in which Brian, try as he might, can't stop himself from emotionally tying himself to women he meets on tour--he knows it's wrong but can't seem to stop himself
in which Katie, an unintentional groupie, becomes hopelessly entangled in the life of a...
Katie glanced at the small clock above her desk, wondering if the minute hand could possibly move any slower. It was Tuesday, the final day of a very long week. Normally she'd work Monday through Friday, but one of her supervisees had fallen ill, effectively throwing off her entire schedule. Although she'd only been at work for four hours, her hands were already beginning to cramp. Damn these photos. It was taking her entirely too long to format the front page article because of them, and she wanted to scream.
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A merciful ring from her office telephone jolted her from her frustration. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she reached to answer the call. "Hello?"
"Katie! Are you on lunch break yet?" The sound of Stacy's voice was a welcome reprieve.
With a slight smile, Katie reflexively shook her head and sighed. "Not yet Stace, I have a few more minutes yet. What's up?"
"Can you meet me at the cafe across the street when you're done? I have a surprise for you."
Katie twirled her pencil between her fingers, looking up at the clock for the hundredth time. "I suppose so. What's this about?"
A stifled giggle, then––"You'll see. I gotta go, see you in a bit!"
The cryptic conversation only helped to further Katie's distraction. Miraculously, she was somehow able to finish lining up the photos with the headers and text before noon. Yawning, she stretched her arms out wide and heard her joints crack, one after another. Sometimes she let the stress of being the managing editor get to her head, and this week was one of those instances. Grabbing her coat and purse from the back of her chair, she made her way out of the stuffy copy room and into the hallway. The sounds of cordial chatter and the scraping of chairs against the floor echoed off the walls of the quaint building. Usually Katie would stop to socialize in the composing room, but she wasn't feeling particularly keen to hear about Jim's crazy girlfriend or Barb's insolent kids today. Besides, she was dying to know what Stacy meant by "surprise". Knowing her friend, nothing was out of the realm of possibilities.
The brisk winter air nipped at her cheeks as she stepped foot outside and into the snow. Pulling her collar tighter against her neck, she looked both ways before crossing the equally snowy street. Despite living on the east coast her entire life, the sheer amount of snow Waterbury received each winter constantly amazed her. Not that she minded––the glittery white veil that covered the city always made the world seem more at peace. Through the large windows of the cafe, Katie spotted her friend waiting for her in the corner, sitting cross-legged at a table.
Scuffing her shoes against the pavement in an attempt to get rid of any residual snow clumps, she pushed the front door open. Warm aromas of chicken stock and grilled cheese greeted her, evoking a rumble from her stomach. I really need to remember to bring a late-morning snack with me to work.
