Chapter 3
Three
Aubrey
“Thanks for asking me over tonight—I’ve been looking for an excuse to open this bottle of brut.” I take two flutes from Ellie’s
wine rack and pop the cork on the bottle. I pour two generous glasses and then pass one to Ellie and sip from the other.
“Thanks for bringing a bottle over.” She drinks from her glass, the fizz seeming to take her by surprise. Ellie’s innocence
is one of the things I like about her. She’s one of those people who was coddled as a kid but not spoiled; I, on the other
hand, had to fight for every scrap of an opportunity I was given, and a few that I wasn’t but had to take.
“We should have girls’ night at least once a week,” I say, settling on the sofa next to her, thinking how easily she’s allowed
me to slip into her life since we bumped into each other in the hallway a few months ago. Ellie thinks our meeting was by
chance, that I’m just another neighbor in the building, and it’s in my best interest if I let her believe that.
“That would be great. This apartment gets so . . .” Ellie pauses, lost in thought.
“Lonely sometimes,” she finally finishes.
I have a feeling she means all the time.
I’ve noticed that Ellie’s husband seems to avoid being at home with her, but I don’t say anything.
It’s just one of the reasons I’m not interested in marriage: because men always leave, even when they vow that they won’t.
It’s the way things go, like some unspoken catch and release rule.
Men want the validation that you want them, and as soon as they have it, they move on to the next easy target. My existence is proof enough of that.
“Any luck finding a job?” Ellie thinks to ask.
I stroke the rim of my flute with my index finger, watching the city lights twinkle above Columbus Circle as I consider how
best to answer. “Not yet,” I finally say. “I’m weighing my options carefully. Thankfully I have enough savings to get me through
for a while.”
“What did you say your degree is in again?” Ellie asks politely.
“Environmental science,” I lie. Ellie strikes me as the kind of girl who surrounds herself with high achievers; my college
dropout past would only raise red flags. “I had big dreams to save the world as a kid, but it’s a hard field to make a living
in. Since my mom died—well, it’s just been hard to focus on much other than getting used to life without her.”
“I get that. My mom passed when I was a kid,” Ellie informs me, as if I didn’t already know. “I guess I don’t remember much
about grieving, but I do know it’s hard to live without a mom.”
I nod, letting Ellie’s words hang in the air between us. “I’ve been thinking about going to a cancer survivors’ support group.”
Another lie. In reality, sitting with a bunch of crying, grieving people sounds like the ninth circle of Hell. I force a sad smile and
then add, “Maybe I could meet some friends.”
“Oh—that brings me to the reason I wanted to invite you over,” Ellie rushes ahead. “I got an invitation from a women’s charity group for an event this weekend—do you want to come with me? I don’t know anyone so the whole thing would be more fun with a buddy.”
“And you want me to go with you?” I ask.
“Yeah—well, I guess it sounds weird now that I think about it. I guess we haven’t known each other very long,” Ellie says
awkwardly.
“I guess it would be a good chance to get out of the city and make some new friends,” I muse, pretending to be surprised that
she’s asked me to go with her.
“My thoughts exactly.” Ellie drinks the rest of the wine in her glass and then takes the bottle from the coffee table and
pours herself another. She’s looking to drown her problems in bubbly tonight and I’m all for it. I wonder how her husband
would feel if he knew she was drinking like a fish before bed. Then again, how much does he really care when he spends all
of his waking hours and a few of his sleeping ones at the office?
“How long have you and your husband been married?” I ask politely.
“Seven years in July—we’ve been together for almost ten though. We eloped to Niagara Falls, then road-tripped our way around
New England, and when we got back to the city we moved into this apartment and both started working full-time at my dad’s
company. We’re in different offices though—I used to think that was a blessing—who really wants to work with their spouse
all day? But now that I see Jack next to never . . . well, sometimes I think working in the same office would have saved our
marriage.”
“Saved it? Are you having problems?” I drain the rest of the wine in my flute and then pour myself another.
“Just the usual things I guess.” Ellie shrugs. “Sometimes I think of his work as like his mistress. I didn’t ask for a workaholic husband, but here I am, spending all my nights alone while he sleeps on a couch in the Financial District.” Sadness hangs like a cloud over her.
“That must be hard,” I reply.
Ellie nods. “Jack says I need to work harder to make friends, maybe get some new hobbies. He thinks it would help with the
depression and sleepwalking and whatever. I know he’s right, but I work a lot and despite the fact that there’s eight million
people on this island, unless you’re a barfly, it’s hard to make friends.”
“You’re preachin’ to the choir, sister.” I shoot Ellie a reassuring smile. “Well, for what it’s worth I think you should definitely
attend that fancy party this weekend. There’s no harm in checking it out, maybe make some new connections.”
Her smile is soft, submissive. I see why a man like Jack likes her. Ellie is weak, insecure, easily controlled.
“I have a lot of social anxiety and I struggle in groups. But I’ll go if you go with me,” she replies. “Anyway, you fit in
with high society women like this more than I do—maybe the invitation was meant for you.” Ellie gives me a weak grin.
I nod, smile, then agree. “Okay then. I guess we have a party to go to this weekend.” I take a deep breath, thinking how everything
is falling into place so perfectly. “To us—making new friends in this godforsaken city.”
“To us.” We cheers and then each take a drink of our champagne.
Ellie doesn’t realize it, but we’re toasting to more than just friendship. We’re toasting to a new future, to opportunities
that promise to change both of our lives.
For better or worse.