Chapter 11

By the time Sarah and Ann returned to the apartment, both women were completely exhausted. The excitement of the engagement party had finally caught up with them, and neither had the energy to maintain any semblance of elegance. The moment they stepped inside, their shoes were kicked off unceremoniously, handbags abandoned on the nearest chair, and they practically collapsed onto opposite ends of the couch.

Ann groaned dramatically as she stretched out her legs. “Oh God, I can’t feel my feet anymore.”

Sarah laughed as she leaned her head against the cushion. “That’s what happens when you spend half the evening standing around a certain handsome man.”

Ann immediately sat up. “Excuse me?”

“What?” Sarah asked innocently.

“You are not starting this.”

“I haven’t even said anything.”

“You were thinking it.”

Sarah’s laughter filled the room.

A pillow came flying in her direction.

She caught it effortlessly.

“Violence is never the answer, Ann.”

“Keep talking and you’ll find out what it is.”

The two women dissolved into laughter again.

Eventually, the apartment grew quieter as exhaustion settled over them.

Ann turned her head toward Sarah thoughtfully. “That reminds me. Did you see Calvin at the party?”

Sarah frowned briefly.

“No.”

Then she shrugged.

“And thank goodness for that.”

Ann nodded.

“Come to think of it, neither did I.”

“Maybe he didn’t come.”

“To his own sister’s engagement party?”

Sarah pushed herself upright.

“Well, that’s Calvin for you.”

There was no bitterness in her voice this time.

Just indifference.

Or at least she hoped it sounded that way.

Ann studied her for a moment but said nothing.

After a while, Sarah stood and stretched.

“I’m going to bed.”

“So early?”

“I’ve earned it.”

“Fair enough.”

Sarah smiled.

“Goodnight, Ann.”

“Sleep well.”

A few minutes later, silence settled over the apartment.

Across town, however, sleep seemed determined to avoid Calvin Hart.

He stepped into his penthouse apartment shortly after midnight and loosened his tie as he walked through the door. Normally, after a long social event, he would have welcomed the peace and quiet. Tonight, however, the silence felt unusually loud.

The engagement party had ended hours ago, yet his mind refused to settle.

He tossed his keys onto the kitchen counter and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.

Below, thousands of lights stretched endlessly into the darkness.

Usually, the view calmed him.

Tonight, it did absolutely nothing.

With a sigh, he poured himself a glass of water and leaned against the marble island.

His thoughts drifted back to the countless conversations he’d had throughout the evening.

And then, inevitably, his mind landed on Sarah.

Again.

His jaw tightened.

This was becoming ridiculous.

For years he had barely thought about her.

Years.

And now she seemed to appear in his thoughts at the most inconvenient moments.

The image of her laughing with Elvis surfaced once more.

Calvin frowned immediately.

“What exactly is wrong with me?”

The question echoed through the empty apartment.

No answer came.

Because he genuinely didn’t have one.

The logical part of him knew none of this should matter.

Years had passed since Winston High. Years since she’d occupied any significant place in his life. Yet somehow, after all this time, she still managed to disrupt his thoughts without even trying.

Calvin shook his head and forced himself away from the memory.

This was ridiculous.

Sarah was no longer his employee.

She had resigned.

Their lives had moved in completely different directions.

She was free to spend time with whoever she wanted.

So why had seeing her with Elvis bothered him so much?

The thought irritated him.

Immediately, he pushed himself away from the counter.

No.

He wasn’t doing this.

There were more important things demanding his attention.

Determined to distract himself, he retrieved his laptop and opened a report he had brought home from work.

Several minutes passed.

Then ten.

Then fifteen.

Finally, Calvin closed the laptop with a frustrated sigh.

He had been staring at the same page the entire time.

Not a single word had registered.

For perhaps the first time in his life, work had failed to distract him.

And that realization unsettled him far more than he cared to admit.

The following morning, sunlight filtered through Sarah’s curtains, spilling across her bedroom.

She stretched lazily beneath the covers before reaching for her phone on the bedside table.

The screen lit up immediately.

Several missed calls.

Her heart skipped.

Mum.

Sarah sat up at once and quickly returned the call.

The line connected after a few rings.

“Hello, Mum.”

“My darling.”

Relief instantly washed through Sarah.

“How are you? How’s Emily?”

“We’re both fine.”

Sarah smiled.

“Good.”

“I only called to check on you.”

The familiar warmth in her mother’s voice made her smile wider.

“That’s sweet.”

“How is the job hunting going?”

Sarah immediately bit back a grin.

“Oh.”

The single word instantly made her mother suspicious.

“Oh?”

Sarah couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“I’m not job hunting anymore.”

A brief silence followed.

Then—

“What do you mean you’re not job hunting anymore?”

Sarah burst out laughing.

“I got the job, Mum!”

For a moment, there was complete silence.

Then her mother let out the biggest sigh of relief.

“Sarah Williams!”

Sarah laughed harder.

“You should have heard yourself.”

“You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not.”

Sarah grinned.

“Maybe not.”

The two women laughed together.

For the next several minutes they talked about everything and nothing—Emily, family updates, future plans, and the endless little stories mothers somehow always managed to collect.

By the time the call ended, Sarah felt lighter than she had in weeks.

The future finally seemed hopeful again.

Still smiling, she climbed out of bed and headed toward the kitchen.

She had barely begun preparing breakfast when the doorbell rang.

Sarah frowned.

Who could that be?

She wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and headed for the door.

The moment she opened it, her eyes widened.

“Jenny!”

Jenny laughed.

“Wow. Is that any way to welcome a guest?”

Sarah squealed and pulled her into a hug.

“What are you doing here?”

Jenny rolled her eyes dramatically.

“Why does everyone act surprised when I visit?”

“Because you never visit without warning.”

“Fair.”

The two women laughed.

Jenny stepped inside and looked around.

“Where’s Ann?”

Sarah pointed vaguely toward the hallway.

“Probably still sleeping.”

Jenny shook her head.

“It’s almost ten.”

“Exactly.”

As if summoned by the conversation, a sleepy voice suddenly drifted through the apartment.

“I heard my name.”

Both women turned.

Ann stood in the hallway wrapped entirely in a duvet like a human burrito.

Her hair was a mess.

Her eyes were barely open.

And she looked thoroughly unimpressed by life.

The sight was so ridiculous that Sarah immediately burst into laughter.

Jenny joined her seconds later.

Ann frowned.

“I don’t appreciate being laughed at.”

“You absolutely deserve it,” Jenny replied.

Ann sighed dramatically.

“Good morning to you too.”

The laughter only intensified.

The rest of the morning passed pleasantly.

The three friends settled comfortably in the living room, talking about everything from school memories to embarrassing stories, future plans, relationships, and work.

Several times, Sarah found herself simply sitting back and listening to their laughter.

Moments like this had become rare.

And for the first time in a long while, she felt genuinely content.

Outside, the day slowly faded into evening.

Inside the apartment, friendship, laughter, and good company filled every corner.

For now, at least, life felt wonderfully uncomplicated.