3:44pm:
Sorry.
3:44pm:
Under a bit of pressure all of a sudden.
--------------------------------------
3:45pm:
OK, text me tonight?
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3:46pm:
Sure. What’s the latest you’ll be awake.
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3:48pm:
I’ll stay awake until you make my phone vibrate.
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3:49pm:
OK.
--------------------------------------
3:50pm:
You won’t forget me will you, Jake?
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3:51pm:
Never.
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3:52pm:
I’m glowing again : )
3:52pm:
I’ll be waiting up for you...
11:48pm:
It’s getting late here. I’m guessing you’re caught up in some engrossing piece of your work. Which is OK. But I thought I would write to let you know I’m calling it a night.
--------------------------------------
Wednesday January 23, 2013
--------------------------------------
3:06am:
Shit, I’m so, so sorry, Christine. Looks like I’m going to be pulling an all-nighter.
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3:08am:
Sounds like quite the project. Can’t you just pick a handful of stocks based on an index?
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3:12am:
I wish I could. But I have to mix the right amount of equities with a particular eye on covariance, beta, yield and standard deviation. This project is turning into an impossibility because the numbers from 2008 and 2009 aren’t exactly forgiving in my back-testing.
--------------------------------------
3:13am:
I have no clue what you’re talking about, but I’m sure it’s something simple for a seasoned pro like you...
--------------------------------------
3:16am:
Unfortunately, it’s not. Because there’s a grocery list of bullshit must-haves before I can even propose a security.
3:17am:
So, what are you doing awake at this hour? I thought you went to bed?
--------------------------------------
3:19am:
I kept my phone on.
--------------------------------------
3:20am:
So I woke you?
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3:21am:
It’s okay.
--------------------------------------
3:22am:
Not when you’re a semi-insomniac it’s not.
3:22am:
Next time I’ll wait until morning.
--------------------------------------
3:22am:
No.
3:23am:
Don’t wait. If I really wanted some good, uninterrupted sleep, I would have kept the phone turned off.
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3:24am:
Sometimes we don’t know what is best for ourselves. And only the people who love us the most can keep us safe from our own bad decisions.
3:24am:
I think I will keep you safe from such bad decisions in the future.
--------------------------------------
3:25am:
I’m happy you love me, but I *am* a big girl. I cant take care of myself.
3:25am:
*can* take care of myself.
--------------------------------------
3:26am:
Seems like a Freudian slip to me.
--------------------------------------
3:27am:
More like I’m still half asleep.
--------------------------------------
3:27am:
Perfect, then you should get back to it.
3:28am:
Preserve YOUR energy for this weekend.
--------------------------------------
3:29am:
Two more sleeps! Yay!
--------------------------------------
3:29am:
Yes, and that means just 2 more days for me to get this shitty project submitted and approved.
--------------------------------------
3:30am:
I’m sorry, I’ll let you get back to it.
--------------------------------------
3:30am:
Thank you. I’m sorry too.
--------------------------------------
3:31am:
Text me in the morning?
--------------------------------------
3:31am:
You know I will.
--------------------------------------
3:32am:
No, I don’t *know* but I *hope* that you will...
--------------------------------------
3:32am:
I promise.
--------------------------------------
3:33am:
Don’t break that promise, Jake.
--------------------------------------
3:33am:
I won’t.
--------------------------------------
3:34am:
OK, good luck with your work.
--------------------------------------
3:35am:
OK. Good night.
--------------------------------------
3:36am:
Good night.
--------------------------------------
4:42pm:
Are you pissed at me?
--------------------------------------
4:45pm:
A little.
--------------------------------------
4:46pm:
I’m so sorry. I have only left my desk twice all day. I even worked on the subway like a complete moron.
--------------------------------------
4:47pm:
You work a lot.
--------------------------------------
4:48pm:
You said my addiction to my job was forgiveable.
--------------------------------------
4:51pm:
I think the key word was *forgivable*.
--------------------------------------
4:52pm:
I’m sorry. It’s probably my biggest flaw.
4:52pm:
Once I leave Friday night, I’m all yours.
--------------------------------------
4:53pm:
What about Saturday?
--------------------------------------
4:54pm:
Saturday, too.
--------------------------------------
4:55pm:
Are you close to hitting the mark on this project or what?
--------------------------------------
4:56pm:
Do you want the honest answer? Or the one we both want to hear?
--------------------------------------
4:57pm:
Sounds like they are not one and the same.
--------------------------------------
4:59pm:
They’re not. Not yet.
--------------------------------------
4:59pm:
OK, get back to work.
4:59pm:
I’ve got a text from another stranger, I’ll see how that works out for me.
--------------------------------------
5:00pm:
Is that an attempt at humor?
5:01pm:
Sorry, I can’t tell between many things these days - too much tension, not enough sleep!
&
nbsp; --------------------------------------
5:02pm:
We’ll chat tomorrow.
5:02pm:
Go home, get some sleep tonight.
--------------------------------------
5:03pm:
OK.
5:03pm:
I miss you.
--------------------------------------
5:04pm:
Me too.
--------------------------------------
Thurs day January 24, 2013
--------------------------------------
3:15pm:
One more sleep.
3:20pm:
You there?
