She meant it when she said she was going to pursue him. At that moment, her heart was in it.
But Felix gently pushed her away, picked up a bottle of water from the ground, and offered it to her lips.
"Drink up."
Did he think she was drunk?
Carol found the notion amusing, her lips curling into a smile as she looked up at him.
"Hey, for real, you don't have a girlfriend, do you?"
"How many jobs you working? Where at? I'll swing by when I'm free, maybe bring you a burger or something."
Chasing someone usually meant persistence. To Carol, Felix seemed like a clean slate, likely to cave in after just a few days of her
relentless attention.
That was her plan, anyway.
But she had misjudged him. Felix put the water bottle in her hand and walked away without a backward glance.
Surprised, Carol sprinted after him.
But he didn't even give her a second look, continuing on until he reached the bus stop. There, Felix finally paused.
Carol stood behind him, pondering for a moment before speaking up. "Felix, how about you giveyour number? I'm all alone
here in Greenfield, no family or friends. Plus, I've got a little brother back home, and everyone's counting onto make enough to
help with his down payment. I really have no one to talk to."
She had a playful smile on her face as she spoke.
After a moment's thought, Felix took her phone and saved his number into it.
As he boarded the bus and rode away, Carol didn't follow. Instead, she immediately started looking for a small apartment to rent.
If she was going to play the part of being broke, she'd do it right.
It didn't take long for her to find a cramped apartment to rentânot even as spacious as the pool back at her parentsâ house. Yet,
the thought of what was to cfilled her with a sense of ty.
At three in the morning, she texted her friend Maja.
[Guess what? I might be falling for someone.]
Maja replied instantly. Work had been crazy lately with new projects at the studio, and she was often working late.
[Congrats! Who's the lucky guy this time? Sup-and-coming star?]
Carol never hid her affections for men. The last tshe'd been this excited, it was over a rising celebrity.
She had gone all out, spending three million dollars on the guy, and just when Maja thought Carol was settling down with the star,
Carol had a change of heart during a dinner they had together.
"I really liked his looks, complimented his smile a bunch of times. But then, he started givingthese smoldering looks every time
we met. There's nothing cool about a guy who knows he's handsome; it just feels greasy. Plus, his constant smirks totally turned