Hot love story straight from Chicago. "Stay with me" by Katarzyna Muszyńska

Mia escapes from the abuser, lives in Chicago and tries to find herself in a new reality. She works as a journalist for "Today News", still fighting demons of the past and deeply hiding old wrongs. She has a faithful friend, Trevor, whom she can always count on. One day, she meets Jackson Fletcher, a somewhat dry and surly, but also self-confident firefighter hero. The man was only supposed to be the subject of another article, but their paths crossed again much sooner than they expected.

This is how the story of love, struggle for oneself and one's own future, full of twists and turns, begins, in which nothing is as it seems at the very beginning. Mysteries, disappointments and surprises accompany the characters until the surprising finale. Mia herself does not know who to trust, she is only aware that the past has come back to her.

And all this in a windy city, full of dangers, but also true love that can be right next door.

To read the latest book by Katarzyna Muszyńska, Stay with meinvites JakBook Publishing House. - I believe that books should not be depressing, but give a moment of respite from what we struggle with every day - said the author of the novel in our interview. Last week we presented you the premiere excerpt from the book Persevere with Me. Today it's time for another part of this story:

Chapter 2

Standing on the roof of an apartment building and looking at the amazing panorama of the whole city, she was puffing on a menthol cigarette. She was well aware that it was a very pernicious and expensive habit, but she enjoyed smoking and had no intention of giving it up just yet. She shook off the ashes and looked again at the piece of paper in her other hand. She ran her eyes over the printed text for the twentieth time and decided it was perfect. Exactly as she had planned. Jackson Fletcher stared at her from the large photo, smiling a bit shyly. His eyes were in the foreground, and they seemed to tempt with some mystery. The man had a dimple in the chin and fairly light eyebrows. Longer hair, coquettishly falling over his forehead, added to his boyish charm. He was wearing a navy blue fireman's uniform with reflective details and a black helmet under his arm. The bold caption above the photograph read: "They are not afraid of fire or water. Everyday heroes.

The article was not just about the blonde with what she had noticed was a complex personality, but about the Chicago Fire Department in general. There were a few bold statistics on the number of fires in the city this year and car accidents that firefighters were called to, as well as the date of the first unit. Mia, reading her story, felt satisfied with a job well done. Despite Fletcher's restraint, she managed to extract various interesting facts, which gave the material about the organization a human face. The chief will surely be pleased.

The sun was slowly going down, burning the sky red. It was her favorite place in the office, especially at this time of day. The Today News was headquartered on the top three floors of a twenty-story modern building near Grand Park and the boulevards.

– I read your text about that fireman. Mia heard a familiar voice behind her.

She turned around to see Peter, who mostly dealt with criminal matters, smiling kindly at her. The thirty-five-year-old wrote about sports before joining the Investigations department.

– And? She leaned against the railing, inhaling mint smoke.

- He's great. Although this guy could say something more personal – he assessed matter-of-factly. "It's a hard case of 'don't meddle with my private affairs,'" she replied, making her colleague smile broadly.

- We're going for a drink right now. Will you go to Joey's with us? He lit a cigarette and stepped closer.

– I have yet to finish writing down the interview with Anna Dobrowski. She made an apologetic face.

- Doesn't this text go until Monday? “Peter didn't give up.

- It's coming, but I still need to refine it. She stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray by the railing.

- Don't beg. When was the last time you went out with us? And, anticipating your words, corporate events don't count.

Mia sighed deeply - she didn't feel like visiting a crowded pub. She'd never liked crowds, and after everything she'd been through, she couldn't quite find her place in such places. However, her therapist repeated each time that in order to get out of the trauma, she had to break down barriers. Social gatherings were perfect for this.

– Next time I'll go with you, okay? I promise.

- I'm holding you to your word. He tossed his cigarette butt away and pointed a finger at her.

They went back inside together and each went to their cubicle. Despite the later time, the editorial office was teeming with life. Final touches were being made to Friday's edition, which had the largest circulation. Mia sat down at her desk, opened her laptop, and logged in. She opened the program in which they were folding the newspaper and indicated that the text was ready. Then she found her notebook and opened it to an interview with a talented photographer she had interviewed a few days ago. Anna was a true sorceress - able to transport her models to the magical world of fairy tales with the help of a camera and a graphic program. This less than twenty-five-year-old woman was getting louder and louder in the community, which is why Mia was so happy that she could write about her.

– Chick takes amazing photos. Clarissa perched on her desk and nodded to the laptop screen where Anna's designs were just popping up. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

This short-cropped brunette with fabulously long lashes and amazing green eyes has been Mia's friend since she moved to Chicago and started working for Today News.

