Dance in the Dark

Chapter One: Slow Dance With a Stranger

Salem slammed her black nail-adorned hand on the alarm clock that rang loudly beside her. Another day, another crappy paycheck. When she graduated high school, pursuing studies in the journalism path seemed like an incredible and adventurous idea. Too bad it is rare that journalists ever hit it big without a load of grunt work as interns. That is exactly what she was stuck doing. A slave to Ghoulish Magazine, Salem had to get up at the crack of dawn in order to work her way to the top. Stumbling out of bed in a sleep deprived daze, she walked into her bathroom. As expected, day old, worn black eye makeup lined her eyelids. It was difficult to depict the makeup from the natural bags. A quick touch-up ought to do the trick. All that she required was putting on a black top, slipping into black skinny jeans,  sliding into some black, heeled boots, and grabbing her leather jacket, and her daily look was complete.

Salem required her coffee in the morning like a vampire needed blood, so it was routine that she pet her black cat Abigail, and take off out the door to make a stop at Starbucks. There was a light snowfall as she took the steps down to the sidewalk. Amelieve was a thriving city, and there was never a shortage of people walking the streets and crosswalks. It was as fast-pace as New York City, and it seemed as if no one had the term "slow down" in their vocabulary. Salem had to keep up with this expectation of Amelievians, so she arrived at the small coffee shop in a solid eight minutes.

 Just like almost everything in her life, Salem enjoyed her coffee black. She hated having to consume in public. It was like high school all over again; sitting alone in the best corner she could find, talking less than a deceased person, sitting as still as said deceased person. Today was no different. Until one thing caught her eye.

A man. His skin was snow white and his hair raven black. His beautiful chocolate eyes included similar makeup to her own. How odd for a man to be willing to do in public; how fearless. He sat stirring his coffee with one fingerless glove-clad hand and held a novel in the other. It was a mystery as to which book he was reading. It was hardcover and solid black. He had perfect teeth that showed just slightly above his black lipstick painted mouth.

Salem was both confused and instantly attracted to him.

He looked up in her direction, as if he felt her bright green eyes burning a hole through his black trenchcoat. Her eyes darted away and immediately looked in the direction of the "Today's Specials" menu hanging on the brick wall. She looked back once more when she was sure he had returned to his book.

He hadn't. He was still watching.

Only, instead of giving her a look of puzzled confusion, he flashed a gorgeous half grin at her. Her heart sank. Who was this man?

Salem watched as he closed his book and exited the shop as quickly as she had even realized he was there.

She had to see him again, but it was time to go to work.