At No Time || Bruno Mars

84

Trystan's heart did not beat rapidly in worry upon waking. She was surprisingly mild; she woke up an hour after Peter, who was readying himself to head to SoulWork. She was not jittery when he spoke to her about their current situation and did not flinch when he leaned down to kiss her forehead before leaving.

She was not agitated when she ate a breakfast of cereal with her daughter and mother not was annoyed when her mother questioned her twice about where she was headed to when she said she would be gone for a few hours. Her shower and dressing was free of uneasiness and she went to the garage where Oliver was waiting for her without a hesitance in her gate.

It was not until she approached the building of Debonair Inc. and all of its grandness that her stomach sank and a nervous sweat threatened to show itself. There were a couple paparazzo standing out in front of the building, and Oliver warned her that Kimioko had yet again been swarmed by them on the way inside. There was no way she would be able to enter without being seen.

"I'll walk you inside, Ms. Wildes," Oliver offered, putting the car in park. Trystan exhaled nervously before putting on her sunglasses, counting the three, and escaping the safety of the dark, tinted car. It only took a moment for the paparazzi to take notice of her familiar braids and gasped.

She could only think of the questions running through their heads as they went to crowd about her. This bitch has the audacity to actually talk to the woman whose relationship she ruined? Luckily for her, the inquiries asked aloud were less rude, many wanting to know if Kimioko had invited her there, if they were friends, or if she hated her guts.

When Trystan was safe inside of the building, a security guard making sure that no cameras were allowed passed the entrance and she let out a short-lived sigh of relief, feeling incredibly alone when Oliver left her to her business. She was sure she heard two passersby whispering behind her, "Is that her?" but she did not turn around to confront them. Her fingers wrapped around the straps of her purse tightly as she made her way up to the receptionist desk.

Three beautiful women who looked as if they had never not known attractiveness clicked away on computers and talked sweetly into phones. The first one who saw her gave her a glance, quick smile, and held up her finger to tell Trystan to give her a moment. But when she got a better look at her, her blue eyes widened, and an "Oh!" escaped her blush pink lips. "Ms. Wildes! Ms. Phan is expecting you. Someone will be here to escort you up in just a moment. Please, have a seat in the waiting area."

She gestured toward a space that was much too expansive to be a simple waiting area. Wide windows and bright white couches adorned the breadth, complete with a television mounted on a wall and potted plants so tall they could withstand a storm. Trystan thanked the woman, hearing "Ms. Phan, Ms. Wildes is here," as she walked away.

She settled down on the soft felt of the cabriole settee, wishing she could luxuriate in it rather than her nerves making her too uncomfortable to do so. She did not want to appear as if she did not belong, even though it felt very clear to her that she would not be invited into the building with white marble floors and gold elevators had she not asked, so she busied herself with her phone.

However, she was made guilty when she saw the background—a photo of Peter and Raina together. She knew word would get around and he would know where she went that day before she got to see him at home, so she hoped that he would understand why she was doing what she was doing. She could not watch him do all the work everyday even though she knew he would not have minded doing so.

"Ms. Wildes, is there anything I can get you while you wait? Water? An espresso?" A woman who looked similar to the receptionist but with lighter highlights in her hair approached her, a navy blue dress with sheer long sleeves greeting Trystan right after her voice did.