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I plan to arrive at work thirty et to Building One, where the CEO’s office is, deliver the package, andThree, where my office is, with plenty of tiave et to work, I have only ten e

It could wait for lunchtiet it out of my car and my mind Then I can move on with the day and I won’t have to think about Juice Guy--Mr Frost--any, whichforever for the elevator since I don’t use stairwells by myself Ever Norhtit even closer

So I try to take the stairs, even open the door and start to go in But even that has o at boarding school swa me Nope, can’t do it It’s definitely the elevator for e onto the fifth floor, I walk straight off the elevator into a lush--dare I say opulent--waiting roon on the wall to know I’ve found the CEO’s office Overstuffed couches, thick carpeting, expensive art--all done in rich autuolds and reds and browns Even the coffee and side tables are dark, heavy wood instead of the glass and chrome you find inthat one of the foreuys in the world has an outer office filled with antique furniture

Not that it matters, except it’s another contradiction Surf buenius Juice Guy versus CEO Antiques collector versus visionary Against my will, I’m fascinated The part of ether wants to scatter all the different pieces of him out in front of ether so I can see--really see--how they all line up How they all work together

Not that I’ll ever get the chance After all, I’ else is completely out of the question

The reception area is manned by an attractive older woman, one whose stern look says she could take on the devil and win--and probably already has As I approach, she looks down her nose atdown and I’ood look, one that I vow to practice until I can successfully imitate it I’m sure at some point in my career as an intellectual property attorney a look like that will come in handy

"Do you have an appointment?" she asks when I stop directly in front of her desk Not once does she look at the large box init’s not every day people carry giant blenders into the CEO’s office with theain, what do I know? Maybe Ethan Frost really does send Vitamixes to all his e to return it than I already think I do

"I don’t have an appointment But--"

"Mr Frost doesn’t see anyone without an appointment"

"I understand that But all I want--"

"You’re free to leave a e with your name, number, and what business you’d like to see hi to see you, you’ll receive a call in twenty-four to forty-eight hours to set up the appointment"

She delivers the whole speech in a perfectly polite tone, but it etataround the esteemed Mr Frost--orto say before I say it I get that she’s the first line of defense between the public and one of the most revered CEOs on the planet, but really, he’s just not that special

Liar The little voice insideto listen to it Especially since last tiet me into trouble So I wait for the receptionist to pick up her pen and e pad and then say, "I don’t need an appoinths heavily "Everyone needs an appointment if they want to see--"

Completely fed up by this point, not toaway, I cut her off by dropping the blender on her desk with a resounding thump "I just want to return this to him There’s a note attached, but I’m sure he’ll knoho it’s from Thank you"

I turn and walk away before she can say anything else As I wait for the elevator, I’et as precious seconds and ht o’clock rolls around and I a for the elevator Though I’ the stairs, I’ up any later to work This is so not how I planned to i an ass of ets ht in one of the most reputable companies in the country There’s no place safer fora baby and just do it

I’ve ht of steps--a task which is much easier today in my sensible navy pumps than it would have been yesterday in those ridiculous Louboutins, thank God--when I hear the stairwell door above h I know it’s ridiculous, know I’m completely safe, ice skates down my spine anyway Freezes me in place for what feels like endless seconds

Panic twists up insidequicken and ain, jogging down the stairs as fast as I can without looking like an utter lunatic

But whoever is in here witheven faster than I a on the concrete steps, know he’s gaining on ht response goes into full effect inside es of the past boet dignity and get the hell out of here as fast as I possibly can

I listen, start running full-out now, round floor Maybe I’d do better exiting onto the second floor, but it’s early still, the back halls nearly deserted The lobby is et there--

My heel catches on the edge of one of the steps and I trip, go flying I’m about six or seven steps frooing to hurt Not tofor

Desperate to stop the fall, I claw at the railing, try to catch ers I feel a bump, followed by a sharp pain into avoid injury to payto fall, so I attempt to brace myself Hunch my shoulders and try to tuck hthand grabs uy who’s been chasing ic insists that I have nothing to fear from the man who just stoppedatthe peace of mind I’ve worked so hard for

I’ but instinct goes straight out theI lash out, try to kick hi over the stairs