MJ plugs ear buds into her laptop and leans toward the screen. “Hello?”
A long curly cord drags behind Claudia as she carries the phone into her bedroom and shuts the door. She settles onto the bed and turns the TV on, but mutes the sound. “I’m here.”
“Me too,” Sophie says as she pushes a cart down the supermarket aisle. A guy walking in the other direction looks her up and down, pleased with what he sees. Then he realizes Sophie is crazy, talking to herself, and he hurries past her. He does not see the Bluetooth headset on her opposite ear.
Every month the three friends schedule a conference call, the best way to catch up now that they are scattered around the globe. For an hour or two they chat about what’s happened, what’s going on, and what’s coming up.
“My clinical research rotations are over, and I’m supposed to choose a lab to work in for the rest of the year,” MJ explains to her friends. “But I was only impressed by one doctor, and I think everyone wants to work with him.”
“The question is, who does he want to work with? I can’t imagine him not choosing you.”
“That’s because you’re my friend, Claudia. But everyone in this program is really talented and driven. I don’t stand out here.”
“I think Ben and Sam would disagree.”
Blushing, MJ is glad her friends can’t see her. “Somehow I think Dr. Gohit is going to be a little more difficult to impress. He’s done so much amazing work. I’d really love to have him as a mentor.”
“Mmm.” Claudia isn’t sure what else to say. She’d love to have a mentor too, but writing seems to be a rather solitary profession. She has tried to keep in touch with old professors and join local writing groups in her city, but at the end of the day, no one can put words on the page for her.
“How is the boy situation going, anyway?”
“Eh.” MJ glances over to make sure her door is shut. She doesn’t need the whole dorm to hear about her soap opera life. Even though they already witness it…
“Ben has cooled off a bit now that everyone’s studies are really picking up. I think maybe his hot pursuit had as much to do with boredom as anything else. But that’s okay. He’s still interested, but now I feel like I can spend more time getting to know him — and Sam — without pressure.”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah, it definitely is.”
There is a short lull. MJ and Claudia notice they have been carrying the conversation alone.
“Soph, you there?”
Sophie exhales in frustration. “Yeah, but I can’t find what I’m looking for.”
“I know what you mean,” Claudia agrees. She’s been wanting to talk about how much she’s struggling, how none of her stories have been accepted for publication, how her novel is unravelling at the seams. She hasn’t yet told them about her minor breakdowns, which subside only after Eli holds her and assures her that she has the talent to succeed. She wonders if they’ll have any advice, since they’re both moving steadily down secure paths to success. “I’m beginning to think part of being twenty-something is feeling perpetually clueless.”
“No, I mean I can’t find what I’m looking for. I’m supposed to be buying some stupid soy-based ice cream for Alexis.” But this little kid has been hogging the dessert section of the freezer FOREVER, she adds to herself.
“Oh.” Claudia feels stupid.
“Wait a minute, are you buying groceries for your boss?”
It’s impossible to miss the disapproval in MJ’s voice. “No,” Sophie responds defensively. “It’s for a project.”
“Your project? Or your boss’s?”
“Look, I just need to get some ice cream, okay!”
The boy who has been deliberating over Klondike bars or popsicles suddenly bursts into tears. “Mommy, she yelled at me!” he wails, running off to a stocky brunette at the end of the aisle. She looks like the type who spends several hours at the gym, maybe even a professional bodybuilder or wrestler. Basically not the type Sophie wants to mess with.
“What was that?” Claudia asks.
“Nothing.” Sophie quickly scours the shelves for the brand she needs, scoops up an assortment of pints, and hurries away before the Amazon and her son can return. She decides to hide in the wines and spirits aisle for a few minutes. “And I’m sorry for snapping,” she says in a hushed voice. “Alexis has sort of taken me under her wing, which I thought would be cool, but so far I’m just doing twice as much work as before.”
“But weren’t you already working twelve-hour days?”
Sophie snorts. “Yes.”
“Eesh,” MJ says sympathetically. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
With that, the girls move on with an ease that only long-time friendship can provide. Sophie tells a funny story about Reggie — “I’m dead serious: the coffee shot OUT of his nose all the way across the room, right onto the client’s white skirt! She was NOT amused…” — and Claudia teases MJ about some of the British slang she’s picked up. By the time Sophie feels safe enough to check out, they are ready to wrap up.
“Good talking to you, girls. Till next time!”
“See ya!”
“Cheerio!”
“SEE?” Claudia says.
“Oh, bugger off.”
The three girls erupt into laughter, then hang up. Sophie puts the ice cream in the passenger seat and slowly backs out of her parking spot. As she drives past the entrance to the supermarket, she notices the little boy and his mother walking out. The mother is (thankfully) oblivious, but the boy sticks out his tongue and makes an ugly face at her. Sophie makes an uglier one right back. The boy’s face slackens with shock.
“Hah, take that!” She pulls out of the parking lot and speeds onto the freeway, feeling much better than had an hour ago. “Now if only I could do that to Alexis…”
