~ A New Beginning ~ ||Countryhumans x countryreader||

~ Prologue ~

The rich color of the coffee was almost hypnotic, and I couldn't help but take a deep breath of the warm, earthy scent before finally setting the pot down. As expected, Marci was hovering behind me with her cup, so, I slid the pot across the counter and towards her. I then grabbed whatever I wanted to add to my own coffee (Unless you like it black- DON'T say like your soul, I hear that joke constantly) 

Marci poured her cup, The sound of the coffee pot was unmistakable, a soft but steady gurgling noise that filled the room with a sense of warmth and comfort. As I pushed the creamer her way, I listened. Marci carefully lifted the pot and began to pour the coffee into her mug, the liquid making a gentle splashing noise as it hit the bottom of the cup. The sound was soft and soothing, like a gentle melody. "So... Are you doing much this weekend?" Again, that somewhat comfortable silence was quickly pushed away.

"Marci... You know that I work. I still have papers I want to finish."
"Yeah, I know."

The room got silent again, I subconsciously watched as the steam from my coffee wafted and twirled softly through the air. It felt longer, but truly, it had only been a moment. "Has no one told you how much of a workaholic you are?" I rolled my eyes slightly, assuming she'd been joking, but when I looked back she still stood there with the same somewhat deadpanned expression. "What? What's wrong with having a strong work ethic?"

"You know what I mean, (y/n)."
"No, no I don't."

Marci groaned, we would banter sometimes and she always gave up. I assumed this time would be no different, as long as I acted oblivious to what she meant. "A strong work ethic is fine, it's great, and it's easy to encourage. But there's a difference between a hard worker and a workaholic. You keep this up, and you'll just burn yourself out! Jeez..." I sighed, unsure of what made me more upset, the fact that she was being smart with me or the fact that she was right. Maybe if I agreed, she'd get off my back about it. "Alright, alright... something small. Ok? Ok."

"Saturday?"
"No, Sunday."

"Let me guess, so you can work yourself all day until you sleep?" I scoffed and yet again, she was still being serious. "Oh, come on, (y/n)! At least let me treat you to breakfast! Less places are open on Sunday anyways!" I sipped on my coffee, "Sunday's final." Marci grumbled in annoyance, not bothering with yet another round of banter. She sipped on her coffee some more, and so did I. We enjoyed the silence we had, doing our own thing. She pulled out her phone humming slightly and setting her cup on the counter. "Ah, shit. Buildings closing soon, we'd better head out now." Marci left her cup by the sink and quickly left the break room. And again, I was alone, in complete silence as compared to earlier. The air conditioner wasn't on like before, and now only the soft hums of the fridge sounded near me. The TV was so hushed that it wasn't audible. I shuffled closer to the sink, pouring my coffee down the drain. I know it hadn't been too long, or so... it's what I thought. The coffee didn't steam anymore, it had gotten cool and closer to the room's temperature.

I grabbed Marci's cup, dumping the contents, and turning on my heel. I pulled my phone out from my pocket watching as it lit up. 11:54. The building closed at 9:00 PM, so I sped up a bit to get back to my office. Maybe, Sunday wouldn't be so bad. Maybe I'd enjoy myself, but the possibility of embarrassment or something else... it would be much more likely. I wrapped my coat on my arm, neatly stacking the slim remainder of the papers I had and putting them into a folder. I then placed the folder in my bag, and slung the bag on my shoulder. I glanced back down at my phone as I pushed the door open and walked out, Marci had already left.

I itched to walk faster or maybe sprint, but I knew I had enough time to get out of the building, Courtney would make sure of it. And so, I carefully made my way downstairs, minding that I still had heels on. I didn't want to end up falling because I misstepped. Just as expected I got downstairs with a few minutes left. And the receptionist was still there.

"Finally checking out, (y/n)?"

I nodded, a soft smile sketched on my face. She smiled back, Grabbing her own coat and typing something quickly into her laptop before turning it off. "You might want to grab an Uber, by the way. I know you could just walk, but it's late as is." I hummed in response, "Got it. Stay safe, Courtney, I'll see you Monday." With that, I pushed open the doors to the building stepping out and shivering lightly at the sudden blast of cold air. I kept walking as I opened the Uber app, I'd rather be safe than have something happen.

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A/N: The prologue DESPERATLEY needed an update! And, here it is! Finally- Not to mention, (y/n) got a well-deserved new art piece! This prologue is much better than before, I'd like to think this one makes more sense haha, but that's all up to what you guys think :)

Words: 1624

Published: Early 2021

Edits: 5

Last Edit: December 13, 2023

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