Bad for Business by Ace Gray

Author:Ace Gray [Gray, Ace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2016-06-26T22:00:00+00:00

I fully acknowledged it was insane, but about an hour later, the twitchy urge to run consumed me. It was the first time I’d felt anything but desolation since I’d left him. It was the first time I wanted to run since the incident for that matter. The rain would drench me, and my new shoes would undoubtedly give me blisters, but I couldn’t just sit there anymore.

Mr. Barrett saw me as soon as I stepped off the elevator and into the lobby. He offered an umbrella first, then a taxi, and when I refused both, he couldn’t completely hide his look of concern.

Can’t blame you, Mr. Barrett.

I knew damn well I looked dreadful and was adding acting like an idiot to my repertoire.

For the briefest moment, the big, fat raindrops were rejuvenating, cleansing even. The second my clothes became nothing more than clingy fabric my mood disintegrated. My muscles stretched and protested as I continued weaving through the city anyway. Mercifully, the run to the river was downhill, I wouldn’t have made it otherwise. I felt disjointed and weak.

You are disjointed and weak.

As I cut across the small berm between sidewalk and river walkway, I slipped, my feet shooting straight out in front of me, and I tumbled hard onto the grass just before the railing. I lay there, covered in mud, staring unblinking up into the gloomy sky. My lashes bat against the rain as I played dead for a few minutes.

Oh good, I can add clumsy and stupid now too.

When I peeled myself up, I walked along the water for a little while, watching the droplets hit the river and ripples spread. I stopped, searching for the soft plink or rolling drum of a rainstorm, trying to find the calm it used to give me. There was no peace, just a downpour covering up my tear tracks.

I threw my hands up and grunted when I gave up on the entire outing.

My shoes squished as I trudged back up the bank, too tired to run anymore. I shuffled through the city, finding a dark and dingy dive bar during my wanderings. I reasoned it was a positive thing to want to stay out of the hotel, even if it was only to drink away the pain.

I fit in perfectly at the dirty bar with my muddy clothes and deeply circled eyes. I still tipped extra as an apology for the puddle slowly collecting underneath my stool. The bartender was kind and quiet, both traits I appreciated.

The outside world was warped from my seat near the window. Rain kept time in the puddles on the sidewalk. I just didn’t know if time was moving fast or slow. I found myself trying to count water ringlets in the nearest pool but I kept loosing track when they hit each other. Before I could get frustrated the tires of a massive bus spliced the water and drew my attention back up to street level. There was a small spark of emotion in my hollow chest when I recognized the tour bus attached to those tires.

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