101

101


Sophia stared at her phone for a short while before she would call Jessica. It was Damien she wanted to spend time with. She understood that work could suddenly become demanding, especially with him, but she couldn’t deny she felt disappointed.

She had actually looked forward to tonight.

She sighed softly and leaned back against the couch.

“Well, something is better than nothing.” She said to herself.

She looked at the time before opening her contacts and finding the number they had exchanged during lunch. After hesitating briefly, she called.

The phone rang only once before Jessica picked up. It was as if she had been waiting for a call.

“Hello?”

Sophia smiled faintly. “Hi… Jessica?”

Jessica immediately sounded surprised.

“Sophia? Sophia Sterling?”

Sophia laughed softly. “Yeah. Uhm… are you still up for that outing you mentioned earlier?”

There was a short silence between them, then Jessica suddenly gasped dramatically.

“Wait… you’re serious?”

Sophia laughed. “Yes.”

Jessica sounded immediately excited.

“Yes! Absolutely yes!”

Sophia smiled. “Okay then.”

Jessica quickly suggested a restaurant and they agreed to meet there. About 40 minutes later, Sophia arrived.

Jessica was already there waiting and waved excitedly the moment she saw her.

“You actually came!”

Sophia smiled while taking her seat.

“My original plans got canceled.”

Jessica looked sympathetic immediately.

“Oh no.”

Sophia shook her head lightly.

“It’s okay.”

Soon, they ordered dinner and the conversation started naturally. Jessica turned out to be surprisingly funny.

At first, they talked about work.

Jessica groaned while cutting her food.

“Honestly, nobody warned me internships would be this stressful.”

Sophia laughed. “It gets better.”

“That sounds suspicious.” Jessica said, looking doubtful.

Sophia smiled. “It’s interesting though.”

Jessica nodded. “That’s true. Difficult but interesting.”

Soon, they exchanged stories about awkward office moments, difficult assignments, and funny interactions with coworkers. At some point, Jessica sighed dramatically.

“I nearly cried on my third day.”

Sophia laughed loudly. “Already?”

Jessica pointed at her. “Don’t judge me.”

Sophia smiled. “I’m not.”

The dinner became surprisingly enjoyable. Sophia realized she hadn’t laughed this much in a while outside of Damien. After they finished eating and were relaxing with drinks, Jessica suddenly looked thoughtful.

“Actually…”

Sophia looked up, interested in what she had to say.

“What?”

Jessica smiled. “There’s a movie showing tonight.”

Sophia blinked. She wasn’t expecting this twist, but she still stayed calm to listen.

Jessica pulled out her phone excitedly and showed her.

Sophia’s eyes widened immediately.

“No way.”

Jessica grinned. “You know it?”

Sophia looked surprised.

“That’s literally one of my favorite movies.”

“Then this is fate.” Jessica said as she pointed at it dramatically.

Sophia laughed. “You’re dramatic.”

Jessica smiled. “So?”

Sophia thought for only a second before smiling.

“Okay.”

Jessica immediately celebrated quietly in her seat. This was beginning to be one of her best nights ever.

~

A little while later, they left the restaurant together and got into a cab.

As the city lights moved past outside the window and Jessica talked excitedly beside her, Sophia found herself smiling softly.

Tonight hadn’t gone according to her original plans, but this which she was currently experiencing with Jessica wasn’t bad after all.

~

The movie theater turned out to be much more crowded than Sophia expected. By the time they got inside with popcorn and drinks in hand, people were already settling into their seats while trailers played across the huge screen.

Jessica looked around dramatically.

“This is serious business.”

Sophia laughed. “It’s just a movie.”

“No. This is an experience.” Jessica said while shaking her head.

That made Sophia laugh again.

Soon, they found their seats and settled in.

Coincidentally, a small group of guys sitting a few seats away seemed just as excited about the movie as Jessica was. From the moment the opening scene started, their reactions were impossible to miss.

One of them gasped loudly while another immediately started whispering theories.

Jessica leaned closer to Sophia and whispered dramatically.

“These are my people.”

Sophia tried not to laugh at that.

As the movie continued, the entire section slowly became more interactive.

People laughed together at funny scenes, some clapped during exciting moments. At one point, one of the guys reacted so emotionally to a plot twist that half their row burst into laughter.

Jessica laughed so hard she almost spilled her drink and Sophia couldn’t stop smiling. Even she ended up getting pulled into the energy.

When one of her favorite scenes came on, she quietly mouthed part of the dialogue under her breath.

Jessica stared at her as she heard.

“You know the lines?” she asked, looking surprised.

Sophia immediately looked embarrassed.

“Maybe.”

“Oh, so you’re a serious fan.” Jessica uttered as she pointed an accusatory finger at her.

Sophia laughed. “Oh, please.”

~

By the end of the movie, the atmosphere in their area felt strangely friendly. One of the guys jokingly turned around and said, “This section carried the energy tonight.”

Jessica proudly placed a hand on her chest.

“You’re welcome.”

Everyone laughed. Soon, people started leaving the theater.

Sophia and Jessica stepped outside together still talking about different scenes.

“That ending was so good,” Jessica said immediately.

Sophia nodded. “They adapted it better than I expected.”

Eventually, they hailed a cab together since part of their routes overlapped before splitting later. Inside the car, the atmosphere stayed relaxed. City lights reflected through the windows while soft music played quietly in the background.

Jessica stretched slightly. “I’m glad we did this.”

Sophia smiled faintly. “Me too.”

Jessica looked outside briefly.

“It’s nice having fun before work tomorrow.”

Sophia nodded. “It makes things feel less repetitive.”

Jessica smiled.

After a short silence, she looked over.

“Can I ask something?”

Sophia looked at her with a curious expression.

“Go on.”

Jessica hesitated briefly, then she mustered up every confidence in her.

“Are you certain Damien really loves you the way he claims?”

Sophia blinked.

The question surprised her enough that she turned fully towards Jessica.

Seeing this, Jessica quickly raised her hands slightly.

“I’m not trying to offend you.” She said, but Sophia stayed quiet like she was expecting to hear more.

Jessica looked thoughtful before continuing.

“I’m just asking because… from outside, people always assume rich powerful marriages are more complicated than they look. And for you, I felt the need to ask because this is Damien Sterling we’re talking about.”