Sophie Heine
Sylvia had radically ignored all the calls from Tim ; and there had been many…. Since she had resolved to only go for friendship in her life, she was not interested at all in keeping any form of intimate interaction with that crazy man. And she knew that if she responded to his offers to « only have a coffee », she would end up being in trouble again. She knew she was too attracted to him but she also knew that sleeping with him again would hurt her because the man was not good for her.
He did not seem to really care about her person anymore. After the first exchanges they had had during which he genuinely showed interest in her life, interests and passions, he seemed to have become fully absorbed by the physical part of her person. The last times she had seen him she had actually no longer felt like a person ; an object at best, nothing at worst.
On the plus side, she was spending more and more time with her new friend Patrick and trying to sort her life out before her mother’s visit. She had finally found her own place and was actively applying to better jobs. She now lived in a studio or, rather, a room, downtown, nearby the lively Greenwich Village. She could walk from there to absolutely anywhere in Manhattan, which was something she particularly liked since she didn’t really love taking the subway.
Her studio was extremely small but contained everything she needed : a cosy double bed, a kitchenette, a very tiny bathroom, a small table and a TV on the wall. She could walk from one end to another in a few steps but that didn’t bother her. After the luxury of her life at the hotel, she should have felt deflated to live in such a small space but she actually loved it. She could cook her own food and felt very independent. Of course, inviting people would be tricky but if she rearranged her bed as a temporary sofa, it would work as long as they kept the party small. She knew her mother wouldn’t want to stay with her even if she had an enormous flat so she didn’t have to feel worried about not being able to put her up.
She had been seeing more and more of Patrick too, who had perfectly respected his promise to only be friends. In fact, he had just told her he was seeing someone ; which was perfect, really, because it made everything crystal clear between them: their bond was one of pure friendship, nothing less, nothing more.
Life was almost perfect : she had a man in her life who was her best friend and could not hurt her , her mother was coming to visit, she had her own place and she was about to find a better job. She could tell from the responses she received from potential employers that she was very close to getting one of the office roles she was applying too. The rejections she received were mild and usually, if she didn’t get the post it was only because there was a candidate with a little bit more experience. Every job interview was also an opportunity for her to refine he interview skills, get constructive feedback and improve her cv. She could feel that it was only a matter of time before she received an offer.
The only thing that bothered her was that her best friend Clara had still not managed to arrange her agenda to come and visit her. She knew that in her case it was not a money issue since Clara was loaded : she had a personal wealth and a very well paid job. But that high income came with a price : she could not leave easily for a holiday. But still, Sylvia was convinced that her best friend had to come and visit her. That adventure in New York without her was just not the same. For years they had become almost sisters and she was probably the person she missed the most in Paris. With her friend Sebastien of course ; but her bond with Clara was indescribably strong.
As she was pondering on how to convince her to move her arse to finally come and visit her while her meal was gently cooking, her phone rang.
She heard Clara’s voice at the end of her phone :
« Hiiiiiiii ! Have you missed me ? What’s up ? What’s’ new ? »
God she missed her best friend’s energy.
« I’m good babe, couldn’t be better. »
« Oh that’s good to hear. So any dirty news with your man ? »
« Actually I am not seeing him anymore. I’ve followed your advice and I am single again. »
« Single ? But…you seemed so into him…what happened ? »
Sylvia was slightly annoyed at Clara’s disappointed tone. Surely, she should be happy for her ; She was the one who warned her.
« Didn’t you tell me I had to protect myself ? »
Sylvia’s tone was more than defiant.
Clara replied with an apologetic « Of course Babe. It’s just…it seems so unlike you at the moment to be cautious. But well done ! So you must be feeling lonely then ? »
Sylvia decided to make her feel a little guilty :
« Yes, particularly since my best friend has still not jumped on a plane to see me in the big Apple. What is the point of this high wage you have if you can’t come and visit your lonely bestie when she needs you so much ? »
« Oh, babe, you’re making me feel so bad…I’m working on it…After this project, I’m coming. That’s a promise ! »
« A promise you will keep ? »
« Yeah…you have my word. I miss you too much here. And I have to see Manhattan. »
Now Sylvia wanted to make her friend jealous.
« yes you have to. By the way I’m going to see Mamamia on Broadway tonight. I managed to get cheap tickets. »
« Oh, my god…on your own ? It’s…good to be so independent, babe ; I’m proud of you »
« Actually, not on my own, no ; with this friend… »
« Oh, don’t tell me you have a new bestie ? That would be the ultimate betrayal, you know that ? ».
Sylvia hesitated, How could she phrase that without triggering Clara’s inquisitive questions.
« He is not my bestie ; just a friend I hang out with… »
She could hear Clara shriek and jump all the way from the other side of the Atlantic.
