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I throw myself into the cushions of the couch and submit to reading.
Local Love Cashes in for a Cure
By Violet Storm -The Headliner Exclusive Interview
graham hoffman is hot, rich, tasteful, and apparently unavailable. i said it, ladies (and gentlemen); don’t hate the messenger! this local heartthrob sat down with us for an exclusive interview on the night of the cancer fundraiser and gave us the deets. while hoffman is technically considered a transplant to the portland area, his business roots run deep under the entire city. besides prospering in the real estate end of things, hoffman has found success in the jewelry making industry, owning a trendy boutique called jealousy. no wonder the man was able to contribute a million dollars for the cause!
when asked about his presence at the gala, hoffman stated, “cancer affects all families, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or background. no one is immune. i am privileged to take a hands-on approach tonight rather than just to be the one signing the check. it’s the least i could do.”
in addition to the hefty monetary donation, hoffman also contributed some of his signature jewelry pieces for the silent auction.
okay, so i didn’t stop there, my friends. after stalking this man for five years, i had to ask the tough questions—the ones involving a love interest. i mean, seriously, he had a gorgeous supermodel of a woman resting on his arm. what did he expect me to do? “i do not kiss and tell,” hoffman chuckled, squeezing the beautiful sophia chantel—who looked very smitten with our eye candy. while chantel is employed under hoffman’s company in the marketing department, something tells me that this relationship goes beyond the paycheck.
time will tell.
-V.S.
I toss the paper aside before I lower myself to drawing a mustache and a set of horns on Sophia’s face. It would give me instant gratification, but then leave me feeling empty and very alone. I have no claim on Graham. None. On most days, I want the man to stay out of my personal space. Then he goes out of his way to make time for me or buys me luxurious gifts or says things that make my heart melt. Clearly, Sophia is not out of his life. She seems to be an intricate part of his jewelry business. So even if we were to go on dates, Sophia would always be in the back of my mind taunting me.
Picking myself up from the rut, I vow to make today my catching-up-on-Human-Behavior-assignments day. I need a distraction, and nothing is better than burying myself in layers of schoolwork to detox my body from thinking about Graham.
I drive to the campus library and use the facility’s desktop computer that has a better keyboard than my laptop. For a Sunday, the building isn’t very crowded with college students. One study group uses the back conference room to have access to the white board and a few girls utilize the circular tables to spread out their work. I stay there until the workers remind me about the six o’clock closing, wanting to shut the doors for the night. Satisfied that I gathered enough information from the Internet, I save my work on my flash drive.
On my way home, my phone rings for the first time all day. I check to see that it is Mark before answering.
“Hey, Mark, what’s up?”
“Angie. I’m glad I got ahold of you.”
“Yeah? What’s up?”
“I saw that you accepted my dates for this week. But then they all got canceled, and I wanted to know if I did something to offend you.”
What is he talking about? “Um, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I did not cancel them.”
“Hmm, that’s really weird. Also, when I went to check on your profile a few hours ago, it was disabled. I couldn’t even see that you existed. It’s as if you vanished from the site. I can contact the tech support team tomorrow during office hours and see if there is something wrong with the system.”
“Okay, sounds good. I’ll fill out a help-desk ticket when I get home.”
“Well, can you still go out with me tomorrow? I have an appointment with some more associates. Your presence would be appreciated.”
“Oh yeah, I can still go with you. What time?”
“It’s earlier than usual. We are meeting at four o’clock. Does that work for you?”
I run through my mental schedule of classes and research obligations. “That works for me,” I respond, accepting the date, happy that I can still partake in the Monday night ritual of watching reality TV.
“Awesome. I’ll just write you a check since I can’t put the money in your account. Can you wear something like what you wore on our last date? Your legs looked absolutely amazing.”
“Um, thanks,” I say shyly, shifting in my seat. “Yeah, I can find something that will work.”
“Good, see you tomorrow.”
When I arrive home, I find a short note left by Claire on my bedroom door stating that she is spending the night at Ethan’s place and that she left me some leftover zucchini noodles in the fridge from her lunch. I smile at her thoughtfulness and take her up on the food offer. I am starving after skipping lunch.
I spend the rest of the night going through the week’s mail and organizing my online finances. I flip through three magazines that Claire subscribes to and make a shopping list for groceries on one of the renewal insert postcards. At nine forty, I crash into bed.
* * *
