Page 112 of I'm Looking for a Man in Finance
It only took a minute before Roxie pushed open the front door—without Hallie in tow.
“I tried to call Hallie, but I think she gave me her work phone number. All my texts are failing, and her phone is disconnected.” I didn’t waste any time getting to the point. If Hallie had sent Roxie down here to send me away, I would not go down without a fight. I wanted a chance to speak with her.
“Yeah, she had to turn her work phone and laptop back in when she quitSophisticate,” Roxie replied.
“She really quit?” I asked. “Why?”
“Because Anthea Sparks has no integrity,” Roxie spat. “She changed Hallie’s article without her consent. Hell, she basically published an entirely different article with Hallie’s name attached to it.”
“But what about the food critic position?” I couldn’t believe that Hallie would walk away from her dream just like that. Not after the lengths she’d gone over the past few months for it.
“She and I are finally starting our own blog together. We’re still working with our website developers andfinalizing branding, but our first review should be up in the next few weeks.”
Pride bloomed in my chest for Hallie’s bravery. It was inspiring to see her refusing to let someone else dictate her success.
Sebastian, who had been listening attentively, broke the silence. “Congratulations, Roxie. I know that was something you’d been hoping you could do.”
Roxie peered over my shoulder down at Sebastian, who was now standing sheepishly with his hands shoved in his pockets. She let out a long sigh that I couldn’t quite read.
“Do you think Hallie would be open to talking to me?” I asked, my voice filled with a mix of hope and apprehension.
Roxie looked at me, her expression softening. “I can’t speak for her, James. I know she tried her hardest to reach you, to explain, and when you shut her out, the guilt nearly overwhelmed her. She barely got up from our couch for nearly a week, if I’m being honest. I thought I was going to have to call reinforcements in to help me peel her off the cushions and force her to shower.But,” Roxie paused, a small smile playing on her lips, “she hasn’t stopped talking about you.”
“Is she home?” I asked for the third time.
Roxie shook her head. “She’s out doing a freelance project while we wait for our business to get off the ground.”
My shoulders sank. I wasn’t sure I could go another day without speaking with her.
“I have an idea, though. How do you guys feel about going to Whiskey Locker tomorrow night?” Roxie quirked an eyebrow.
“When aren’t we there?” Sebastian piped up again.
Roxie acted like she hadn’t heard him. “I can make sure Hallie is at Whiskey Locker tomorrow night. If that’s something you’d want?”
“Yes,” I replied fiercely. “I want a chance to clear the air, to start fresh.”
“Then let’s make that happen. For the both of you, because you also look miserable and it’s a real vibe killer, if I’m being honest.”
With a renewed sense of hope, I stepped off the stoop of Hallie’s apartment building. The same stoop that I’d first kissed her on.
“Hey!” Roxie called out once Sebastian and I were halfway to the car. “You know she went to the pizzeria to do the review she agreed with you to do? She wants it to be our first review on the new website. She asked your family not to tell you until it was published, in case you’d be mad. But now you’re here, well I think it’s okay that I tell you.”
I was so overwhelmed all I could do was nod. If there was one thing I wanted more than anything, it was to have Hallie Woods back in my life.
40
Hallie
“The last thing I want to do is go to Whiskey Locker tonight,” I told Roxie as I watched her get ready in her room. I was still in my pajamas and Roxie was casting wary glances my way when she realized I still hadn’t attempted to change to go out with her.
I propped my laptop on my chest as I put the finishing touches to the freelance work I’d done the night before. A new Indian restaurant had reached out through a private message to my social media account. I’d taken the job while our business was still being developed, so Roxie and I didn’t end up on the streets of New York City.
“I have an article to finish.” Once our new website was live, my old blog would reroute to the new one. We recommended city restaurants and tagged them with my old reviews. “Plus, I don’t want to go pretend I’m happy when that couldn’t be further from the truth. I don’t even know if I can stomach walking into that bar. Can’t we go somewhere else? There are so many other places to get drinks.”
I’d finally started coming to terms with the fact that I may never see James again. The last thing I wanted was to go to a place that reminded me of him.
“Just for old times’ sake,” Roxie pleaded. “I heardthey have karaoke tonight. Can you imagine a group of inebriated men in finance singing along to ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’? You may not need something like that for content anymore, but why not enjoy the entertainment?”