« A he ? A man ? You’ve met someone. Telle me everything, everything ! »
« Before you lose it , listen carefully : this is not what you think. This is only a friend. He is very sweet and reliable and we made a pact to only be friend ».
Clara gave her a long silence.
« Are you still there ? »
« Yes, I am. So he is a good friend but you want nothing more with him. Is he gay ? »
« No. In fact he has a girlfriend. »
« Ugly ? »
« Absolutely not. He is very handsome ».
Sylvia could hear Clara tapping her finger son her phone.
« But why are you just friends then ? »
« Well I figured that after my bad experiences I deserved male kindness. And it seems to me that it can only come from a friend who will remain my friend. That means no sex. If we went down that line, it wouldn’t be friendship anymore ».
« Interesting… So you’ve renounced the big love? Wow, I’m impressed ».
Sylvia lifted her chin.
« for now, yes. I’m done with this impossible search for love. I have chosen to believe in friendship ».
And then she just received a fun text from Patrick : « see you tonight. Looking forward to Mamamia. » followed by about a hundred emojis. She replied with several emojis and thumbs ups and turned her attention back to Clara.
« Listen babe, I can’t be long ; I still have a few job applications to write. »
« And looking for a decent job.Well done, babe ; I am impressed. »
« Yeah…I’m happy to have finally earned your appreciation. By the way, my mum is coming to see me ; so I have to speed up my job search…you know how she is ».
« Oh Sylvia, my heart is with you ; when she is there, call me any time…I hope I can come in time to prevent her from smothering you. »
« I doubt it ; she will be here in three days…But thanks for your concern. Go back to your project so that you can jump on this plane ! »
« I will ; love you »
Before hanging up, Sylvia remembered she hadn’t heard from their common friend Sebastian in a really long time.
« Clara, before you go : how is Sebastian ? He only replies to my texts with emojis…I am a bit worried that he has just forgotten about me altogether… »
« Oh, Clara, of course he hasn’t ; we talk about you all the time ; actually we did only yesterday at the Café »
« Are you still going to the Café des deux Moulins in Montmartre ? «
« Yes »
She could hear Clara’s happy tone just at the mention of their very favourite place.
Sylvia felt overwhelmed by a wave of nostalgia. This historic café was nestled in one of the most charming streets of Montmartre ; They had made it theirs years ago when their trio of friendship started. She did miss Paris and, most of all, her friends and family. She sighed heavily.
« I miss both of you so much, you know that ; Tell him he should come with you to see me and we can all have a fabulous time in the Big Apple ! »
« I will, sweetie ; He is crushed by work at the moment too but he always speaks about you. He is seeing a new girl at the moment…And I am having a hard time listening to all the dirty details. »
Imagining Sebastian tell her friend about his adventures as a womanizer brought a smile on Sylvia’s lips. Sebastian had a good job in an IT company, he was handsome, funny and clever but his choice of women was appalling. He could never last longer than a few weeks with any of his dates.
« Well, tell him I hope to speak to him properly soon. »
« I will ; I’ve got to go ! Speak soon. Love you. »
« love you too ! »
After hanging up, Sylvia lied on her comfortable bed. She had adorned her king size bed with a beautiful flowery blanket that always made her want to snuggle under it when she was home. It didn’t matter to her that the bed took half the space of the small living room ; She liked a big broad bed. She looked up at the ceiling, letting her mind wander. She did miss Paris but she could feel that it was not time to leave yet. She still had to prove that she could make it here : find a job at least. Plus, being in that city had made her almost forget about that horrible story she had lived back home. And here she could be someone new. Working in a café despite all her degrees and experience in journalism was hard but it was also liberating. She was on her feet all day but she enjoyed serving customers and emptying her mind during a hard working day. If the wage as a waitress had been higher she would have easily stuck to that sort of jobs. Being in an office and on a computer all day had never really been her thing.
She got up to make herself a cup of coffee. After adding a new filter in it, she started the old coffee machine standing by her sink. She liked a traditional coffee. The delicious aroma of coffee quickly filled the small room ; while the coffee was slowly dripping, reminding her of the smell at her grandparents’ house when she was a child, she looked for something to accompany it. She made herself a little plate of nuts, dark chocolate and bananas and turned the television on.
As she was trying to focus on the news, her phone beeped with a text from Patrick. She smiled at her phone. Patrick never missed a day of texting her.
« Fancy an ice cream tonight before the show ? I’ve discovered this amazing little place in the village. What do you think ? »
She typed a quick reply , her smile not leaving her face. This man was the dream man but she was determined to keep him as a friend. Everything was perfect and she just hoped nothing would change.
*****
Sophie Heine - food for thought - Fiction 