A Dusk of Ruby

First day Failures

"Ughh, I gotta stop drinking a gallon of water before bed." I complained, slowly opening my eyes and rolling onto the floor.

Keeping my eyes shut except for the tiniest crack in my left eye I ventured to the bathroom. I fumbled my way to the sink to wash my hands, finishing off my barely visible excursion and heading back to bed. Plopping back in bed I begin burying myself in the mountain of blankets and pillows before shutting my eyes. It didn't take long before my mind and body drifted back to sleep. But as luck would have it my slumber barely lasted an hour before the alarm on my bedside started wailing. Jolting awake I slap my alarm clock to silent the irksome sound and frown. 

Throwing my legs over the edge of the bed I stretch my limbs out. "Breakfast? Yep, breakfast time."

My small studio apartment was mostly dark except the glow from the soft gold moon shaped sign that hung above my computer desk. My desk housed a pre-built PC and monitor, a small shelf for games and books and the random character figures I occasionally collected. Directly beside my desk area stood a black and cherry blossom printed room divider that separated the living/kitchen area. A small light gray canvas couch sat a few feet in front of the even smaller 2 person  dining table. Padding over to the refrigerator that stood in the corner I mentally prepared to cook a somewhat decent breakfast. Don't get me wrong, cooking is relaxing but I require a bit of self-motivation to start such a process. Upon opening the doors of the refrigerator, I noticed my three-day old takeout laying on the counter which caused my eyes to trail to the dishes that went with said takeout.

    "Can't really cook in a dirty kitchen." I announced closing the door and picking up the trash.

Taking a quick glance at the clock that digitally displayed 5:10. I made the decision to tidy the kitchen a bit before cooking. I pick up the empty containers around my kitchen before moving on to clean the dishes in the sink. Giving the kitchen a good wipe down I noticed my desk area could use a quick tidying. Before realizing it I basically just cleaned my whole apartment and the digital clock now read 6:20.

I Immediately dropped the broom and dustpan and made a dash to get ready for work, which I cannot be late to! As quickly as humanly possible I pull together a semi office appropriate outfit; dark fitted emerald button-up, a pleated skirt that stopped just above my knees and black 2in heeled loafers. Before dashing out of my studio, I grab keys, work id badge and shoulder bag that held my laptop, a stainless-steel water bottle and wallet. Deciding not to press my luck anymore I caught a taxi to ensure I was on time (at least I hoped I'd be on time). After relaying my destination to the driver, I took a breath and tried to slap a stitch of make-up on my face and a quick swipe of ChapStick to give my face some sort of life and alertness. Before I could forget, I clipped the work badge to the left side of my shirt, giving it a gentle pat. It wasn't long before the taxi stopped in front of a 6-story building that had two security officers standing near the entrance. I stumbled out of the car after paying and tipping the driver before hurrying to the front doors of the building.

    "Good morning, Miss." One of the officers greeted me with a polite smile.

"Oh, umm morning." I smiled rushing past them and through the doors.

Inside was another much simpler reception desk with a single male assistant with a headset on. He was dressed on a plaid gray and black sweater vest and a white collared shirt. His hair was combed back to accentuate his strong jaw line and perfectly tamed eyebrows. He gave me a warm smile as I approached trying to calm my anxiety before it could begin.

    "Good Morning Terra." He acknowledged as he typed something into his computer.

"Hi morning, how did you know my name?" I questioned; a bit shocked that he knew who I was.