Ripe with Possibilities: A Novella

By Jennifer Watts

When college graduate Sophie is accepted to a prestigious writing program in New York she’s sure that she will have to turn it down and stay behind in the Midwest. That is until her best friend’s boyfriend Ethan decides to tag along for the ride. Sophie and Ethan have a history of butting heads and things finally come to blows when they are forced to share a tiny studio apartment to save money.

Life in a new city starts off rough with only five hundred square feet and a flimsy curtain separating them. But before long Sophie realizes there’s more to Ethan than the moody and brooding artist she thought he was and soon they find themselves heading down a dangerous path that threatens to change everything.

And when the secret they’ve been keeping is finally revealed friendships will be destroyed and relationships will be pushed to the limit leaving only one question remaining...is what they’ve built together strong enough to survive against the odds?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jennifer Watts
• Release date: Jan 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301790531

Jennifer Watts

Jennifer Watts was born in Vancouver and attended the University of British Columbia, graduating with a degree in English and Creative Writing in 2002. Jennifer has been working in finance for over 10 years and by day makes her living as a Bank Manager.Jennifer currently lives in Surrey, BC with her husband, two children and two dogs.

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Ripe With Possibilities

A Novella

Jennifer Watts

Copyright © 2013 by Jennifer Watts

Distributed by Smashwords

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval systems without prior written permission of the author except where permitted by law.

Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1

Friday July 20th

SOPHIE

She hated that she found him so sexy. Bad thoughts. She closed her eyes and muttered to herself, You hate each other, remember?

He was leaning against the opposite wall, in that lazy confident way of his, with a paper cup of coffee in one hand. She looked down at her own paper plate and grimaced at the soggy donut resting at its center. Why she’d helped herself she didn’t know, since she wasn’t hungry at all. In fact, she couldn’t wait to get out of there because he made her so uncomfortable. But the truth was that she loved Ethan’s paintings, even if she’d rather eat a thousand plates of soggy donuts than admit it to him. So instead Sophie focused on the painting in front of her with the bold red and orange brush strokes stretched across the canvas.

So what do you think? Her best friend Andrea asked, sneaking up behind her with Ethan in tow. They were there to celebrate Ethan’s first official art show with his work displayed in the multipurpose room at the local library. The paintings hung in a circle around the small conference room and a wooden table with paper cups, a coffee urn and a box of pastries sat in the center.

It’s nice. I like it. It’s really… Sophie searched for the right word. Colorful. It’s really colorful, she said, earning her a sneer from Ethan.

Now that sounds like an expert opinion if I’ve ever heard one, he scoffed, causing Sophie to blush and avert her eyes.

Don’t worry about him, Andrea chided, adding, he’s just being touchy because he hates making small talk, but it’s just like I always tell him - he’ll never get anywhere in his career if he doesn’t start making connections with the right people. Anyway, we need to mingle, so we will catch up with you later, Sophie. Andrea straightened her shoulders and wrapped one delicate hand around Ethan’s wrist. Sophie watched with amusement as her best friend dragged her boyfriend across the room by his sleeve.

Andrea had graciously taken Sophie under her wing in the fifth grade when Sophie’s family first moved to town. Andrea was everything that Sophie secretly wished she could be; outgoing with a kind of natural confidence that was enviable. Ethan had been added to the equation during their freshman year at Ohio State and had been equally temperamental back then. Truthfully, she didn’t understand why Andrea constantly let him drag her down. Sophie looked on in awe as her friend easily conversed with an older man in a business suit, laughing and tossing her long silky blond hair over her shoulder. Then Sophie glanced at Ethan. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets and he was wearing the same bored expression he usually wore. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn’t deny that he was handsome, with his dark eyes and sandy blond hair that fell to just above his chin. Even with his shoulders slumped it was easy to see how tall he was; a solid column of lean muscle.

Ethan looked up and caught Sophie staring. What? he mouthed. Sophie looked away quickly and moved on to the next canvas, only half paying attention. She had come tonight for Andrea, but her mind was elsewhere. She was itching to get home and check the mailbox to see if the letter she’d been waiting for had come.

Colorful, she muttered under her breath. Brilliant, Sophie. For an English major she should have been able to come up with something a little more articulate than that, but Ethan made her nervous - she found that she often lost her composure around him.

