Sunlight spilled onto Sophia’s pillow as she rolled over, feeling her smooth sheets glide along her naked skin.

Wait, why was she naked?

Cracking open an eyelid, her head burst into a firework display of headaches, and she quickly closed her eyes once again. She wracked her brain for memories of the night before.

She had shown up to the party, gotten conned into meeting the one other single man, who she found herself. Flashes of their conversation popped into her mind as she remembered getting into a cab with one of the handsomest, most successful men in the city. They had snuggled and laughed the entire ride to her apartment, tripping out of the vehicle before they made their way, quite clumsily, to her apartment door.

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” she had said, pressing her back against the door as she faced him, “But this is my sanctuary. I’d hate for you to get the wrong idea about it.”

Jed had eyed her hungrily as he pressed both hands on either side of her, closing her within his towering embrace. The man was sex personified, and she had stared up at him, ready for whatever it was he had planned for her.

“I don’t consider myself the clingy type, do you?”

Sophia grinned.

“Nope.”

“Good. Now quit your talking and open that door so I can ravage you.”

“Look at you, taking control,” she’d teased, turning to open the door.

He had pressed his body against hers as she did so, and her body had reacted with a rush of heat and desire. When the door opened, she’d turned back to him, taking his face in her hands as he pressed her in the direction of the bedroom, Sophia more than willing to join him there.

The rest of the night had been sensational, possibly the best Sophia had ever experienced. It was a shame her head now felt like cotton balls had been pressed inside it. Braving another look, she opened her eyes again and allowed her vision to clear. Turning her head, her eyes crashed into the dark hair of a sleeping man, all the way on the other side of her king-sized bed.

Ah, she thought. So it wasn’t a dream, then.

Slowly dipping her toe out of the sheets and onto the floor, she padded over to her closet, where she very quietly retrieved a pair of pajama bottoms and a white t shirt, sliding into them before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

Her apartment was one of the most avant-garde in the city. After her first paycheck from the building project had come in, Sophia did a complete redesign of her own place, which stood a few blocks away from Central Park. If one knew where to look, they could catch a glimmer of green far in the distance, between the other massive structures surrounding her.

Yawning, Sophia headed to her kitchen, where she made quick business of preparing a cup of very strong coffee. She was leaning with her elbows on her granite counter, her cup nestled between her palms as she tried to stave off the hangover enough to do something productive with her day. Even with a hangover, Sophia had never taken a full day off. There was always more work to be done, more progress to be made. Human weakness didn’t excuse a lack of work ethic, in her mind.

She looked up when her bedroom door opened. Jed stepped out, fully dressed in his suit once again, and didn’t even look in her direction as he bee lined it for the door.

Sophia cleared her throat. He stopped, glancing over in her direction.

“Good morning,” she said, not bothering to hide her annoyance at his rudeness.

“Morning,” he mumbled, clearly bummed that he would have to engage in conversation the morning after.

“Not one for sticking around, I see?”

“I find it a smoother transition if I make my exit without being noticed. Don’t you?”

“I guess we’ll never know. I’ve caught you.”

Jed smirked, his dimple showing as he did so. The man looked sexy as hell in the morning, though it was clear he was bent on making a getaway as soon as humanly possible. Sophia lifted an eyebrow as he inched closer and closer to the door.

“Well then, don’t be held up on my account. You’re nothing to me, after all, but last night was enjoyable, so thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, and she nearly spit her coffee out.

The nerve of the man! Was he really so cocky that he couldn’t even have decent conversation after a blowout night? She knew she was good, but having such a one-sided conversation threw her off guard.

“Well, you know what I always say. Nothing lasts forever. Goodbye, Sandy.”

Sophia stared at him in disbelief as he turned his back on her and walked out of her apartment, closing the door firmly behind him.

Good lord, that man was rude! Sophia was hardly a doe-eyed romantic, and she could handle casual sex as well as anyone, but his callous behavior, and the fact that he didn’t even remember her name, had her seething.

What a jerk!

She thought mean things about Jed for several minutes as she sipped her coffee, slowly coming to life. After half an hour she had already put Jed from her mind, distracting herself with some design sketching. After she messed up the same calculation four times, she tossed her book onto the coffee table and stared out at the city.

