The first entry from my ridiculously comfortable velvet armchair. Though when I think about the fact that I’ll be buried in work for the next six months, this might be the last one for a while.
We won the translation bid we submitted to the region’s biggest telecom company.
To be precise: I won it.
Let’s be honest—no one else really did much of anything on it. Thessa, for example, was busy. Or at least very busy pretending to be. Every now and then she repeated her usual line: that without me she’d have to shut the whole place down. The twins, meanwhile, were against the whole thing from the start. According to them, a project this big could only be handled alongside our existing clients if we hired more people. Obviously they’re projecting. I’d love to know what they said on Friday evening when Thessa sent them the good news. I’m sure her eyes lit up with dollar signs immediately. For Thessa, absolutely everything in the world can be measured in money. Either we pay for something, or someone pays us. That’s it.
On Tuesday I went swimming alone. No one came with me.
Adele is preparing for a court hearing with her boss. Their current client apparently enjoys breaking into cars as a hobby.
Mark claims he’s developing some amazing app, but I think he’s just lazy. And Sofia probably didn’t want to be alone with me, so she said she had some urgent last-minute neutering surgery. If Mark doesn’t go somewhere, Sofia cancels immediately too. As if they didn’t have lives of their own. Yet on Friday she left the veterinary conference early so we wouldn’t celebrate my new armchair without her.
I honestly don’t know what goes on in her head. Does she think I want to get back together with Mark? As if she didn’t understand that we were never a couple. Dorm hook-up sex doesn’t count as a relationship. Besides, the last time we slept together was more than two years ago.
Adele arrived first for the usual grilled-sandwich night. Panting, shivering, and sniffling, she collapsed straight into my armchair. Her thick black fringe, damp with sweat from her hat, clung to her forehead.
“Wow, this is comfortable! I could definitely get used to this. Especially with this view of the river.”
“You’d have to get your own place first.”
“I’ll hold off on that. I think I’ll stay at home for another year, even after the bar exam.”
I raised an eyebrow. That hadn’t been the plan before.
“Won’t that be a bit much?”
She sniffed loudly. I reached into my pocket, pulled out a tissue, and handed it to her.
“Yeah. Way too much.” She blew her nose. “I just hate wasting money on rent. And I can get into the city in half an hour anyway.”
“It’s so different living alone, being independent from everyone…”
“…easy for you to say with your inherited apartment,” she cut in sharply.
My eyes widened.
“Adele, for God’s sake. My dad died. Sure, okay, we barely kept in touch, but still. I got this apartment because someone died.”
“Fine. Sorry,” she muttered.
Apologizing had never been her strong suit. Especially when she was convinced she was right. Did I pay for this apartment? No. That was all that mattered to her.
I was relieved when the doorbell rang.
“We brought the waterproof bandages,” Mark said, holding up the box. “You should’ve seen your favorite’s face when he saw us at the pharmacy.”
He unwound the long scarf from his neck, pulling a few strands of his chin-length hair loose in the process.
“The Grump?” Adele laughed. “He still works there? Last time I didn’t see him—I thought his nerves had finally snapped.”
“He’s fine,” Mark waved it off. “Just as grumpy as ever.”
“Did he roll his eyes?” I asked with a grin.
“Twice,” Sofia said proudly, wiping her thin, fogged-up glasses on the hem of her soft cotton shirt. “And because of me, too. I leaned on the counter and just grinned at him.”
“That was a bit much,” Mark said. “I was this close to telling you off.”
Sofia shrugged.
“I think he deserves it sometimes. Someone should mess with him now and then. He could try being a little nicer…”
I’d better stay away from the pharmacy for a while if I know what’s good for me. The Grump could probably burn a hole through the marble floor with his stare when he sees me. I’ll wait until he forgets Sofia’s little stunt.
After we finished the sandwiches, we talked until dawn, even though we were all exhausted. But the moment I mentioned that I’d like to buy a few new pieces of furniture for the living room, the three of them instantly turned into interior designers. They started planning the apartment with such enthusiasm you’d think it belonged to them. I didn’t have the heart to tell them I’d already ordered the sofa.
They’re going to freak out when they see the color.