Sophie stuffed the crudely printed show bill in her purse and waved goodbye to Andrea, who was still across the room deep in conversation. She had almost made it to the door when Ethan cornered her.

Andrea wanted me to ask if you are still coming over for dinner tomorrow, he snapped, seemingly irritated to be playing messenger.

Sure, she responded, adding, tell her I’ll be there around seven.

Whatever, he answered with a shrug before disappearing back into the crowd.

ETHAN

Why is she here? Ethan asked through clenched teeth, unable to conceal his anger. He had explicitly asked Andrea not to invite any family or friends. This was embarrassing enough for him, his heart and soul poured out onto canvas and displayed on the walls of the grungy old city library, without giving people that knew him the chance to judge him. He wasn’t even sure why he’d let Andrea talk him into this. Yes, he was proud of the work he’d done, but this wasn’t the way he had envisioned showing it to the world. And now Sophie was here squinting at one of his favorite pieces that was displayed on the opposite wall.

Stop pouting. Andrea nudged him before adding, This is supposed to be fun, remember? He looked at his girlfriend in her tight mini-dress with her smooth, pale blond hair cascading down her back, and shook his head.

I don’t know what about this you think is fun, he answered.

It’s an art show, not a funeral, she chided, wagging a slender finger at him. She seemed angry, and though Andrea was rail thin and maybe one hundred pounds wet, he didn’t doubt for a minute that she could take him on.

I asked you not to invite anyone. He glanced across the room at Sophie.

She’s my best friend - and yours too, I might add!

That’s debatable, he said dryly.

We’re not getting into this tonight. Let it go and try to enjoy the evening, she sighed.

I’m not getting into anything. I just don’t understand why she needs to be here.

She wanted to support you, so swallow the attitude and let’s go and say hello. Andrea’s mouth was set into a hard line as she steered him across the room. It wasn’t like he had a specific problem with Sophie. It was just that she was always around, like the proverbial third wheel. And it didn’t help that every time he saw her, he felt a sense of frustration that he couldn’t explain. He nodded a terse hello, taking in how her dark red curls spilled over her shoulders, then silently kicked himself for noticing her hair at all. So when she commented on his favorite painting he couldn’t help but say something shitty, but when he saw the hurt flash across her big, sky-blue eyes he instantly regretted the jibe. He didn’t know what specifically it was, but she always seemed to have this effect on him. She agitated him, like an itch that wouldn’t go away. He wanted to say something else, to change the subject and ease the blow, but he didn’t know what to say so instead he let Andrea drag him back across the room.

Most of the crowd had to be students from the satellite campus down the street, and he guessed that the few elderly people hanging around were from the senior’s center adjacent to the library, but there were a few individuals from the local art scene that stuck out like sore thumbs. Andrea had invited and was already engaged in conversation with the director from the Springfield museum of art. It was just a matter of time before she’d want him to introduce himself and talk about his art. So far he’d let her do most of the talking as he leaned back against the wall. He wasn’t good at this stuff but she was. Andrea lived for the limelight.

Turning his attention to the crowd, he found himself glowering at Sophie - who was looking lost and out of place by the refreshments table. He watched as she smoothed a hand down her short skirt while using the other to precariously balance a small plate of food. He knew that he shouldn’t be thinking about her skirt, even if it did cling to her round hips in a way that was almost indecent.

Ethan? Andrea tapped his shoulder, bringing his attention back to the conversation. He cringed at her tone because she was using that voice again. The one that made him feel like he was a little kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

Try and pay attention. I was asking if you could go over and see if Sophie is still coming over for dinner tomorrow. I want to give her the big news.

Uh-huh. He grunted his agreement and went to head Sophie off at the door.

SOPHIE

Sophie stepped out of the library into the warm July night and exhaled deeply. She loved her best friend, she really did, but Ethan was trying at the best of times, and she was relieved to be out of there.

The sun had set and Main Street was mostly empty as she walked past the courthouse. This part of the city always made her think of a movie set with its quaint storefronts, striped awnings and mix of old and new. She loved this town and the thought of leaving it did cause a pang in her chest, even if she knew it was what she needed to do.

Tonight had been a disaster. She couldn’t count the number of times over the years that she’d tried to be civil with Ethan. He was so stubborn - immovable really. And even though they’d known each other for years sometimes it felt like he was a total stranger. It was obvious that he didn’t like her, but she wished that he’d make more of an effort to conceal that fact.

