Love Like a Man

Chapter 1 - Insta Heartbreak

PLEASE READ THE LAST 3 CHAPTERS FIRST AND CHECK OUT MY NEW STORY, JUNO UNBOUND.

Claire Warren felt the stress of the work week slowly melt away with each sip of her icey gin and tonic. Sinking deeper into her favorite blue velvet chair, she was finally relaxed enough to enjoy the weekend. Her balcony overlooking Toronto's twinkling lights was her own private oasis in her hectic life. Aside from the condo being close to her job on Bay Street, its spectacular view was the main reason she had bought the place.

All too soon, Claire's peace was interrupted by the vibrating of her phone. She rolled her eyes, and reluctantly pulled it out of her pocket. It was a text from her friend Iris "See you in an hour on the roof at Fitzgerald's... Don't be late!"

Fat chance. Claire thought to herself. She was almost always late.

"I'll do my best." Claire texted back, with the hope that it would be enough to placate her freakishly punctual friend.

With a sigh, Claire heaved herself out of her comfy chair and made her way through her shoe-box-sized condo to get dressed.

Flinging open her bedroom's closet doors, she began flipping through her clothing trying to find an outfit that was effortlessly sexy. Fitzgerald's was located in one of the City's most upscale neighbourhoods and even though it didn't have a dress code, the ensembles people wore there were still worth more than one of Claire's mortgage payments.

After standing in front of her closet agonizing long enough to finish her drink, Claire eventually settled on wearing ripped boyfriend jeans rolled up to her ankles, a white crop-top t-shirt (with a padded bra underneath) and open toed, nude stiletto booties. It had always annoyed Claire that outfits which were meant to look like they were simply thrown on, actually took her the most time to put together.

Claire tackled her hair next and spent more than twenty minutes wrapping the light brown strands around her curling wand to put it into "effortlessly" sexy, beachy waves. The finishing touches to her look were chunky gold jewelry, a swipe of fire engine red lipstick and a spritz of Tom Ford's Black Orchid Perfume.

Finally, feeling ready for battle, Claire headed out to catch a subway to meet the girls at the bar.

***

Fitzgerald's rooftop patio was the place to be seen in Toronto on a Friday night in June; it was the place where the City's successful young people converged. It was also the favorite spot for Claire and her girls to go man hunting; her friend Miriam preferred doctors, Claire was on the hunt for an investment banker like herself and Iris liked variety - Fitzgerald's was one of the only spots that had the variety to keep all three happy.

Claire saw Miriam and Iris waiting for her at a table when she arrived. She waved at them through the crowd and headed to the bar to grab a G&T before joining them.

Claire first met Miriam and Iris in a study group two years earlier that they'd all joined to prep for the third and final test of a their Certified Financial Analyst designation. It had been a lot of work, but the stress of it all created a bond between the three women.

While in the real world the three women were entirely different from one another, in the investment banking world, they were viewed as almost identical by their bosses who simply lumped them all into the broad "woman" category.

"So, how's the fishing been tonight ladies?" Claire shouted over the noise of the crowd as she approached her friends. "I'm surprised you two haven't reeled anyone in to buy us our drinks yet."

"Believe me, if you saw the guys who just offered to buy us a drink you wouldn't be complaining that you just bought your own." Miriam replied playfully.