Twelve blocks away from the Print Shop sat a small cluster of apartment buildings, mostly those of luxury quality sprinkled with a few modestly-priced rentals as well. On the tenth and top floor of the apartment building, nestled between two newlywed suites perched a one-bedroom rental. The living room of which, was filled to the brim with empty but recently unpacked cardboard boxes. Empty Chinese takeout boxes and wine bottles littered the counter of the kitchen as an alarm clock blared inside another room. A small, manicured hand gingerly pressed the snooze button, a slender body rising from the under the thick down blanket. She pulled herself into a sitting position and sleepily found her athletic shorts and thin compression shirt. Slipping them on, along with a pair of tennis shoes, she pulled her light chestnut hair into a top knot and walked out of the large bedroom.
The owner of such bedroom, Josie Kossak, still drowsy, grabbed her iPhone from her bedside table along with her headphones. She made her way to the stairs, taking all ten flights to the bottom floor. She was a little breathless but soon leveled her breathing out as she stepped out into the fresh New York air. Or, at least, as fresh as New York air could be. Josie set up her workout app on her phone, checked the time which read 5:12 and began to jog down the street. People were already bustling their way to work, most carrying multiple cups of coffee although this was no surprise to her. It was New York after all. She smiled, remembering the days when she was the lackey for her fellow reporters. That didn't last too long, thanks to Roger, her boss. She thought about the older man for only a moment. He was six years older, tall and tan with these large bright white teeth. His brown hair was slicked back, enough to look clean but not so much that he looked like a grease ball. Josie had to admit, his green eyes were to die for but she didn't have time for him. Given, he was her boss, but romance with him was not in her cards. With a small eye roll of her vibrant blue eyes, she shook the thoughts out of her head and focused fully on the music in her ears.
As if on cue, she stopped in front of the print shop, the manager rushing out and almost into her. He didn't bother with an apology, though he rarely did. She had been running this route for four weeks and he had apologized maybe twice in that whole period. Josie rounded the block and made her way back towards her apartment. Stopping in front of the doors she looked back at her phone, reading the time of 5:23. A smile spread across her lips and she walked inside. "A whole minute off," she breathed in almost relief. Despite eating take out every day while getting her apartment together, she still managed to shave another minute off her run. Back up the stairs and into her apartment, she shed her clothing and stepped into the shower. The hot water pounded against her back in a massaging rhythm, unable to lull her to sleep now that her adrenaline was rushing from the run.
Josie pulled her hair into another top knot after she washed it and stepped out of the shower. She applied her light foundation and her casual eye make up, sure not to over power it. She pulled her hair from its trap and curled it with her wet to dry curler, wrapping a towel loosely around the curve of her body. Her phone beeped, as an alarm, to tell her that it was five forty-five. A satin, red button up tucked into a tight black skirt and black heels finished off her ensemble for the day. She'd have to come home and change before she went on the night portion of her job later.
She poured her cat a bit of food, scratched his head lovingly and walked out of the apartment. She took the elevator this time to the bottom floor, paraded next door for a coffee for herself, and hailed a cab to head to work.