Safe With You

07: Cherry Coke

Killian Dion Gray

A pair of arms wrapped around my frame as I stood in the kitchen waiting for my coffee to be ready.

An overwhelming scent of overpriced Chanel perfume filled my senses, diluting the scent of coffee. Basic, gross, and overused.

"Leaving for work already?" She said sliding her leg between mine. "Leaving me?"

I pour the coffee into my cup. "...You know when to leave I don't understand why you're still here." Harper or whatever her name is, knows to leave at 2 a.m. If she stays any longer she clings. I unhooked her arms from my waist, not flinching at the sight of her body. "You better be gone after I grab my jacket from the closet." I walked away toward a room I turned into a closet.

The sounds of her heels click against the floor as she huffs and puffs, finding the rest of her belongings. The door finally slamming shut shaking the windows.

I have needs. We all have needs. And unfortunately she was the person who called at a fortunate time.

Walking out back into the living room her overpriced perfume still lingers in the air. I physically cringe at the smell. My finger presses the garage floor, watching the numbers decrease.

Stepping out into the cold underground garage I find my car and make my way to the office.

The drive isn't long and traffic this morning wasn't bad either. I scan my phone against the gate standing between the lobby and elevators.

My eyes immediately find her. There Raine stands with a group of other employees in her maroon shirt with a small v-line, exposing her skin, and her black pencil skirt that highlighted her long legs. Her black hair straightened like silk, long enough to wrap around my hand. Glasses occupied her face, simple black frames.

I stand beside her, noticing the way she looked at her tablet, scrolling through Emails. Pressing the middle of her glasses up as she focused in on a certain Email before the elevator dinged. Raine's the first one to step in, not looking up from her tablet.

Other employees take the first elevator that dinged, the one Raine hadn't noticed. And the one I didn't step onto.

I close the doors and stand besides her. Watching as she uses her free hand to reach into her purse and pulls out a small chapstick. She uses her teeth to take the cap off, grabbing it with her fingers, and placing the cherry coke chapstick on.

"It's dangerous not being aware of your surroundings." I said distracting myself from watching her place the cherry coke chapstick on her plump pink lips. Raine abruptly looks up. "You haven't once looked up from your tablet." I pointed out.

"Oh, morning Killian." Raine paused swiping her chapstick on the middle part of her lip. Pushing it inwards onto her lip before placing the cap back on. "I was just super swamped with Emails today. I don't know what's happening, trying to catch up I guess."

"Understandable, just take a look around before you do that." I said before the doors opened to Raine's floor. "You never know." She began to walk over looking over her shoulder.

"I'll take note, Mr. Gray." And with that the doors closed. The tone in her voice was clear and calm.

The elevator dings softly, and the polished chrome doors slide open to reveal the acting department. This floor is alive with energy. It houses all the employees dedicated to working with the actors and actresses Dream Entertainment represents. Dream Records manages the musicians and producers, et cetera.

The acting department host employees from casting directors and talent managers to acting coaches and wardrobe specialist as well as hair and makeup. Everyone here plays a role. The floor buzzes with conversations, clicking of keyboards, and the occasional burst of laughter from a rehearsal room down the hall. This floor is always busy.