PULSE [H.S]

005

"The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine." — Mike Murdock

I started going to the gym early in the mornings, before work, since I usually start at 10. When I get to the gym around 8, I'm able to leave around 9, which gives me just enough time to go home and shower before heading to work.

This is my third day working out since the lesson, and I am determined to turn this into a habit. It's nice getting out of bed and being productive, anyway. It helps start my day off in a positive way, and I feel like it is boosting my energy levels.

Clove helped me figure out somewhat of a routine. 20 minutes of cardio, then around 30 minutes of lifting, and then 10 more of cardio or stretching. I like the cardio, it's easy. The weights make me feel embarrassed because I can barely lift the bar.

Nobody seems to judge me, though. Most of the people ignore that I'm even there, which I am more than happy about. I do my best not to attract any attention, and I avoid talking to anyone as much as I can. I'll occasionally watch someone use a machine to observe how they are doing it, and then I use what I learn to try it out myself later on.

I like the treadmills the most because they face the boxing rings, so I have something to look at while I'm running. Even if it's a little gruesome sometimes, it helps the time pass faster. I play my music loudly, drowning out all of the noise around me.

I saw Harry yesterday, who only acknowledged me with a slight nod and then kept walking. But at least he saw me. I have a weird need to prove him wrong and show him that I won't quit.

 Maybe I just have a stupid need to never disappoint anyone, I don't know. I need to prove it to myself more than anything.

When I'm done for the day, I say bye to Clove, who seems to always be here. I head home, shower, and head into work.

I get a text from Aaron. Hey babe, dinner date tonight? I'm hesitant to reply. Another text comes in. I want to take you out. There's a new Italian restaurant downtown. Tre Sclani.

I stare at the screen for a moment, my eyes scanning over the messages and rereading them multiple times. This is the first message I've gotten from him since the incident, and I never received an apology. He's acting like nothing even happened, and it dawns on me that maybe he doesn't even remember. Maybe he was too drunk to remember.

I reply, I'm done at 7, meet there at 7:30?

He replies, Can't wait to see you, babe.

After finishing up with my last client, I head home to change out of my sweats quickly. I put on my favorite black jeans that fit me perfectly and throw on a light gray short-sleeve shirt. I put some white shoes on my feet tie the laces.

I haven't dressed up for a date in a while, so this is exciting for me. I miss going on dates and the buzz that comes with them. Aaron and I used to go on dates more often. He would always take me to the most incredible restaurants or the most beautiful places.

When I get to the restaurant, Aaron is waiting outside with a smile on his face. I haven't seen that smile in a long time. I smile back at him, feeling good about this night already. His face is light, and there's no sign of stress in his features.

"You look stunning, babe." He gives me a kiss, and I smile at him. He's in a good mood. "I reserved a table for us."

We go in, and the place is very romantic. It's dimly lit, with candles on all of the tables, and it smells like great food in here. He orders us a bottle of red wine, which surprises me. We don't usually get wine, and he ordered an expensive bottle.

I ask him, "Is there a special occasion?"

"I can't take my lovely girlfriend out without a special reason?" he asks, and then adds, "I miss going on dates with you."

The warmth in his smile makes my heart warm. This is the guy that I fell in love with. This is the person who won my heart over with his thoughtful gestures and kind words. It's refreshing to see this side of him.

"We can go out more. I miss going on dates with you too, Mr. I work all the time," I joke, but my voice is heavy.

He frowns. "It's only for a little longer, and then I'll get that promotion, and I won't have to work as much."

"You'll get it, babe. Nobody works harder than you," I tell him, letting him know I support him.

We order our food and munch on bread and wine as we wait. Aaron's very attractive, I've always thought so. He has short brown hair and dark brown eyes that complement each other. Under the dim lighting, he looks even nicer.

"How has your work been?" he asks me. "I haven't asked in a while."

"It's been good. We have a waitlist of clients, actually. Pen put something on TikTok, and it blew up, and now everyone wants to get their next tattoo with us," I tell him.

I didn't know what TikTok was until recently, but it seems to be the best marketing tool I could have asked for. It's worked better than any ads we've put out in the past, and it happened almost overnight. Our waitlist filled up insanely fast, which is something I never expected to happen.

"That's great, babe. I remember when you were struggling to get anyone in the door," he says. He takes my hand in his on top of the table and says, "I'm proud of you."

When I first opened the tattoo shop, it was a little rough. The first few weeks didn't draw many clients in, and I started to worry that the business was going to be a failure. I made an Instagram account for the shop and started posting pictures of the tattoos we would do, and Pen helped me add some hashtags to the posts. The account started getting some attention, and every day after that, we acquired more clients.

I blush, saying, "I'm glad it worked out. I was so bored working at the law firm, and now I actually enjoy going to work."

"I was worried when you left such a stable job to pursue some hobby," he says, but then adds, "But I should have known better than to doubt you. Do you get any trouble at the shop?"

"Trouble?" I say, furrowing my eyebrows. He nods, and I say, "Not really. Danny and Pen are usually around, and I don't think anyone would mess with either of them."

Our food comes, and we dive into our meals. The food is amazing, I love pasta. I think it is one of my favorite things to eat, even though it's not necessarily the best thing to eat all the time. It's my comfort food.

Aaron's phone rings, and he looks at a text that popped up, his eyebrows pulling in. He sighs and looks up at me. He says, "It's work. I'm sorry, babe."

"What-"

"I have to go to the office," he says before I can get a word in. He explains, "There's some paperwork I need to sign."

"Oh, okay. I can come with you if you're just running in," I offer.

"No, babe, that's okay. It's all the way across town, and it always ends up taking longer than they say," he says. He waives down the waiter and gives them his card.

He sees my disappointed expression and says, "I'm sorry, babe. I'll make it up to you. I promise."

He takes my hand across the table, squeezing it and rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. His eyes look sad, like he doesn't want this night to end either. I feel disappointment flood my system when I realize the night I was looking forward to has just been cut short.

"It's fine, I understand." I give him a small smile.

"This was fun, though. We should go out more, like I was saying. Bye, babe. Get home safe," he says, kissing my forehead and leaving.

Suddenly I'm alone, with an expensive bottle of wine that was barely touched. At least he paid for this before he left. Fifteen minutes later, I'm still alone, but now the bottle is empty.

When I stand up to leave, I'm most definitely too drunk to drive home. Shit. I head outside, wondering if I should uber or walk. It's too far to walk alone at night, so I open my phone and wait for the Uber app to load. It takes longer than I would like, and I start to grow impatient.

Then I hear my name called, and my head turns.

"Kiz!"