I hope things are well with you, wherever you are.

Reagan

WORK. HOME. WORK. HOME.

My life feels like a swinging door. On one side of the door is my bed where I sleep for a maximum of six hours a night. On the other side is my office where I spent at least twelve to fourteen hours a day. When I took this job, I don't think I realized what kind of a commitment it would entail. I've made progress, but it's taken me a ton of time.

A year and a half to be exact. I was promoted after being with the company just less than a year. At 24 years old, I'm the youngest CEO they've ever had. My hours are crazy, but the rewards are greater for my hard work. There's more travel and less personal time. If I were attempting to create a lasting relationship with anyone, I would be concerned. It's a good thing that's not the case.

I've missed out on a lot. I worked straight through the holidays this year. My parents wanted to take me on vacation to Europe after Christmas and I wasn't able to get away. I spent New Year’s Eve in my office, got home just in time to see the ball drop and then I went to bed.

In a weird way, I miss college. I miss having holiday vacations. I miss being able to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Being an adult isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's rewarding as hell, especially now that things are on the right track, but it's not fun.

I'm leaving the office after only ten hours for the first time in months. I don't feel guilty, either. Everything is done. No loose ends to tie up when I go back to work on Monday. I can relax and enjoy my weekend. Hopefully without any calls from clients.

I'm not a lawyer, but you would think that I am from time to time with as many calls as I field.

Tonight is my first date in over three months. I'm excited to be able to relax and enjoy myself without having to worry about anything. Felicity is going to double with me. Will seems like a nice guy, but I don't know him very well so I convinced him to find a friend to double with us.

Felicity seems excited about it. I can't remember the last time she went out on a date. She's been on a few since we moved here but not many. She devotes most of her time to work like she devoted her time to school.

I call Felicity on my way home to let her know that I'm almost there. I can hear the excitement in her voice to be free for the weekend. We're meeting the guys at a bar close to our place for dinner and drinks. I have a little less than an hour to get home and change before we need to be out the door.

Felicity is waiting for me the second I walk through the door, talking a mile a minute about her day. I've never met anyone that loves their job as much as Felicity does. She makes getting ready a challenging process as she follows me from room to room.

We're out the door and on our way to the bar in record time. I want to get there before the guys do. I need a drink to calm my nerves. I haven't been nervous like this in years. I met Will a few months ago at the gym. He's one of their personal trainers. I accidentally hit on him a few weeks ago. I didn't think he was within earshot but when his head whipped around I knew I was wrong. Instead of the reaction I was expecting, he smiled at me and flirted right back.

Taking my first sip, I feel my body relax slightly. I'm going to need a few more before I'm completely ready for this night to begin, but I'll get there. Felicity's excitement faded the second I turned the car off. She's been quiet ever since we sat down.

"What's on your mind?" I ask her as I take another sip of my Bacardi and coke.

"Nothing. I guess I'm a little nervous." She's twisting the stem of her wine glass between her thumb and forefinger.

"There's nothing to be nervous about. If the guy’s a douche we'll leave."

"Maybe nervous isn't the word. I don't know anything about this guy and neither do you. That scares me a little. I have no idea what to expect. Will he be tall or short? Thin or fat? Handsome or repulsive? I just wish I knew something about him. Anything. What does he do for a living?"

"I didn't ask Will. This was a spur of the moment decision. I'm sure he's nice."

Her eyes focus on her wine for a few seconds before she takes a large sip. We wait for the guys in silence. I hear Will's voice before I see him. I turn around to wave and notice who's with him. I'm going to throw up.

Walking beside Will, directly towards our table, is none other than Frank Collins. An acquaintance from high school. A person that I could live the rest of my life without seeing again and never miss. He was friends with Luke until he stabbed him in the back their senior year when he slept with Luke's girlfriend. Not the kind of guy I want anywhere near me or Felicity.

Elliot beat the crap out of him after Luke left for boot camp because Luke refused to acknowledge the situation. He broke up with Jenna and moved on. Frank would try and get Luke riled up in the halls, hoping for a confrontation, but Luke acted as if he wasn't fazed by it. In the beginning, I thought he was hiding his feelings. It wasn't until after our kiss I realized that he actually didn't give a shit.

Frank did him a favor. He ended things with Jenna for him. After almost two years of dating her, Luke was free. He didn't have to make up a reason or lie to her. Her feelings didn't get hurt. I'm sure he would have broken it off with her before he left anyway.

"Reagan?" Frank's voice carries over the music and slaps me in the face. Damn! He recognizes me.

"You know, Reagan?" Will asks in surprise.

"Yeah. We went to high school together." He turns toward me and smiles. That's the same smile that I hated when we were younger. There's always a motive behind his smile and it's never a good one. His eyes drop from my face to my chest and descend lower as he speaks. "It's been a long time."

"Not long enough." The words slip out before I have the chance to filter them. Will gives me a questioning look before he steps between Frank’s eyes and my body.

"I'm going to grab a drink at the bar. Would you ladies like anything?" His smile is tentative. I don't know him well enough to know what he's thinking, but I wish I did. He's obviously uncomfortable with the way Frank is looking at me.

"No, thanks." I respond before turning my attention to Felicity. "I think we're going to head out, actually. Maybe we can get together another time."

Felicity gets the hint and grabs her purse. I toss some money on the table for the waitress and stand. We're out the door seconds later. I don't bother saying goodbye. With friends like Frank, I can't help but question Will's judgment.

Felicity and I spend the rest of the night watching movies and eating popcorn. I'm disappointed that things went south before we had a chance to get to know each other, but it's probably for the best. Will may have been the only plan that I had at the moment, but he was a still a short term plan.

That doesn't stop him from calling me the next morning. Or the next afternoon. He leaves messages that I delete without listening to. He sends me a text message and I don't respond. After 24 hours of silence, I think he finally gets the hint. Now I'm going to have to change gyms.

The morning sun warms my face while the cool breeze off the water keeps me from overheating. My feet pound against the sand, digging in slightly, as I make my way to my marker. The halfway point in my run is a little over half a mile. I've thought about increasing my distance, going a full mile before turning around. It's not worth it in the end. I would have to wake up earlier if I wanted to make it work on time and I would be worn out by the time I got there. I need my energy, and my sleep, if I'm going to make it through the next few months.