She continued past the darkened windows of the bridal shop and the florist, and crossed the street in front of the Savings and Loan. She gazed up at the old brick mansions with the white pillared porches that flanked the narrow street. They’d been converted into multi-family housing, but she thought they must have been something in their day. Ohio was as close to home as Sophie had ever had. Her family had moved around a lot until she was ten years old, then they had landed in Bellefontaine. She crossed the railroad tracks that were only a few blocks from her house. It embarrassed her that she still lived with her parents, but she’d been saving every penny she earned working double shifts at the home improvement store to put toward going back to school. They had left the porch light on for her and the familiar smell of roast and potatoes wafted through the screen door.

She hoped that her mother had at least checked the mailbox, as the anticipation was killing her and she didn’t know how much longer she could wait. She had sent off a late application and an even later scholarship submission and part of her knew she was only torturing herself. Even if she got in there was no guarantee that she could afford it. She lumbered up the steps and pushed open the screen door.

Did the mail come? she called out.

I’m in the kitchen, her mother yelled back. She made her way through the cluttered family room to the back of the house where her mother was stirring a pot of mashed potatoes on the stove.

Hi Mom, did the mail come? she repeated.

Check it yourself, her mother answered. Sophie rifled through the pile of bills that was sitting on the counter until her eyes settled on the familiar logo she’d been waiting to see for months.

It came, she exhaled slowly, turning the envelope over in her hands. Her mother left her post at the stove and came to stand beside her. It was only then that Sophie noticed that she was still wearing her uniform from the hospital.

Before you open it, let me say again that your father and I agree that this is possibly the stupidest decision you’ve ever made, her mother said sternly.

Can we not do this now? Sophie moaned.

Can we not do this now? she mocked, before continuing. You need to hear what I am saying. Stories and fancy words don’t pay the bills, Sophia, cold hard cash does. The sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be.

You know it’s always been my dream, Sophie said quietly and her mother snorted.

Dreams pay even fewer bills than words. I didn’t bust my ass for the last twenty-five years working split shifts to see you throw away a bright future, her mother said and Sophie turned to face her.

Maybe I don’t want to spend my life mopping up vomit at the hospital alongside you. The slap came as a surprise and stunned Sophie into silence. She raised a hand to her cheek.

You are an ungrateful brat, her mother spat out.

I’m sorry, Mom. I shouldn’t have said that. I know how hard you work, she whispered, the unshed tears stinging her eyelids.

Well, college girl who’s ‘so much better than her family’, if it’s not too much trouble could you watch the stove while I take a bath? I have to be back at the hospital in a few hours.

You’re working tonight? Sophie said quietly.

Yes, I work for a living - something you apparently know very little about, she said over her shoulder on her way into the hall. Sophie flinched at the sound of her mother’s angry footsteps on the stairs.

She went to stand in front of the stove and stirred the potatoes absently with the unopened envelope still clutched to her chest. I can do this, she whispered, willing herself to open the letter. Please just let it be a yes. She closed her eyes and listened to the water filling the tub, praying that the words inside the padded envelope would be the ones she so desperately needed to hear.

***

She rushed up the three flights of stairs to Andrea’s apartment, not bothering to wait for the elevator. Having run the last few blocks from the bus stop, she was panting when Andrea finally opened the door. Seeing the state of her, Andrea pulled her inside and led her over to the couch.

What’s the matter? she said, her voice laced with concern. Sophie answered by removing the crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and waving it in her face.

It came! she squealed and Andrea raised her eyebrows.

You mean — It? she asked and Sophie nodded breathlessly.

NYU. The writing program, she said, pausing only to catch her breath. I got in on a graduate fellowship. I’m going to do my Masters in New York. I’m GOING to New York!

New York? Sophie! That’s fantastic! I knew you could do it! Andrea squealed, hugging her tightly.

So when do you leave? Ethan’s voice interrupted their reverie. She hadn’t even noticed that he was sitting there, slouched over the kitchen table wearing jeans that were splattered with paint. The dismissive tone he took irked Sophie - he could at least pretend to be happy for her.

Well, that’s the part I’m trying to figure out, she bit back. The scholarship covers the cost of education but not the cost of living, and student housing is full. Not that I could afford it even if it wasn’t.

What about your parents? Can they lend you the money for rent? Andrea asked and Sophie shook her head sadly.

"They’re barely