Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
SOPHIE
M y feet pound against the cemented path as I make my way up Mount Royal. The autumn leaves crunch satisfyingly under my running shoes with each step, their brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows blurring together as I race by. My breath comes in ragged gasps, but I push myself harder, embracing the burning in my legs and lungs.
I’m sweating out my anger, letting it drip away with each bead of perspiration. Luckily for me, I have a membership at a nearby gym with a shower, which is where I got changed to go on this run—and where I’ll be able to prep for yet another meeting right before I pick up Julian again.
The brisk autumn air whips against my flushed cheeks. I welcome the chill, focusing on the refreshing coolness instead of the frustration boiling inside me. Looking out over downtown Montréal in the distance, I’m struck by the dazzling beauty surrounding me. The city sprawls out picturesquely below the mountain, glittering in the warm afternoon sunshine. Above me, the few clouds in the piercing blue sky seem close enough to touch.
I love this view. But it’s not quite enough to push the thought of Will out of my mind.
The audacity of that man.
What sort of game is he playing? He was looking at me like we shared something unspoken, like we were in on the same thing.
Like nothing ever happened.
I crest the summit, my ponytail whipping behind me in tempo with my pumping arms. The panoramic view steals my breath away, the anger and hurt inside me momentarily fading. I stand tall, wiping the sweat from my brow, inhaling a deep breath of crisp air. The rich aroma of fallen leaves, pine trees, and earth fills my nose. For a moment, all is still and serene. I close my eyes and attempt to slow my heartbeat.
There’s no use putting any more of my thoughts or energy toward this man. Because I don’t intend to see him again anytime soon.
I think back to several years ago when Gwen was just a baby. Will had brought a cute, but kind of annoying, girl to our annual friend’s Christmas dinner on Boxing Day. She was nice enough, and even got along with Avery, who tends to hide in her shell. But it enraged me to think Will was taking advantage of yet another woman who didn’t know any better.
Turns out I was right. Again. At our New Year’s party, Will showed up with another woman on his arm. This one was a bit older and reeked of cigarettes. She’d even picked up Gwen without asking permission, which promptly resulted in me cussing out Will in private to keep his date in check.
Because Matt and Will were so close, the two of them spent a lot of time at Matt and I’s place. Being a social butterfly, I did my best to be the agreeable host when Will brought a girl over—mostly to put the poor girls at ease. This means I had a front-row seat to the flurry of faces Will paraded in front of us over the last decade.
The worst part of this whole thing? Will never seemed to care about the trail of broken hearts he left behind. And now that I can be honest about it, neither did Matt. During all those years, I gritted my teeth and kept the peace—at least for the most part—out of respect for my partner.
But now that I don’t owe Matthew anything anymore, there’s no way I’m going to keep enduring Will’s presence in my life. No thank you.
I take one more look at the panoramic view of the city in front of me before I turn and start jogging my way back down the mountain trail. Shortly after, I’ve showered and dressed back in my outfit to head to one of my favourite coworking spaces in the neighbourhood. I’m meeting a potential client called Natalie, who’s planning a Halloween party for her business staff. Never mind it being Halloween in hardly a month; despite the time crunch, I’m ready to take this on.
I’ve only been walking towards the coworking space for a few minutes before my phone dings with the notification sound specifically for text messages, which I don’t get a lot of. Maybe it’s important? I grab my phone from my pocket.
Amanda
Hello, it’s Amanda from the Halte. Not to alarm you, but we’ve been having a hard time calming Julian down. Probably just some gas. But we wanted to let you know, because you may need to come by earlier than planned if this doesn’t ease up.
My heart drops. Haltes-garderies are not like typical daycares; because the staff don’t see the same children every day, they’re not as equipped to deal with heavy bouts of crying or colicky babies. And I’m not interested in putting Julian in a full-time daycare. Not until he’s at least one year old, at the very earliest. The only reason I’m not taking advantage of the government-subsidized leave and staying home 100 percent of the time to care for him is because I’d lose all my clients if I just closed up shop for a year or more. I only took two months off where I did absolutely no work.
So it’s not about the money. It’s about building something long-term that my children can benefit from one day.
Which is why this is terrible timing. Rarely do potential clients demand to meet in person when considering my services. I can usually get away with a Zoom call from the comfort of my home. But Natalie made it very clear that she expected more from a planner. Which is why I’m in the neighbourhood now.
I quickly type a reply to Amanda asking her to keep me in the loop, and speed up my pace toward the coworking space. By now the sun is directly overhead, and the streets are getting more crowded as people are making their way out to lunch. The hum of the city fills me up and reinvigorates me, giving me fresh confidence for the upcoming meeting.
