Chapter one
ONE
Greyson was having a terrible day.
Greyson worked from his apartment, and he considered that a major perk of his job. He didn’t have a commute. His work hours were flexible. He could make himself a sandwich in his own kitchen for lunch.
What Greyson hadn’t prepared for was how despondent he’d feel some days. It was tempting not to leave his apartment for days at a time. It could be a beautiful late-spring day, with a warm sun and a cool breeze, and he’d never even bother to open a window.
Greyson hit ‘send’ on a tense email to his manager and three other members of his team.
Greyson’s coworkers implied he was responsible for a mistake.
His manager was passive-aggressive in every exchange.
Greyson was ready to throw his computer out the window.
Every ding of his email and chat that interrupted his work ground his nerves until he was ready to scream. It was only noon.
Screw this, Greyson thought. He needed some fresh air. He needed to get away from this stupid screen and the stupid sound his email made. He didn’t have any scheduled afternoon meetings. He grabbed his keys and typed hiking trails near me.