Aurora

Chapter 5 | Bobby

The apartment fills up with the delicious smell of garlic and tomato sauce as Sophia cooks a Bolognese sauce for the pasta. Uber Eats is getting a little too expensive and I refuse to use the Amex that he gave me yesterday.

The dinner was three days ago, and we're already going towards our first week in Chicago. I called a lawyer, but he didn't have time until next week. Almost two weeks after we arrived in this city.

"Listen, you don't have to stay here with me forever, I feel like Archer's going to drag this on forever," I break the silence between me and Sophia. The tension is rising and I can tell that she's not here for fun anymore. This divorce was never fun, but she had the expectation that both of us were going to strut that airport by the end of this week like I'm some girl boss that just divorced a 30 under-30 billionaire.

But it's taking a little longer than expected and that's taking a toll on both of us. Sophia would never blame me, I know that.

"Isn't there more we could do though?" Sophia asks. She stirs in the pot, her fingers wrapped tightly around the spoon.

"You know I've tried everything but the lawyer-"

"No I mean like for fun," she interrupts me. "Listen I'm all for staying here and this apartment is gorgeous but don't you think we could go out sometime?"

Suddenly I remember meeting this girl in the lobby the other day. She slipped her phone number in my purse before she left and I didn't notice until I got back home.

"I did meet this girl who invited me the other day," I tell Sophia. I didn't think it was important enough to mention it. My purse is still in my bedroom so I hurry there to pick it up and grab her number. "She invited us over to hang out with her the other day, I should text her!" I make my way back to the kitchen and then add Faye's contact to my phone.

Sophia finishes up her pasta and the two of us find a TV show to watch while we eat her delicious meal. While we eat, I also text Sophia to make plans. She's online instantly and is more than happy to invite me and Sophia with her friends out.

The plans are for tomorrow night.

We finish up and then wash up the dishes. Then we put them back in the cabinets and go back to watching TV. Just like we do every night here. It's only been three days here, two nights before this one, and with a personality like Sophia, I'm surprised she is only now going crazy.

"So Faye says we can go out with her tomorrow. She'll pick us up in the lobby." I announce. Sophia smiles wide.

"Awesome! What's she like?"

I think back to the first meeting and immediately feel guilty that I don't have more to tell her than: "She seemed nice, but she did hit my head with her Birkin." Sophia needs more than that, but Faye was already gone before I could ask her for more.

"You know I need more than that." She waits for me to tell her more, but I look at her with an apologetic look on my face. Sophia finally decides to give up and looks back at the TV.

"She was already gone before I had the chance to ask her anything!" I defend myself.

-

"It is so good to see you again!" Faye walks through the lobby and immediately spreads her arms to greet me with a hug. Then she turns to Sophia. "And you must be Sophia, it's so nice to meet you!"

I forgot how strong her accent was.

"Yes!" Sophia greets the redhead with the exact same energy. That's Sophia's talent, matching people's energy on the first meet. "You must be Faye!"