You’ve got this, Sophie. You can land clients like this in your sleep.
Ten minutes later, I’m there. I step into the warmly lit interior of the coworking space, the rich smell of freshly brewed coffee enveloping me. Large windows flood the open floor plan with natural light, illuminating sleek wood tables and plush armchairs tucked into cozy nooks. Across the room, I spot the self-serve coffee bar, where a few freelancers I’ve met before chat over steaming mugs.
To my right, rows of desks house graphic designers and writers immersed in their work, headphones on, fingers tapping away at keyboards. A set of glass doors leads to a conference room where a meeting seems to be wrapping up, participants laughing as they gather their things.
In so many ways, this is my second home. It’s the perfect place to meet new clients and make valuable connections. Scanning the room, I quickly spot Natalie seated at one of the large community tables, working from her laptop as she waits. I smooth my hair, adjust my blazer, and stride over.
“Natalie?” I ask with a warm but confident smile. She glances up, returning the smile. “I’m Sophie. It’s so nice to finally meet you in person.” I extend my hand and she shakes it firmly.
“Likewise,” Natalie says, her voice deadpan. “I look forward to discussing with you.”
“Absolutely.” I sit in the chair facing hers. Right as I’m getting comfortable, my phone vibrates against my thigh in my pocket. Damn it.
I’ve turned off all notifications except for text messages. This has got to be Amanda.
“Excuse me,” I sputter, grabbing the phone. There’s a short message from her.
Amanda
Still pretty fussy … But I think he’s starting to calm down. I’ll keep you updated momma
I swallow the lump in my throat and slip the phone back into its spot. Natalie’s frowning, but she doesn’t say anything. “Right,” I begin, bringing out my signature notepad. “Now, please tell me more about your vision for this event.”
Natalie nods, then launches into a passionate speech about how she envisions this Halloween party to go. From time to time, I interject with a question or follow up to clarify something, but Natalie is doing most of the talking. Everything is going as it should.
My stupid phone vibrates again in the middle of me asking a question. I pause mid-sentence but keep going as I do my best to keep my composure. And it works, for a minute or two. But the longer we’re talking, the more frequently my eyes drift back down towards my pocket, like they’re being drawn to it magnetically.
God, I hope Julian’s okay.
I pull myself from my thoughts and force myself to stay focused on Natalie. Get ahold of yourself, girl. He’s not dying.
But he’s my baby.
“I’m sorry, am I keeping you from something?” Natalie says dryly.
“Of course not,” I respond, hiding my fluster. I straighten and smile at her.
She raises one delicately carved silver eyebrow. “I have trouble believing that.”
This woman is no idiot. She’s pretty perceptive. Instead of coming up with another lie, I sigh and pinch my lips. “I’m sorry. It’s my son’s daycare texting me. But I’m sure it’s nothing. You have all of my attention, I swear.”
Her expression doesn’t change. Instead, she crosses her arms and leans back against her chair. “I’ll be frank, Sophie,” she says as she starts getting up.
Shit. I’m losing her.
“I know all too well the struggles of motherhood. I was once there myself.” She closes the laptop and slips it into the satchel slung across her shoulder. It’s all happening too fast. “But I’m looking for someone who can be all in. Someone who’ll answer my calls late in the evening because I’ve just had a new idea I want implemented ASAP. I understand it’s a lot to ask, but that’s who I want.” She looks me up and down. “Unfortunately, I don’t think you’re the best fit for my needs at this moment.”
My stomach sinks right as Natalie starts to leave. For a moment, I’m frozen in place, unable to comprehend what just happened, but I somehow shake myself out of it and walk towards Natalie.
“Wait, just a minute,” I say, trying to keep my cool. “If you asked any of my previous clients, they would all tell you I go above and beyond. I’m certain I can give you the level of service you not only expect but deserve.” I don’t say the next part out loud: just give me a chance to prove it.
But Natalie doesn’t even stop in her tracks. “Good luck, Sophie. As a mom, you’ll need it.” Now I’m the one who pauses, and I can do nothing but watch her waltz out the door.
My blood goes cold. This has never happened before. I’ve been a mom for five years, and not once has it stopped me from landing a client. Humiliation rolls over me like a tidal wave, and I walk back to the communal table, hoping no one witnessed this moment.
I’ve only been a single working mom for a year. Specifically, a single working mom with a baby. And I’m finally starting to see what I’m up against.
Now that there’s nothing I can do to salvage this project, I pull out my phone, anxious to see what Amanda has to tell me.
Amanda
Everything looks good, momma! Julian is fast asleep. No worries :)
I shut my eyes and let out a weary sigh. Well, at least there’s that.
But I just lost a huge potential client over what turned out to be nothing.
Great.