Invisible String

Chapter 16 - How You Get the Girl

I turned over, laid my head back against the pillows, and stared at the ceiling looming over me.

A woman rekindling her romance with an old love, only to be interrupted by his lavish lifestyle, and the people who come along with it–that's a love story I could write. I mean, at least he doesn't have some secret dark past that haunts him or some weird, kinky fascinations with whips and chains. At least as far as I know.

I shook my head free of pointless thoughts and got up from the bed. Seven in the morning was too early to be wide awake for me. But awake, I was, and I wasn't about to let the day go to waste.

I retrieved my phone and headed into the living room. Sunlight shone brightly through the windows, and I shielded my eyes from it until I reached the curtains and pulled them closed. I sat on the couch and pulled my laptop nearby and started it up. While it loaded, I stood and made a bowl of cereal. I ate as I logged into the computer and started up my word document and email. I had too many unchecked messages to count, but Robin, my agent who set up all of my readings and press stuff, had emailed me this morning. Why hadn't he just called?

It was a concise message:

You received a bouquet of roses in your fan mail today. You might want to come and get them soon, considering who they are from.

I figured it wasn't Alex, but intrigue got the better of me, so I got dressed, grabbed my purse, and left to find myself a taxi. I lived in what feels like the busiest city in the United States. And why would I do that with the anxiety that I have? Well, that was a good question. I wish I had an answer. I graduated from the University of Minnesota in the spring of 2018 and moved here immediately afterward. Three years ago, the anxiety wasn't so bad, but over time it got worse. And worse. Now, living here seemed like the dumbest thing in the world. But I was here, and so was my agent, so it felt logical to stick with it.

I nabbed a taxi within ten minutes, and soon I was on my way across town to Robin's office. On the way there, I saw a billboard for a new men's cologne featuring a smoldering Alex. My body warmed as I looked up at him, his smile, his bare chest, and exposed tattoos, but soon after, the warm feeling rushed through me, a coldness crept in. I hated fighting with him. But not just with him, but fighting in general. I've never really had the stomach for it.

After about an hour, I arrived and paid the taxi-man a ridiculous amount of money. I walked into the building and was immediately welcomed by the receptionist, who also promptly got me a cup of tea while I waited for Robin to come out to a waiting room and grab me.

It didn't take much more than five minutes before he entered and crossed the room, arms wide. His light brown skin glowed to no end, his perfect grey eyes twinkled, and white teeth sparkled in a beautiful smile. He wore a grey pinstriped suit with a pink tie, and his brown hair was short and spiked.

"Hannah! Honey, it's been way too long. When's your next book coming out for Christ's sake?"

I smiled awkwardly. "Well, it would have been sooner, but the publisher declined the one I sent them... so I have to write a new one. I've got a nice start, but it'll take a little time to finish it."

"Oh, Sweetie, no... we need to get you back out there," he said while combing his fingers quickly through the top of my hair. "And I saw this in the Grammy photos, and I just could not believe that you did this! It's beautiful, but so drastic, Honey."

"I needed a change." I shrugged, and he wrapped his arms around me once again and kissed me on the cheek.

"Okay, well, come on back. We should talk, and there's a lot of stuff piled up for you."