"I still have some work to do," she replied, forcing herself to look away from the models dressed up as elves, mermaids, and witches. - Have fun. "I'm sure we will, though it would be more fun with you." Clarissa hugged her tightly.

- Who else is going besides Peter?

- Barry and Jeff from sports, Ally, Sarah, and of course Nastka also had to get stuck. A grimace twisted her face as she said the last name. “This girl really doesn't know when to let go. Years after poor Peter and does not understand that he simply does not want her in the world.

"She'll succumb to it sooner or later," Mia concluded flatly. “Just look at how she fawns at him in those skimpy skirts.

-I can't believe you're still blind enough not to see that he has his eye on someone else. Clarissa winked impishly at her. "There's really no way I'm going to convince you to go out with me?"

- Not today. Mia kissed her friend on the cheek and went back to scrolling through the photos.

- Issa, are you coming? Ally and Sarah were already at the door.

- Now, now! Clarissa shouted back, hugged Mia again, and headed for the exit. The editorial office slowly emptied. In half an hour, tomorrow's issue will be at the printers, arriving at distribution points all over the city around four in the morning. Mia finished transcribing the interview, chose the three photos she thought were the best, and placed them in the mock-up.

- Are you staying yet? Eric asked her.

She turned to the editor, a fifty-year-old man with gray hair. He loved sports, and judging by his outfit, he was about to go squash with his husband. Mia knew Derek and thought they were made for each other. Such well-matched couples have rarely been seen.

– I'll finish in a minute. I'm posting an article about that photographer I told you about.

– It will surely be as wonderful as your text today. I'm guessing this fireman wasn't a very easy talker?

- He was fiercely careful not to say anything personal. She laughed.

- But you came out perfectly. As usual anyway. With that, he turned and walked out into the corridor leading to the elevators.

Mia sat for an hour more, then turned off her laptop and desk lamp and grabbed her overcoat hanging on the back of the chair. She turned off all the lights and slammed the door. The clatter of her heels echoed down the white-tiled corridor. She rounded the corner and smiled as she saw George at the front desk. - Peaceful duty. She walked past the man and pressed the button for the elevator.

– Better put this on. He pointed to the coat in her hands. “There was a nice downpour outside.

"Like always when I've planned a walk home," she muttered displeasedly, but obediently pulled the coat over herself. “Say hi to your wife and kids,” she said as the door slid open.

" Stay with me" Katarzyna Muszyńska " title="Hot love story straight from Chicago. "Stay with me" by Katarzyna Muszyńska" >

She went downstairs, said goodbye to the security guard guarding the entrance, and wrinkled her nose at the sight of the rain. George wasn't exaggerating at all - it was pouring down mercilessly. For a moment she considered taking a taxi, but decided not to change her plans. She pulled her long blond hair into a ponytail, drew her wool coat tighter around her, and stepped out onto the wet pavement. The apartment she was renting was a forty-minute brisk walk from the office. She liked living downtown, and she appreciated not having to commute everywhere in the car or the hated subway.

The streets were deserted because of the weather. In fact, Mia liked the rain and the freshness it brought with it. It was as if it was washing away the stench of exhaust fumes and pollutants. She drove the first block without even thinking about the late hour. She didn't think at the moment that it wasn't wise to wander the streets of Chicago alone. As she turned into a narrow alley, she slowed down and looked back, certain she felt eyes on her. Her heart sped up and her throat went dry immediately.

– Calm down, Mia, and breathe. Nothing will happen to you. You were supposed to step out of your comfort zone and that's what you're doing," she said aloud, but it didn't make her feel any better.

She looked at her watch and swore. She hadn't thought it was that late, but the hands inexorably pointed north. Drops fell from the sky less and less, which unfortunately did not change the fact that she was already wet. When she heard footsteps behind her, she instinctively sped up. The person behind her must have done the same, and that made Mia feel cold sweat running down her back. She rushed forward, frantically wondering where the nearest nightclub was. The creature sneaking up behind her didn't let go and kept close. Panicked, she had trouble catching her breath, but then her eyes saw a well-worn signboard. She rushed into the room, and the bell hanging on the door announced her arrival. A young man was sitting behind the counter, playing some sort of shooting game on his cell phone, she guessed from the sounds coming from the device. She went to the fridge and grabbed an iced coffee. She pulled out her phone and dialed a friend's taxi driver's number. Only his car had the courage to get into it, so at that moment she was praying that he would pick it up. "What's up, baby?" His hoarse voice echoed over the receiver.

