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8
Death.That was what I wished for when the stupid wind chimes went off at 3:47 in the morning.
I shut off the alarm with a groan, forcing myself out of bed and into the bathroom. There was no time to hit Snooze or make coffee.
How the hell did I used to enjoy this?I wondered as I splashed cold water on my face.
I used to be an early-morning person. Used to enjoy waking up before the sun and getting a head start on my day.
Now, though? I’d gone to sleep with my workout clothes on last night—socks and sports bra and all—just so I’d have an extra two minutes in bed. Except I’d been dreading the early alarm so much that I’d tossed and turned for two whole hours before finally falling asleep.
Toebeans was lounged right beside my runners, watching me curiously as I tied my shoelaces. And because we were still in a fight, I only gave him three chin scratches and one compliment before slipping out the door.
Cold, I know. But the traitor deserved it.
The lobby was empty when I got there, save for the two security guards seated behind the concierge desk, which made sense. Most people in this building were probably sane, rational humans who didn’t feel the need to start their day before god herself had woken up.
Then again, most people weren’t the literal devil incarnate. He was probably avoiding her on purpose.
A swift glance at my phone told me I had exactly four minutes to get my stretching in, which I desperately needed to do. I hadn’t gone for a run in almost ten years, and my muscles were going to hate me for what I was about to put them through.
I only had two goals for this morning: don’t stop (because Adrien would just use it as an excuse to cancel the deal), and don’t throw up (because I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction).
If I could manage both, I’d consider this entire day a win.
I stepped out into the chilly morning air and started to stretch. It was cold enough to warrant a pair of gloves, and probably some earmuffs, but it was too late to fetch any of that now, so I continued to stretch. And stretch.
And… stretch.
I looked at my phone. 4:09.
Maybe he’s waiting in the lobby.
I pulled the door open and glanced around, but it was still empty. So I continued to wait. And wait.
And… wait.
There was still no sign of him forty minutes later, and no call, text, or email to let me know if the plan had changed. And since I still didn’t have his contact information, I couldn’t reach out myself. Eventually, I caved and went to the security desk.
“Excuse me. I’m sorry to bother you so early,” I said, offering the two bearded men an apologetic smile as I approached. They weren’t the same guys that I’d seen when I came downstairs, so the morning shift change had already happened. That was how long Adrien had made me wait. “But is there any chance you’d be able to help me get in touch with a resident in this building?”
The one on the left gave me a bit of a skeptical once-over. “Who are you trying to get in touch with?” he asked.
“His name is Adrien Cloutier. I’m not sure which floor he’s on, but he was supposed to meet me down here… at…” I trailed off, confused by the way they were reacting.
They shot each other a knowing glance as soon as I said Adrien’s name and one of them actually rolled his eyes at me.
“Yeah, okay,” the one with the long, well-groomed brown beard said in a dismissive tone. “Miss, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave the premises before I call the cops.”
Uh…“Excuse me?”
“Adrien Cloutier doesn’t live here. You’ve got the wrong building,” the one with the shorter, much lighter beard explained.
But that didn’t make any sense. “Are you… are you sure? Because he—”
“Ma’am, I’m asking you to leave.Now.” Brown Beard stood up and I instinctively backed away from the counter.
I didn’t have nearly enough caffeine in my system to try and figure out what the hell his problem was, so I just nodded. “Um… okay. Sorry. I’m just gonna…” I pointed a limp finger toward the elevators. “I’m just gonna go back upstairs.”
