THE HIGH GODDESS

Eight

She was in high spirits. The contract had already been signed and she had been clever enough to include a penalty for the party that wanted to break it first. They would have to pay ten million dollars. Reina was so sure she wasn't the one who'd break it since her new job was everything she had ever wanted, so if anyone was going to be ten million dollars rich, it was her. Raye hadn't believed that she had woken up before her alarm. While food wasn't her favorite, sleep was. She could lie in bed all day and still stumble into it at night. After finishing the breakfast he had set in front of her -something else that surprised him-, she rushed out the door. 

Getting to work early was her way of showing Rena just how serious she would be. The salary she'd been offered wasn't something normal people earned. It was hard to turn down the job when she saw the final numbers. Since it was her first day to work, she wanted her employer to know she was worth that money. In the taxi she'd taken, she wondered how her first day will be like. What was she supposed to do? Did they already have a schedule for her? Everything was exciting. The second the taxi stopped in front of the building, she jumped out, waving the change the driver was trying to give her away. She was finally starting a new life.

Dressed in a navy blue jumpsuit, white blazer and red pumps, she strutted into the K cosmetics building with so much confidence that she had a few heads turning. Unlike all the other times, there was admiration in her spectator's eyes. Maybe a little jealousy. But that was all. The scorn and disdain she'd received before were nowhere to be seen. Solidifying her belief that people in the city were different from those in small villages. With all the attention she was getting, Reina felt appreciated. Finally others were seeing her for what she really was. A beauty that needed to be valued and cherished. Granted there were a total of three people in the lobby, but still. One pair of eyes was enough for her. 

Getting in the elevator, she pressed the button for the twenty third floor. She didn't have an office yet but was hoping to get one that day. When nothing happened, she pressed it again, several times. Nothing. Even the doors didn't close. Stepping out of the small box, she signaled for the woman sitting behind the large desk at the reception area. She was ignored. She raised her hand to signal again but someone caught it in the air, startling her. Reina spun around and almost fell on her butt. If he hadn't been holding her, she was sure she would have fallen and embarrassed herself. Was he stalking her? 

"Can I help you?" She asked trying to yank her hand away from his. 

"I've never needed your help lady. Why do you keep asking that?" 

"Because you are stalking me. My home, the coffee shop and now here. What do you want?" 

"Stalking? You?" 

"Are you here to see someone else?" 

"If I say yes then what will you do?" 

"Ask you to be on your way dumbass. It's not like I have any business with you" she retorted looking down at her shoes. If she used enough force, they could make a hole in someone's leg. This weirdo needed to be crippled so he'd know not to stalk people. 'I'll be good. I promise' suddenly that sentence rang in her head. She'd told Raye she wouldn't cause trouble. On top of that, Rena had told her to be indifferent no matter the situation. 'You can do it Reina. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it' she repeated the chant in her brain several times. Then breathing in she lifted her head and looked him straight in the eyes. 

The world seemed to have stopped in that moment. Reina wondered how she'd missed those glowing lavender eyes edged by thick brown lashes. She'd never seen anything like it, yet they seemed familiar. Like a distant memory? No. It couldn't be. If she ever met this weirdo, she was sure she could remember him. So why were they familiar? And why were they pulling her? She couldn't date another man until they found out what was wrong with her. Raye said he was looking for a solution. How much longer was he going to take? Because it felt like the more she stared into those wicked eyes, the more she wanted to..... 

"Eeew, let go of me before I scream" she stopped that thought in its tracks. Never. She wanted nothing to do with this man who had really enchanting eyes. God help her, she didn't want to look into them ever again. They were dangerous. He was dangerous. 

"I dare you to scream" he whispered even though they were the only people there. Was he mocking her? Him of all people? Screw everything Rena had told her yesterday. If anyone asked, she would say this asshole was harassing her. He realized she wasn't joking and covered her mouth with his hand on time before she let out the scream. Pulling her into his body, her back plastered to his front, Reina struggled to free herself all while trying to ignore the heat surrounding her. This wasn't a hug but it had to be the first hug she'd ever experienced. 

She wasn't in the habit of displaying affection even to her brother. It hadn't mattered in the past but after this, she wondered how she was ever going to live without hugs. Was everyone so warm? Why hadn't she done it before? Would it feel this good if she turned around and properly hugged him? And oh my God, what was she thinking about when this psycho was dragging her somewhere? Her feet weren't moving but she knew they'd left the lobby. Was he k********g her or something? His hand was big enough to cover her entire face and when he finally removed it she spun around spewing a litany of curses at him. 

"You motherfucking asshole. Who do you think you are to...." She trailed off when she noticed where they were "What the f**k?" She asked no one in particular. This..... What was it? Or more accurately, where was it? They had been inside the K building. How had they gotten there? Or was this part of the building "What is this place?" 

"Does it ring a memory?" 

"Should it?" A yard full of cherry blossoms trees except the pale pink leaves weren't falling to the ground like they should but floating in the air. The ground. There was no ground to begin with. Or maybe she couldn't see the ground because of the smoke. Again Reina realized it wasn't smoke but clouds? They were standing on clouds? She was still asleep and this was a dream. She hadn't woken up and her first day to work hadn't started "I need to wake up or I'll be late for work" she murmured to herself. 

"Do you remember anything?" The psycho asked. Why was he in her dream anyway? Did she really want to see him again? 

"Get lost loser. Like seriously, I don't want to deal with in real life and much less in my dreams. I order you to get out of my dreams" 

"I must have been out of my mind to think you'd be her" 

"Her? Who?" 

"No one" he tried to reach for her again but she jumped back. 

"You thought I was someone else and that's the reason you've been stalking me?" She asked incredulously "Is she your ex? The person you seem to be looking for?" 

"Stop talking nonsense. We need to leave before...." 

"Reina" Raye's voice startled her. 

"You too?" 

All of a sudden he was beside her, grabbing her elbow "Let's go" 

"Where? I want to stay here a bit longer. It's beautiful, isn't it? Look at the trees and that house, it looks like a palace. I wish this was real and not a dream. If such a place existed I'd do everything I could to make it mine" turning her face up to his, she said "Wouldn't like it here?" 

"It's not bad. But you need to wake up and go to work" he was still a hard ass even in her dreams. 

"Give me a break, will you. I just got....." 

"Wake up Reina. Your alarm had been going off for the last twenty minutes" Raye's voice yelled in her ears. She threw her hand out, hoping to slap his annoying face away "Nice try" he chuckled then threw the blankets away. She sat up, pushing her hair from her face. 

"You ruined my dream" 

"Didn't you say you got a new job?" 

"A new jo..... Oh God. Why didn't you wake me up earlier? Get out of my way" she rushed to the bathroom. Ten minutes. That's all she had. 

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Was all this a dream or reality?