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“Bring me back one,” John said.
I went to the staff break room where a coffee maker sat, the carafe empty. We didn’t have any staff yet, but we both figured that if you build it, they will come.
After our meeting was finished, I said goodbye to John and took the limo to Columbia to pick up Alexa. We parked outside the building on Broadway and 116th Street, where her class was being held and waited. I watched the street as students spilled out from the doors, walking alone or in small groups.
It was then I saw a dark figure standing alone by a statue near Barnard College. He was wearing a hoodie and looked suspicious to me.
“Wait here,” I said and jumped out of the car, heading towards the man. When I got to him, I turned him around, my hand on his shoulder. He looked at me, but it wasn’t Blaine. I’d seen surveillance photos of him, but this was someone else, much younger.
“Hey!” the guy said and stepped back. “Don’t touch me.”
“Sorry,” I said and held my hands up. “I thought you were someone else. My mistake.”
“Yeah, fuck off,” he said.
I stepped back, and exhaled, trying to get myself under control. I’d over-reacted and jumped to conclusions, but I was still on edge about Blaine. Until they brought him in and charged him, put him in jail again, I’d be on high alert.
He wanted to hurt Alexa. I’d do everything in my power to prevent Alexa from being hurt – by him or anyone else.
I watched the young man embrace a woman he must have been waiting for and stepped aside, standing to the left to allow them to pass. He gave me the stink eye as he walked by, his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder.
I didn’t blame him. It was stupid of me to just walk up and turn him around like that. Luckily, he just wanted to leave and didn’t get too upset. Given my most recent experience with the justice system, I didn’t want to do anything to call attention to myself.
The limo driver got out of the vehicle. “You okay, Mr. Marshall?”
“I’m fine,” I said and waved at him. “Thought it was someone else.”
The driver nodded and got back inside while I turned back to watch the entrance to Alexa’s building for her to come out. I pulled out my cell and sent her a text to let her know I was waiting outside.
LUKE: Almost roughed up a guy I mistakenly thought was Blaine… I need a drink.
I waited for her to respond. In a moment, she did.
ALEXA: Just talking to my prof. Will be out asap.
LUKE: Take your time.
I put my cell away and leaned against the base of the statue on 116th Street, watching the door. I didn’t want to rush Alexa. Half the value of grad school was the chance to get into deep discussions with your prof or other students about your subject matter. So, while Alexa and her prof talked, I watched the students walking along 116th Street. I remembered my own MBA days with pleasure, although I was more interested in getting done and making money rather than deep thought on business issues and concepts.
Still, my college days were some of the most enjoyable of my life. It was where John and I met and first cooked up the idea of building Chatter.
Finally, Alexa appeared, exiting the building with a woman walking beside her. She saw me and waved, and then turned back to the woman, who was older, taller and had greying hair. Probably her professor.
I smiled and waved, waiting for her and her prof to finish talking. Finally, Alexa waved at her prof and walked towards me.
She smiled when she got to my side and I bent down to kiss her hello, my hand on her arm.
“Hello, my love,” I said and smiled. “I was ready to beat up a man thinking I was protecting you.”
“Luke,” she said and slipped her arm through mine. “You have to chill out. I’m fine. Someone’s always with me, whether it’s the guard or the driver or you. I’m good.”
“I know, but I worry about you.”
“Let’s go to O’Rileys and have a drink. You can have a beer and I can have a virgin Pina Colada.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
We took the limo back to our neighborhood and he dropped us off outside of O’Riley’s where we went for a drink. The place was busy at that time of day, and so we sat at the bar and ordered our drinks from the bartender.
