold her hand to guide the darts. MJ feels a warmth creep into her at his touch, but she brushes it off as an effect of the alcohol.
As the hours pass, MJ notices more and more about Felix that somehow she never saw before. His eyes crinkle in a cute way when he smiles. He has dimples, too. And have his shoulders always been that broad and strong-looking?
She shakes her head vigorously. No more booze, she chides herself. It’s making you delusional, turning your best friend here into a boy. NO BOYS!
“You okay?” Felix asks, concern filling his warm eyes.
“Hmm? Oh, yes, yes! Just, ah, getting tired, I think.”
“Oh, well, I can walk you home.”
“That’s okay, I’ll be fine.”
He smiles. “I want to.”
MJ clears her throat nervously.
They walk slowly over the dark, wet streets. The cool night air puts MJ at ease, sobering her in a pleasant way. By the time they reach the door of her dorm, she feels like a moron for her little episode at the bar. When she looks at Felix now, all she sees is her kind, dependable, teddy bear of a friend. Not a boy. She grins.
Felix grins back. “You look like you’re feeling better.”
“Did I look sick before?”
He shakes his head. “Not sick, just worried.” He hesitates for a moment, then reaches forward and brushes his fingers across her forehead. “Your brow was tense, and I hate that.”
Confused, she looks into his eyes. What is he talking about? Why would he notice something like that?
As if drawn by her gaze, he moves forward, leaning his head closer to hers. His arms circle around her to hold on to the railing behind her. He cocks his head slightly, waiting for a signal to do more.
Oh god. He thinks he’s a boy!
The realization hits MJ with painful force. Suddenly she can see their whole friendship through his eyes, and everything looks different. Words and gestures that were innocent now carry significance. She’s been leading him on without even meaning to. And now… now she’s going to suffer the consequences. He’s going to kiss her.
But really, he’s the one that’s going to suffer, when she tells him the truth. Which she has to do. She owes him that much.
“Felix…”
He smiles, thinking one thing. She frowns, thinking another.
Then her cell phone beeps. She fumbles for it in her purse, and sees the new email alert. “It’s from Sophie,” she says. “It’s urgent. Sorry!”
MJ hurries inside and closes the door before Felix can respond. She runs upstairs, craving the safety of her room. From her window, she glances down at the street, and sees Felix still standing at the railing. But his head is down, dejected, and his hands are balled up into fists.
Sophie saved her this time, but MJ knows she can’t run from this forever.
