Free Chronicles of a Serial Dater - Book 2: A New Adult Romantic Comedy by Adele Huxley, Savan Robbins Page B

clothes, snatched my bag off the back of a chair, and stopped dead in my tracks. “I’m forgetting something.”
    I wracked my barely awake but adrenaline-fueled brain for a few precious seconds. I had less than ten minutes to make it all the way downtown if I was going to be on time, which at this point would be nothing short of a miracle. But I was mostly dressed and nearly out the door, which was pretty good considering I’d been dead asleep five minutes before.
    What is it? What is it? I thought as I turned in a slow circle. I could almost hear the seconds ticking by as I tried to remember what was so important. Nope. Not coming to me. I don’t have time!
    “Shit, shit, shit,” I muttered under my breath as I ran out the front door. I slipped my arm through the sleeve of my top just as my feet touched the sidewalk. Two seconds outside and I was already cursing the office dress code. It was too damn hot for sleeves. As I jogged to the subway, I pulled my sweaty hair into a high ponytail. At least I didn’t put on any makeup this morning. It would’ve melted off by now, I thought.
    Of course it was the one day where everything was working against me. The train was late, people were in my way, I didn’t have time to get coffee or breakfast. I overpaid for a piece of fruit from the stand on the corner just so I could have something in my stomach while Lisa chewed me out. On the ride up the elevator to our floor, I tried to compose myself with a few deep breaths, ignoring the sweat dripping down my back, sides, and forehead.
    I’m the kind of person who feels late if I don’t show up early, so to be legitimately running off schedule wasn’t something that happened often. I wish I had a good excuse but the honest truth was, I’d simply slept through my alarm. All these late night, mid-week dates were taking a toll on my normally steady sleep patterns. I couldn’t exactly say that to her, so I had a few excuses lined up in case Lisa pinned me to the spot.
    I dumped my stuff off and legged it down the hall to her office where Abi was already waiting. After spotting her shit-eating grin as I pushed the door open, I quickly looked away.
    “Talia,” Lisa said in a firm voice.
    “Nice of you to join us,” Abi added in a snotty tone.
    “I’m so sorry. I know it’s completely unacceptable for me to…”
    Lisa waved my excuses away with the flick of her hand. “No need. You’ve never been late before, but let’s not make this a habit, yes? Abi, continue.”
    Abi looked at me like a fish out of water. She was obviously dejected I wasn’t about to be fired or suspended or any of the other dream scenarios she’d played out in her head. It took her a moment, and an arch from Lisa’s eyebrow, to stammer back into the conversation they’d been having.
    It gave me a few moments for my heart to slow down, the sweat to stop, and for my morning to catch up with me. Even so, I knew I was going to be off for the rest of the day.
    “That brings us to your project. Any issues hitting the deadline today?” Lisa asked, turning to me.
    Today? I thought with panic. “Nope, none whatsoever.”
    “Good. Mr. English’s team has a huge and honestly,” she said, peering over the rim of her glasses, “overly complicated marketing campaign set up. If anything throws it off schedule, there will be hell to pay.”
    With a growing lump in my throat, I nodded, appearing in full agreement. “Of course. Completely understandable.” And that right there is what I forgot this morning.
    “Great. Do you mind giving me the first couple chapters when you have a chance? I just want to have a look through them to satisfy my own curiosity.”
    We concluded the meeting soon after. I avoided Abi as I briskly walked back to my office and shut the door, collapsing into my chair with a huge groan. “I forgot the fucking manuscript at home.”
    I had no idea what I was going to do. I’d already shown up to work late, so I couldn’t exactly