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11:13 AM: Alexander
Why is that?
11:14 AM: Me
Because I won’t be there.
11:17 AM: Alexander
Yes, you will. 2 p.m. My office.
11:18 AM: Me
I will NOT be there! And I want you to fix my phone!
No response.
Fine. I’ll take care of it myself!
I hurried to my bedroom to get dressed. I hastily threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, then rummaged around in my closet for a pair of sneakers. I located them quickly and tied the shoelaces with expert speed while thinking about the vicious things I would say to the clerk at the cellphone counter.
Someone is going to get his or her ass chewed off for this!
And him…rescheduling my interview…ha!
I headed back out to the kitchen but stopped short when I saw the FedEx box sitting on the counter. I forced myself to see reason. It wouldn’t do me much good if I stormed into the wireless communications store and went off half-cocked on some poor defenseless sales clerk. I would probably end up getting myself arrested for acting like a crazed lunatic. It wasn’t their fault Stone was an assuming jerk.
Knowing I had to get a handle on my emotions before I did anything rash, I took a deep breath to try and calm my mounting temper. Going to the store in my current frame of mind would only lead to a total catastrophe, and I tried to form a more sensible plan—one that didn’t involve any jail time.
La Biga first. A caffeine fix would do me good. Plus, it would buy me some time to screw my head back on straight.
I eyed my laptop, sitting on the coffee table.
Yes! I can look for a job online while I’m at the coffee shop, too.
After an hour or so of doing an employment search, a sufficient amount of time would have passed, and I’d be calmer when I went to return the phone.
Satisfied with my plan of action, I grabbed everything I would need, including Alexander’s asinine phone, and dashed out of the apartment to catch the Redline.
Chapter Nine
Alexander
My feet pounded through the last mile on the treadmill. Sweat dripped down the side of my face, and I wiped it away with my hand. A solid cardio workout was what I needed to clear my head, as work just didn’t seem to be cutting it lately. My life, and all that was in it, had suddenly become uninteresting—all except for one thing.
Krystina Cole.
I had gone into the office that morning to find I was completely bored with the tasks awaiting me. There was no excitement, no challenge. The only highpoint from the morning had been reading Krystina’s snappy text messages.
Disgusted with myself for lack of focus, I ended up canceling my appointments for the rest of the day and headed down to the gym in Cornerstone Tower. I had looked for my trainer, but he was with another appointment. I could have pushed for a session but decided it would be better to go at it alone. My sullen mood dictated the necessity for solitude.
Up until recently, I had been satisfied. I had money. I had status. And I’d never once had to pursue a woman. Yet here I was, chasing after some chick I barely knew, playing a game I’ve never before had to play. I tried to shut it down, but Krystina’s brown eyes haunted me even in my sleep. Images of her naked and kneeling consumed me, so much so I could barely think about much else.
And it was seriously pissing me off.
I finished the final mile and slowed the treadmill to a cool-down speed. I could have easily gone another five miles at a run, but I was done. Even the workout was boring me.
I’ve been too long without a sub. That’s my problem.
