Chapter 188 | Within Acceptable Nutritional Parameters
Chapter 188: 188 | Within Acceptable Nutritional Parameters
"I already texted her back."
"Text her again. She needs reassurance. It’s one of her love languages."
Jordan pulled himself out of bed and found his jeans on the floor where they’d landed last night. "You’re very bossy in the morning."
"I’m bossy all the time. You’re just now noticing because the sex endorphins are wearing off."
She kissed him quickly on the mouth before he could respond. Tasted like toothpaste and the coconut lip balm she kept on her nightstand. Then she was out the door and gone, leaving Jordan standing shirtless in her apartment with his jeans half-buttoned and his brain struggling to catch up.
His phone buzzed.
Kumiko:jordan-kun??
Kumiko:are you still there??
Kumiko:did i send too many messages
Kumiko:i sent too many messages didn’t i
Kumiko:this is why i’m single
Kumiko:wait no i’m not single anymore
Kumiko:AHHHHHH
Jordan typed: "You’re perfect. Don’t change. I’ll call you later tonight after class."
Kumiko:you think i’m perfect??
Kumiko:nobody’s ever called me perfect before
Kumiko:except my mom but that doesn’t count
Kumiko:jordan-kun you can’t just SAY things like that
Kumiko:my heart can’t handle it
Kumiko:i’m literally lying on my floor right now
Kumiko:send help
Kumiko:actually don’t send help just send more compliments
Jordan laughed out loud at that one. He finished getting dressed, grabbed his phone and keys, and headed back to his own apartment to shower and change before class.
The hallway was quiet at this hour. Most of the building’s residents were either still asleep or already gone for the day. Jordan’s door was exactly where he’d left it, which was reassuring. His apartment was also exactly where he’d left it, which was less reassuring because he’d been spending so much time at Chloe’s place that his own home was starting to feel unfamiliar.
He showered quickly, dressed in clean clothes, and checked his reflection in the bathroom mirror. The person looking back at him still didn’t quite register as real. Broader shoulders. Sharper jaw. Eyes that weren’t exhausted and dead. He looked like someone who had his life together.
He did not have his life together.
But he looked like he did, and apparently that was most of the battle.
His phone buzzed with a new message.
Brooke:LLC paperwork has been submitted. Estimated processing time 3-5 business days with expedited handling. I’ve also drafted a preliminary operating agreement based on the revenue split we discussed. Please review at your convenience and provide feedback on sections 4.2 through 4.7 regarding talent compensation structures.
Jordan read the message twice. Brooke had stayed up all night to finish paperwork that wasn’t due for another two days. She’d probably forgotten to eat breakfast. She’d definitely forgotten to sleep.
He typed back: "You’re incredible. Also did you sleep at all?"
Brooke:Sleep is an inefficient allocation of time during critical business formation periods. I can compensate with caffeine and strategic napping.
Jordan:That’s not how sleep works.
Brooke:It is how I make sleep work. I’ve optimized the process.
Jordan:Brooke.
Brooke:Jordan.
Jordan:Get some rest. The LLC isn’t going anywhere.
Brooke: *I appreciate your concern but I have a schedule to maintain. I’ll rest once the preliminary documentation is complete. Which should be approximately... *
A pause. Then:
Brooke:Four hours from now.
Jordan:What happens in four hours?
Brooke:I pass out at my desk. It’s on the schedule.
Jordan stared at his phone. He couldn’t tell if she was joking. With Brooke it was genuinely impossible to know.
Jordan:Please eat something at least.
Brooke:I have a granola bar.
Jordan:One granola bar is not a meal.
Brooke:It contains 190 calories and 6 grams of protein. Combined with my earlier coffee consumption I am operating within acceptable nutritional parameters.
Jordan:I’m buying you lunch tomorrow. Non-negotiable.
A longer pause this time. Then:
Brooke:That is... acceptable. I will add it to my calendar.
Jordan pocketed his phone and grabbed his backpack. He had about forty minutes before Economics started, which gave him enough time to stop at the campus coffee shop and caffeinate himself into functionality.
The walk across campus was pleasant. The January weather had warmed slightly overnight, and the morning sun felt good on his face. Students passed him going the other direction, most of them staring at phones or earbuds or the ground directly in front of their feet. Jordan nodded at a few people he recognized from class. Most of them nodded back.
That still felt weird.
Three weeks ago nobody had acknowledged his existence. Now people smiled at him in hallways and waved at him across the quad and actually remembered his name. He wasn’t sure if that was because of his physical transformation or his new social connections or just the general aura of someone who wasn’t constantly radiating desperate sadness.
Probably all three.
The coffee shop line was mercifully short. Jordan ordered his usual dragonfruit refresher and found a seat near the window where he could watch people while pretending to be productive.
His phone buzzed.
Kyle:you up?
Jordan:Been up since 7. Chloe’s alarm.
Kyle:she set an alarm for you?
Jordan:She set an alarm for herself. I was collateral damage.
Kyle:sleeping over on a school night. look at you being all adult and responsible.
Jordan:Nothing about last night was responsible.
Kyle:I don’t want details.
Jordan:I wasn’t offering details.
Kyle:Good. Keep it that way. Some things I don’t need to visualize.
Jordan smiled. Kyle’s discomfort with relationship talk was one of his most consistent personality traits. The guy could discuss boxing techniques for hours but the moment anyone mentioned anything romantic he shut down completely.
Kyle:anyway. gym later?
Jordan:After class. Like 4?
Kyle:works for me. Leo already texted saying he’s coming.
Jordan:He’s still doing that?
Kyle:he woke up at 5am to do pushups. in his apartment. by himself.
Jordan:Leo did pushups?
Kyle:apparently. he sent me a video.
Jordan:Was it sad?
Kyle:it was the saddest thing I’ve ever seen. he did 7 before collapsing.
Jordan:Progress though.
Kyle:if you want to call it that.