It was very clear that she would be useless for the rest of the day. Digging around for something to do, she remembered the phone call with her sister the previous day, and she picked up her phone, dialing Genevieve’s number.

“What’s wrong?” her sister asked.

“Okay, so when I call you something either has to be wrong or I have to be in trouble. You know I’m a successful adult, right?”

“I do. I also know that you’re a successful adult because you spend most of your time working, even on weekends. So to what do I owe the pleasure of this exchange?”

“I’m hungover.”

“You? Seriously?”

“Yeah. I went to that party and everyone was all coupled up and I just kept drinking and then this guy slept over and now I’m too hungover to accomplish anything. Can I come visit you guys?”

“Whoa, hold on. That was a lot of information, there. You had a guy over?”

“Yeah, but he’s gone now. Anyway, don’t plan on scheduling our wedding. It wasn’t that kind of night.”

“All right then. Yes, we are at home, we were just getting ready to make some pancakes, but we can wait for you if you’d like.”

“Pancakes sound amazing. You go ahead and cook them and I’ll be happy to help you eat them.”

She could hear her niece on the other end of the line shouting into the phone.

“Is Auntie Sophie coming over? I want to show her how good I make pancakes!”

Sophia and Genevieve laughed.

“Well that settles it. You better head over soon. I have hungry children that now refuse to make food until you arrive.”

“I’ll be there in two blinks of an eye.”

“Good. We’ll look forward to it.”

“Bye Auntie Sophie! Come over now!”

“Bye Emma!” Sophie called back into the phone, ending the call.

She stood slowly, her head still a little woozy from so many cocktails. She made short business of dressing in a casual pair of jeans and a comfortable blouse before she grabbed her purse and headed out the door, ordering a ride as she did so. When she stepped out onto the curb, a little red car was waiting for her, and she slid into the passenger side.

“Hi there,” she said, her sunglasses blocking the glare of the sunny spring morning.

“Good morning!” her driver greeted, diving right into a conversation about the weather.

Sophia did her best to sound interested and engaged as the driver made his way to her sister’s spacious apartment, about ten minutes away. She supposed she could have walked it, but in her current condition a ride sounded much nicer. Plus, how could she keep the children waiting any longer? Also, she wanted pancakes.

The car stopped, the driver giving a friendly farewell as Sophia exited the car and gave the man a good rating.

“She’s here! She’s here!”

Looking up, Sophia laughed as the faces of her niece and nephew poked out high above, their tiny voices echoing down. She waved up at them before entering the building, pressing the elevator button and riding up until she reached their floor.

While Genevieve had attended college, she had always wanted to be a mother. She went to a good university upstate, where she met Chris, the man who wooed her into marriage before they even had time to graduate. Not long after, Genevieve was pregnant with their first child, Emma, and after she was born, Genevieve had opted to stay home and raise her full time. Little Jaden came shortly after, and together, Sophia’s niece and nephew were a rambunctious pair that were nothing less than a perfect expression of love.

The door opened before Sophia even had a chance to put her hand on the knob. Emma rushed into her arms, and Sophia swung her into the air, holding her tight as she circled around. She soon had to stop, lest her coffee decide to make a trip back up. She instantly wondered at the wisdom of spending a hangover with small children.

“I want to show you how good I am at making pancakes!” Emma said, her little voice filled with excitement.

Sophia grinned down into her tiny pixie face, setting her down to run back into the house.

“Come on, Auntie Sophie!” she said, gesturing wildly for her aunt to follow.

Sophia did, entering the kitchen, which was quite spacious.

Genevieve’s husband was a banker in New York, and they enjoyed the high life, even as Genevieve strove for a sense of normalcy for her children. She had considered moving them back to Pennsylvania, but Chris’s job wouldn’t allow the move, so she contented herself with a cozy apartment right in the heart of Manhattan.

Genevieve was placing a bowl of cut grapes in front of Jaden, who was seated at their wooden kitchen table. When Sophia walked in, he grinned at her.

“Hi Auntie Sophie,” he said, his mouth already full of grapes.

