BTS Book Reviews Issue 18 | Page 61

Alexis Winters rolled her eyes. Yet another polyester-bearded Santa Claus gawked at her bare legs. The straps of her what-thehell-was-I-thinking high-heeled pumps dug into her ankles as she snaked through the crowds toward Grand Central Station. Slipping the phone from her purse’s outside pocket, she glanced at the time. 7:34. Damn. She had eleven minutes to catch her train or she’d be stuck in the city for another hour. A soggy chill that only a New York City December evening could produce found its way to her toes. It wasn’t comfortable, but she sure as hell didn’t regret shimmying out of her pantyhose in the ladies room before leaving the office. The cold air swirling around her calves felt like heaven compared to the past ten hours spent in a stagnant office. Kicking up her pace to power-walk mode, Alexis pushed through the revolving doors into the station and headed toward Track 17. She took a split second to appreciate the vaulted ceilings and massive windows of one of the city’s treasures. Climbing the January 2014 | 61