you for letting me stay here.”
Piper grinned wide, revealing the whitest and straightest teeth I’d ever seen. “I’ll let you get settled in. I’ve got to run to the airport. My flight leaves in three hours. There’s food in the fridge and wine in the cabinet. Please, help yourself to both. I should be back in a few weeks, but I left you an emergency contact list on the kitchen table in case you need anything.”
It was strange. I had just gotten here and the only person I knew in New York was leaving town. I was already nervous about being out of my comfort zone, now I’d have to get used to being alone more too. “What is it you do exactly?” I realized I didn’t even know what she did for a living.
Piper fiddled with one of her diamond earrings, averting her gaze toward the window. “Oh a little bit of everything. It’s pretty boring actually. But I love the traveling. That’s the best part, seeing the world.”
A twinge of jealousy rippled through me. Other than now, and one summer spent abroad after high school graduation, I hadn’t really been anywhere else. Traveling was expensive and the Maplewood Diner barely paid me enough to cover my bills. If it weren’t for that culinary internship and the winery paying my way there, I wouldn’t have made it to Italy either. There were so many places I still dreamed of visiting. So many types of cuisine I wanted to master around the world.
“That sounds exciting. Where are you off to this time?”
Piper shrugged. “Don’t know yet. They’ll tell me when I get to the jet center. Speaking of which, I need to get going. Welcome to New York, Raven.” She winked and sauntered out, leaving me alone in my gigantic room to unpack. Jet center? Her boss must be loaded if she’s flying on a private jet.
Thirty minutes later, I heard the wheels of a suitcase rolling across the hardwood floor, and Piper calling out, “Bye Raven! See you in a few weeks.” The door clicked and locked behind her before I could respond.
After putting all my clothes away, I wandered back into the front room. I found the wine she had been referring to and was impressed with her collection. I picked out a French Bordeaux and sipped it by the window. The sky was the color of orange sherbet and the lights across the city were beginning to flicker on. It took my breath away. I could get used to this.
I wondered if Piper had anyone to share this view with. It was as picturesque as views could be. Like straight out of a Monet painting. I was suddenly more aware of my loneliness than I usually allowed myself to be. Alex would have loved this view. Just not with me. Not anymore.
I rubbed my temples as a searing pain took hold above my eyebrows. Another damn migraine. I never used to get stress headaches before. Not until… Ugh don’t go there right now, Raven.
I rummaged around in the fridge and realized by food, Piper meant cheese and bread. I was too tired to figure out who to order delivery from so I made a cheese sandwich, polished off another glass of wine and got ready for bed. I needed to find a job tomorrow so I couldn’t drink the whole bottle no matter how badly I wanted to.
My drugstore products seemed even cheaper and more tacky sitting on the counter in Piper’s designer bathroom. I brushed my teeth, scrubbing the red wine stains off, and crawled into bed. The sheets were the softest fabric I’d ever felt against my skin. The pillows lush and comforting. After the long bus ride, and the stress of moving, it didn’t take long for me to drift off to sleep.
The light blinded me awake and for a second I forgot where I was. I staggered up, cursing at myself for forgetting to close the enormous black-out drapes before I passed out last night. But considering I had also forgotten to set my alarm, it turned out to be a blessing. I dragged my feet out of bed and into the bathroom. My black hair was a tangled mess which meant I’d have to wash it and blow dry it out straight if I wanted to look presentable today.
Shit! It wasn’t until I peeled back the shower curtain and turned on the hot water that I realized I had forgotten to pack