“Chew your food and swallow before talking, please,” Genevieve scolded, looking at Sophia with an exasperated expression that conveyed just how many times she had had to say those exact words to her child.

Genevieve walked over and gave Sophia a gentle hug, stepping back to take a look at her.

“Well, you’ve looked better.”

“Thanks a lot,” Sophia laughed.

Even she couldn’t deny that the bags under her eyes were a little more pronounced, her posture a little hunched. Seeing a chair, she plopped into it, snagging one of Jayden’s grapes and popping it into her own mouth.

“So where are those pancakes?” she asked, before swallowing her grape.

“Mom! Auntie Sophie talked with grapes in her mouth. Why can’t I do it?”

“Because Auntie Sophie is an adult and a heathen, and you are neither.”

Jaden looked up at Sophia, his eyes wide.

“Auntie Sophie, what’s a heathen?”

Sophia grinned at him, stealing another grape.

“It’s someone who has no manners. Your mother is right—you should never follow my example, except when it comes to schooling and career. If you’re successful, you can eat grapes any way you want.”

“I want to be a banker, like Daddy,” Jaden said, taking care to swallow his own food this time before speaking.

“That’s an exceptional goal. What action steps have you taken toward that end?”

Genevieve cleared her throat as she helped Emma flip a pancake.

“He’s three, Soph. Maybe give him a little more time before outlining his business plan?”

“One can never start too soon,” Sophia laughed.

“Yes one can,” Genevieve disagreed, guiding Emma’s hand as she placed the cooked pancake onto a plate.

Emma jumped down and handed the plate to Sophia.

“Here you go! You can have this one.”

“Thank you, my dear,” Sophia said, eyeing the pancake warily to see if there was more batter than cake in it. Pouring some maple syrup on top, she took a bite, and grinned.

“This is outstanding! You should be a chef, Emma!”

Emma beamed at the praise, allowing her mother to cook up the rest of the pancakes before joining them at the kitchen table. Everyone took a pair of pancakes and smothered them with syrup, butter, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

“Did you guys know there are people in this world who don’t eat their pancakes with cinnamon?” Sophia asked.

Emma looked completely scandalized.

“Why would they do that to themselves?” she asked, in all seriousness.

Sophia repressed a grin. She had forgotten just how serious something as small as not putting cinnamon on pancakes could affect the mind of a five-year-old.

“I don’t know, Emma. I don’t know. Still, we’re very lucky to know the secret to truly great pancakes, aren’t we?”

Emma nodded with enthusiasm.

“You can thank Grandma and Grandpa for that,” Genevieve said, taking a sip of orange juice. “They taught us everything we know.”

“I miss Grandma and Grandpa,” Jaden said, taking a sip of milk.

“I do, too. We should go visit them soon, shouldn’t we?” Genevieve said, gently stroking a strand of blond hair behind her son’s ear.

Sophia loved watching her sister interact with her children. The gleam of love in her eyes was something Sophia couldn’t even begin to fathom. While she had no desire to be a mother herself, sometimes, in moments like this, she wondered if maybe she might be a little wrong about that.

After breakfast the kids bolted out of the kitchen, their little bodies filled with maple syrup and buckets of energy. Genevieve took advantage of their absence, staring directly at her sister.

“Now, tell me about this man who spent the night. You don’t usually do that kind of thing. What happened?”

“How do you know I don’t usually do that kind of thing? For all you know, I could be the paramour of all of New York.”

Genevieve rolled her eyes.

“Please. You’re never out of the office long enough to do that. So who’s the guy? Are you sure it won’t go anywhere?”

Sophia laughed, thinking again about his abrupt and awkward exit. She shook her head.

“Not a chance. Trust me, Gen. There is no way that I’m ever going to see that guy again, and good riddance.”

Genevieve leaned back into her chair with a sigh.

“Fair enough. I’d love to see you happy in love though, Soph. There’s more to life than work, you know.”

Sophia grinned, placating her sister as she thought more about her designs.

“Of course there is. Now, let’s go see what those kids are up to, shall we?”

The topic of Sophia’s love life was firmly closed. Exactly the way she liked it.