Chapter 6
Emerson’s ridiculously expensive and rundown apartment building was only a five-block walk from work. He paid a high price to have a home in Manhattan. Logically, he reasoned that the close proximity did save him on cab or subway fares. His grocery budget was low, and his money for impulse buying even lower, but he was making ends meet. He’d always wanted to live in the city, and he was fulfilling that dream.
Of course, he got to the coffee shop early. Upon waking, the same sense of calm had filled him. But now as he approached the building, his heart sped up.
Emerson entered the nearly-empty store and ordered a black coffee. He sat down at a table in the corner and sipped the hot, bitter beverage. His leg bounced. He should have ordered decaf. The caffeine wouldn’t help him k
