Sophia was taken aback by Jason's sudden departure.
Back to B City? Was it an emergency, or was he deliberately avoiding her?
She was preoccupied, barely tasting her meal, unable to distinguish the flavors of the grilled sandwiches she mindlessly ate.
After dinner, she headed upstairs, intending to grab her work clothes. Yet, on a whim, she found herself walking towards Jason's room instead.
Pushing the door open, she saw his room was neat, with both the desk and bed in perfect order. Her eyes immediately landed on the bowl of soup on the desk.
He hadn't touched it; it had gone cold a long time ago.
Sophia's heart felt just like that bowl of soup, suddenly cold through and through.
She sniffled, trying to hold back the sour sting in her nose, and turned to leave.
For the next two days, Sophia didn't catch even a glimpse of Jason, nor did she hear anything from him.
When he was away on business before, if he didn't reach out to her, she wouldn't seek him out either. They could go days without contact, but it never felt like this, leaving her anxious and unsettled.
She found herself thinking of him while eating, drafting design sketches, passing by his office, and even as she lay in bed trying to fall asleep.
Recalling the times he waited for her, she felt a bittersweet ache, but thinking about his recent coldness made her feel angry and wronged.
It wasn't until Wednesday evening, while visiting her mentor Evelyn during dinner, that she mentioned Jason was tied up with some tricky business in B City and would be back in a few days.
Hmph!
Sophia scoffed internally, realizing she now had to hear news of him through Evelyn.
By Friday night, the designers from her studio gathered for a get-together at Blue Oasis.
Inman brought her boyfriend, a suave financier who charmed everyone in the studio in no time.
Sophia was surprised, "Is it that obvious?"
Tina pinched her little finger, "Just a bit!"
Sophia took a deep breath, swallowing the lump of cheesecake, and grabbed her cocktail for a big gulp, "It's nothing, you're overthinking!"
"Really? I thought maybe you were missing Mr. Gilder since he isn't here!"
Sophia's heart skipped a beat, but she scoffed, "Why would I miss him? It's not like it's out of character for him to show up or not on a whim!"
Tina suddenly asked, "Did you guys have a fight?"
"No!" Sophia responded, a bit too quickly.
Seeing Sophia almost bite her spoon in half, Tina bit her lip, smiled, and decided not to push further.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)