The Arrangement

6

In the week leading up to the engagement party, Maya and Carina were adjusting to life as roommates. The penthouse was spacious enough to give them both their own space, but they still found themselves crossing paths frequently.

Maya made a point to try and coordinate her schedule with Carina as much as possible trying to incorporate one meal a day together. Carina had just about unpacked everything she had moved into the Penthouse and took a jump start into redecorating. Carina was hesitant to admit but she wanted to redecorate some before inviting any guests over as the over all theme of Bachelor pad still rang throughout the space.

While her two close friends and Lucas were aware of her and Maya's actual agreement her other friends were under the impression it was a real engagement and marriage and there was no way Carina would choose to live in an apartment that looked liked a bachelor pad.

Carina had taken an enthusiastic interest in redecorating the penthouse. She texted Maya ideas and suggestions for new furniture, color schemes, and decor. Her excitement was palpable, and Maya appreciated Carina's efforts to make their shared space feel more like home.

Maya had never put much thought into the decorating scheme of the apartment, but she figured if redecorating helped Carina feel more at home there, it wouldn't bother her.

"Hey, Maya, I was thinking about changing the living room throw pillows to something lighter. What do you think about a soft beige or maybe a pastel blue?" one of Carina's texts read.

Maya smiled at her phone and quickly replied, "That sounds great. I am partial to blue but whatever you think looks best"

Maya's receptionist, Sarah, noticed the steady stream of texts. While Maya was engrossed in her work, Sarah couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. She saw Maya's phone light up with each new message and heard the occasional soft buzz, which broke the usual office silence.

Sarah finally commented, "Busy day with the phone, huh, Maya?"

Maya looked up, slightly distracted. "Oh, yeah. Carina has a lot of ideas for redecorating the apartment. She's really into it."

Carina had purposely made her week light at work to get everything situated with the move and then the engagement party so she continued to work through each room adding her personal touch.

Sarah forced a smile, though internally she was a bit frustrated. "Sounds like she's keeping you busy even outside the office." Sarah had been getting annoyed at Carina's constant presence in Maya's life. She had been caught off guard to learn they were dating much less engaged. Sarah took pride in knowing Maya's schedule but couldn't put together where she could have been dating someone without her knowledge.

Maya laughed, not picking up on Sarah's underlying tone. "Yeah, she's got a lot of great ideas. It's nice to see her so enthusiastic."

Throughout the week, Carina's texts continued to pour in. "Maya, I found these great local photographer! What do you think of these prints for the bar area?"

"Yes, sounds great." Maya texted in reply.

Another text read, "I was thinking of adding some plants to the living room. They'd really brighten up the space."

Maya responded as quickly as she could, "Sounds good! Please coordinate with Heather so that she will know how to care for them. I have the complete opposite of a green thumb."

As the week went on, Sarah's frustration grew. She felt that the constant texts were distracting Maya from her work, and she found it difficult to stay professional when she saw the personal messages pop up on Maya's screen. Maya was oblivious to the intrusion as it did not bother her very much.