Page 33 of Snowflakes and Ice Skates

She was a bit jaded at the moment. Her boyfriend of five years recently decided he no longer loved her and left her alone in an apartment she couldn't afford. So not only did she have to adjust to the single life, she was forced to find a roommate fast. That’s how she ended up with crazy Irene, who slept through the day and worked at night. With Irene cooking, cleaning, and making noise all night, Cora had been having a hard time sleeping, which made her grumpier.

Listening to her stories made me grateful for my own roommate. Holly might not be around very much, but at least we weren’t on opposite schedules.

“What are you two doing?”

I jumped in my seat and spun around to see Matt giving us a stern look. “It sounds like I’m missing out on something.”

I laughed and shushed him. “Don’t draw in more of a crowd.”

He smiled and sat down on the corner of my desk. Matt was a unique boss. He trusted his team to get their work done and made sure we stayed on task but he was also a good friend. Between growing up with sisters and being married, he was used to the gossip and drama of crushes.

Cora caught him up while my cheeks heated.

He turned to me with a wide smile. “No wonder you were so scattered when you walked into the meeting.”

I hid my face in my hands.

“Oh, don’t be embarrassed. It sounds like we have a mystery to solve.”

“How? I don’t even know what floor he was getting off on.”

“We can check the cameras?” he offered, but I rolled my eyes.

“There’s no way security would show us without a real reason.”

He shrugged. “Probably true.”

I shook my head and turned back to my computer. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Cora stood, giving me a mischievous smile. “You’re never going to meet that special someone if you stay in your comfort zone, Taylor.”

She winked before walking off to her own desk. But she had distracted me so thoroughly that I just stared at my screen and thought about Goldie. I knew I was a little bit crazy for having a crush on a guy I didn’t know. It felt like it was borderline stalking now that Cora and Matt were involved, but it was a fun distraction.

I didn't have a whole lot in my life at the moment to distract me from the fact that I was alone in a big city. I had moved to Manhattan four months ago when I got a job offer from Matt to be the junior marketing specialist. I uprooted myself from my life in Virginia, where I grew up and had friends and family, to chase my dream of living in the big city. I didn’t want to make it on Broadway or become a hugely successful lawyer. I just wanted to prove I could build a life on my own. No family influence, no help or handouts. Just me and my merit.

It was a bit immature and prideful, especially since my family was in a position to help me and not everyone could say that, but my dream was something I needed to do for myself.

Things had worked out so far. I had an apartment close to the subway with a roommate that didn’t drive me crazy. A job that paid well enough that I didn’t worry about paying rent for my apartment, and I was slowly making friends. Well, Cora...and maybe Matt.

I missed home, but I wasn’t going to give up. I shook away the thought and went back to organizing the content calendar for the next month.

I arrived home later than normal, carrying a bag of Thai food for dinner.

“Holly?” I called as I set the bag on the two-person dinner table.

“Hey, Taylor.” Her voice came from her bedroom.

“I got Thai if you’re hungry.” I would never admit it out loud, but I was hoping she would stay home tonight. We hadn’t seen each other for more than a few minutes in the past few weeks, and I was getting bored of staying home alone.

“No thanks. Brennan is on his way. We’re going to see a new show at the MET.” She paused and looked at the spread on the table. “You can come if you want.”

I appreciated the pity invite but turned it down like I always did. “You guys have fun. Let me know how it is.”

She smiled and hurried out the door while slipping on a jacket. “See you later.”

I locked the door after she left and went back to fill a plate with Pad Thai and Massaman curry before heading to my spot on the couch. I guess it was another date night with Joey, Chandler, and Ross.

Two