– Please tell me you're still working and have time now? Her tone dripped desperation.

- Sure, honey. Where to get you? She heard the sound of an engine starting up and breathed a sigh of relief.

– Excuse me, what is the exact address? She asked the boy behind the counter.

- 40 South Clark Street, he mumbled without taking his eyes off the screen.

Mia repeated the salesman's words and hung up. She looked around the store and grabbed more bananas, natural yogurt and pepper chips. She knew she shouldn't eat them, but she couldn't help herself. It was the little pleasures like pipes, wine, chocolate, and chips that kept her going. She went to the cash register and put down her purchases. She also asked for a pack of menthol Marlboros and paid for everything with a card. She packed her things into a shopping bag and went outside. She took shelter under a canopy, took out a cigarette and lit it. Savoring the smoke, she carefully watched the area. She knew perfectly well that no one was following her, and it was all nothing more than paranoia she'd gotten into after what had happened in Seattle. Just remembering that city made her sick to her stomach. She hated it and vowed never to go back there.

As the horn sounded, she dropped her cigarette butt on the ground. She smiled at the grinning face of her friend.

- Isn't it too late for night escapades, baby? He stared at her reprovingly as she sat down in the backseat.

- I stayed at work and didn't notice that it was already this hour - she defended herself.

– You work too much.

"Who's that?" She hit the ball, then yawned.

- Are you going to the office tomorrow too?

– I have the weekend off. She beamed at the thought.

She'd spent the last two on duty at work, and now Peter owed her a favor.

-Let me guess. Will you hide in an armchair with a pile of books and read until the morning?

- How well do you know me - she replied with a wide smile.

Her favorite rosé wine was already cooling in the refrigerator, and on the table was a pile of brand new and wonderfully smelling novels she had recently bought at a sale.

- Why don't you change your plan and come over on Saturday?

- How many people will there be? “He always invited her to a house party where dozens of people of all ages were raging. Trevor liked to play, and in that respect he was the complete opposite. That's why she liked him so much. Their acquaintance began in quite dramatic circumstances, when she was passing one of the pubs and some guy drunk in four ... letters stuck to her. He didn't want to back off for anything, and Mia felt like she was about to pass out from fright. Just as Trevor emerged from the underground and offered her a ride home in his cab. Without thinking much, she jumped into the car and inside ... fell apart. She sobbed so much that the man was afraid that the intruder had hurt her somehow and insisted that she be taken to the hospital. Seeing no other way out, alternately screaming and roaring, she told him almost everything. Even what her parents, brother, and friends didn't know. The ones she left speechless in Seattle.

Three years have passed since then, and she and Trevor have become very close.

- A few, he replied evasively. "You know that a party isn't half as fun without you as it is with you."

"Yeah, because I'm the real life of the party," she snorted, amused.

She hated dancing almost as much as she hated meeting new people. One might ask, why did she become a journalist then? She had no trouble talking about other people's lives. Trouble and shyness only appeared when the roles were reversed and she was asked questions. She was definitely hopeless at casual talk about the weather and other crap, so her friends were now limited to two people, Issa and Trevor. Unfortunately for her, the couple simply hated each other to the point that their encounters could end in fisticuffs. They only tolerated each other during Mia's birthdays and holidays. She suspected that they must have ended up in bed after one of their first parties together and something went wrong, so now they avoided each other like the plague. However, none has so far confirmed this theory.

- Will you come? he asked hopefully, stopping in front of the door of the two-story red brick building where Mia lived.

- And you're going to leave me again for some dude you're going to fuck?

That's how the last night she stayed with him ended. Trevor picked up the girl and left with her, not caring that he had guests at home. Quite a lot, if Mia was being honest. She was the one who had to make sure they didn't trash the apartment, get rid of the last stragglers who were lying in every corner, and clean it roughly.

– From now on, no one-night stands. He raised his fingers like a boy scout and made a face worthy of the cat from the movie Shrek.

"I can see it now," she murmured as she opened the door. "Promise you'll come!" he shouted after her through the half-open window.

As soon as she waved back, he honked. She turned immediately and ran to him.

- What are you doing?! she hissed.

- Either you promise to come or your neighbors will be really, really angry with you.

– To prove he was serious, he put his hand on the steering wheel.

- This is blackmail!

The loud sound of the horn echoed from the tall buildings. A light flickered on in one of the windows, and a furious Mrs. Norrison's head poked out of it.

- Okay, I'll come! Jesus how I hate you. Mia rolled her eyes.

- Not true. You love Me! Trevor winked at her. Then he waited for the door to close behind her, then set off.

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