3:25pm:
Well, you’ll be happy to hear that my Portfolio Manager approved my last draft, which I presented to him less than an hour ago. He called it PERFECT. And I think he might have even used the term PIECE OF ART. Total contrast to the vibes he’s been sending me since Monday, that’s for sure.
3:27pm:
So the good news is that there’s nothing to distract me tomorrow night when you get here.
3:29pm:
There’s a nice private restaurant on Park Ave where my company owns a membership. I can use our account to get us in for a nice meal, great wine and the best private collection of offshore single malt that I have ever seen.
3:32pm:
So.... I’m guessing you’re pretty pissed...
3:38pm:
Tell you what. I will show you a weekend you’ll never forget.
3:39pm:
Until then, please find a way to forgive me for my work addiction.
3:40pm:
Miss you.
--------------------------------------
4:45pm:
Sorry for not writing back sooner. There’s been a shit storm brewing at my end for quite some time now, and it seems it has hit a boiling point. Today of all days. Terrible timing.
--------------------------------------
4:46pm:
That doesn’t sound good.
--------------------------------------
4:47pm:
It’s not. In fact, it’s worse than you can imagine.
--------------------------------------
4:48pm:
Are you still employed?
--------------------------------------
4:48pm:
Oh, I’m safe. And for the record, losing my job right now would not necessarily be a *bad* thing.
4:48pm:
But it’s very bad.
--------------------------------------
4:49pm:
I’m not sure that I follow.
4:53pm:
You still there?
--------------------------------------
4:55pm:
I don’t know how else to text this, but here goes...
--------------------------------------
4:55pm:
You’re making me nervous, Christine.
--------------------------------------
4:56pm:
Sorry. The tension in here is so thick, I’m afraid they can hear me texting you!
--------------------------------------
4:57pm:
So what do you have to tell me?
--------------------------------------
4:58pm:
I’m not going to NYC this weekend.
4:58pm:
There I said it.
4:59pm:
My trip was canceled by my managing partner. He wants me exclusively in Canada. No more road trips to NYC.
--------------------------------------
5:01pm:
Come anyway. Make it a personal trip.
--------------------------------------
5:03pm:
He’s gotten himself into a pissing contest with his NYC counterpart and it could get pretty ugly by the sounds of things.
5:04pm:
Jake, I don’t know what to think. I don’t know what to do!
--------------------------------------
5:05pm:
Make the trip tomorrow night. We’ll have a good dinner, a good- great night, and a fun Saturday in the City. You’ll forget all about the polishits at your firm.
--------------------------------------
5:06pm:
Polishits, I love it!
5:06pm:
But I can’t make the trip, Jake. It gets complicated with Customs when I come back across the border without a letter. They’ll think I’ve been back and forth for work, they won’t believe that it is personal. And if I’m delayed... with the way things are going right now, it would get really ugly for me.
5:07pm:
It feels like everything is falling apart.
--------------------------------------
5:08pm:
Take the risk, Christine. If you get fired, you can come back to NYC. I can take care of you while you find your next job.
5:09pm:
Who knows, maybe getting detained at Customs and losing your job would be another sign?
--------------------------------------
5:10pm:
You’re right. There’s no reason for me to be this nervous about a job. I’m an expert in my field, I can find work easily.
5:11pm:
OK, it’s set. I’m heading to NYC on personal reasons and to hell with whatever happens!
--------------------------------------
5:12pm:
That sounds better! Fuck your partners!
5:12pm:
(Now I can breathe again).
--------------------------------------
5:13pm:
Yes, fuck them. If I get canned, I’ll move in with you.
5:13pm:
(Now I’m starting to hope I get canned!)
5:14pm: I
sure hope you have a clean apartment!
--------------------------------------
5:15pm:
You’ll love my apartment. You can see Central Park from one of the windows in my bedroom.
--------------------------------------
5:16pm:
Oh, boy. Just got an email. A few of us CA’s have a 5:30 meeting with our managing partner tonight.
--------------------------------------
5:17pm:
OK, keep me posted.
5:18pm:
Should I book the dinner for tomorrow?
--------------------------------------
5:18pm:
Yes, I can’t wait to see this private, members-only restaurant!
--------------------------------------
5:18pm:
You’ll love it.
--------------------------------------
5:19pm:
I know I will.
5:20pm:
Gotta run. Thanks for cheering me up, Jake.
--------------------------------------
Friday January 25 , 2013
--------------------------------------
1:30am:
I have some bad news, Jake.
--------------------------------------
1:32am:
Everything OK?
--------------------------------------
1:33am:
No, everything sucks. I can’t make it to NYC this weekend.
1:33am:
I’m so sorry.
1:38am:
Are you still there?
1:40am:
OK, I understand. I’m disappointed and pissed too.
1:42am:
Send me a text when you can.
1:42am:
I’m so sorry.
1:45am:
Please don’t hate me. It’s out of my control.
3:30am:
Obviously I can’t sleep. I’ve been awake all night, sitting here and wondering what I can do to make it to NYC this weekend. No matter what angle I look at it, it’s just not possible. My partner is crazy over this and
I wouldn’t want to underestimate what he would do if he ever found out.
Textual Encounters (The Christine + Jake Affair) Page 7
