"William.. I am only going to say this once, so listen the fuck up," I sneered into the phone as I walked down New York City's busy street.
"O-ok, sir," I heard him gulp, and I rolled my eyes.
"You are responsible for not bringing the documents to my office when I asked you last week. You are responsible for my stocks going up and down for no reason at all. I need you to put the fucking files in my office like yesterday fucking fast. And if this company has any more faults because of your carelessness, I will ruin you." Before he was able to respond, I terminated the call. I've been meaning to fire him sooner or later, but second chances keep trying to invade my brain. Being 29 and owning the country's largest and most successful enterprise, there was no room for mistakes.
My company, KR Inc., stands as a testament to my dedication and has been thriving since I started it. Earning my Bachelor's degree while still in high school, I was ahead in all my classes. I had no time for friends or partying, nor did I want to be involved. I've had one friend throughout my childhood. Blaine Porter. For the life of me, I still don't know why I keep him around.
He also completed college in high school, and we went to the top together. I simply went further than he did. Speaking of the devil, I looked down at my phone to see he was calling me. Picking it up, I held it to my ear.
"Blaine, what do you want?" I asked, irritated as I walked across the street. A few people recognized me and decided to move out of my way.
"Kiki!! How are you, my friend?" I rolled my eyes.
"It's Killian, and I'm doing fine. What do you want?"
"Awe.. is someone a little pissed that they didn't get laid last night?"
"You know I don't do those degrading activities anymore," I replied, and he laughed.
"I'm just saying. Would be nice to get a little pussy now and then."
"Again, Blaine, what do you want?"
"Just wanted to talk to my bestie," His bestie. Right. I rolled my eyes at his antics.
"Don't you have a company to run?" He went silent for a second. Almost as if a switch went off, he spoke rapidly.
"Shit, you're right! Gotta go!!" He ended the call, and I shook my head—typical Blaine.
I entered a coffee shop and got in line, where three people were waiting. A couple were ordering, and a lady was behind them. I could feel the stares of everyone in the room, but I didn't pay them any attention. I looked down at my watch to check the time—11:38 AM. I still had a few minutes before I needed to get back to the office. As I looked at my watch, I saw a little girl jumping up and down in my peripherals as her curls flew through the air. I hadn't even noticed that she was in front of me. I put my hands in my pockets and watched her sing softly.
"I'm in love with the shape of you. We push and pull like a magnet do," I smirked as she continued to hum the rest, which she most likely didn't know. I assumed she was the daughter of the woman who was now ordering since the couple had finished. When the woman finished, I was expecting the little girl to go with her, but she went the opposite way from where the woman had gone. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked back to the counter.
Before I was able to take one step, the sound of a chair scraping went through the room. I looked over to see her pushing a chair with a look of determination. When she reached the counter, she hopped onto the chair and stood as she held onto the counter.
"Hi. Can I get a small vanilla latte with no ice, please?" I tilted my head as I watched her order.
"Okay, that will be $4.12, sweetheart." She pulled a few dollars out of her pocket, and I looked around, almost in disbelief.
"Does anyone else see this? Anyone? A child is ordering coffee." I proclaimed, and the people just shrugged their shoulders. The barista took the money, and as she went to make the drink, the little girl hopped off the chair and pushed it back over to the table. She went up to the counter and grabbed the latte.
"Thank you!" She left the cafe, and I just stared at her in awe. What the hell just happened? Abandoning the idea of my black coffee, I went after her.
"Excuse me, sweetheart?" I said, and she turned around and smiled.
"Hello, sir!" I bent down to her level. Her curls fell down her back, and her blue eyes were bright and vibrant.
"Hello, darling. What's your name?"
"D-Delilah, what's yours?" She stuttered, and I responded.
"You can call me Killian. Now Delilah, honey, is that latte for you?"
"No, it's for Bribri. Want to meet her?" She asked happily, and I nodded my head.
"Sure, I'd love to meet her." She giggled and grabbed my hand in hers.
"Come on! She's in the library!" As she led me to 'Bribri,' I decided to ask her a few questions. "How old are you, Delilah?"
"I am 4 years old," She declared proudly, and I hummed.
"And does Bribri know you're out here?" I questioned, and she looked a bit worried for a moment.
"N-not really," She admitted as we reached the library. I opened the door for her, and she walked through.
"Thank you," She said, and I nodded my head. She led me to the back and waved hello to the older man sitting behind the desk on the way. He smiled and waved back. He then made eye contact with me, and his jaw dropped. Regardless, I ignored him as I followed the little girl. She took me to a small corner of the library, which held a table and a cart filled with books to put back on the shelves on the table. There were newspapers, a book bag, and a small scuffed laptop.
We heard rustling and the pitter-patter of feet on the other side of the library. We walked over, and I saw a rather petite woman throwing the kid's toys around and looking under tables and chairs.
"D-Delilah? Baby, no more hide and seek. You can come out now. Dede, baby?" She panicked as she ran her fingers through her long, wavy brown locks, and I could see tears in her eyes.
"Bribri, I'm right here!!" She yelled in the library, and the woman turned quickly, making her brown hair flare around her. Delilah ran over to her, and the woman picked her up as she sighed.
"What did I say about running off? You scared me, baby."
"I'm sorry. I-I just wanted to get you this." She held up the latte, and 'Bribri' smiled sadly.
"Baby, where did you get the money for this?"
"Your wallet..." Delilah confessed softly, and the woman sighed as she set her down and kissed her head as she put the latte on the table.
"Thank you, sweetheart.. Why don't you run along and see if Mr. Burkley needs any help, okay?" Delilah nodded and skipped off to find the man from earlier. 'Bribri' pushed her hair over her shoulder and picked up the drink to take a defeated sip. I cleared my throat to make my presence known, and she flinched and made eye contact with me.
She looked to be, at the most, 5'3". Slightly below average but nothing compared to my 6′3″ frame. Her lips were blush pink, and her blue eyes were bright and vibrant, almost the same as Delilah's. I walked over to her, and she bit her lip. It made my eye twitch briefly, but I shook it off. She wore light blue skinny jeans, a white sweater, and white low-cut sneakers.
"You must be Bribri," I presumed, and she shook her head as she smiled softly.
"I-it's Brielle." Even her name sounded angelic.
"Killian... I didn't mean to follow her, truly. I just found it a bit fascinating how a four-year-old ordered a coffee all by herself." She laughed as she grabbed a few books and her drink off the table.
"She's very clever for her age." She walked towards the table in the back, and I followed her swiftly.
"Is she your daughter?" I asked, as they had similar features, but Delilah didn't address her as her mother.
"Oh, um, no. She's my niece. My sister wasn't really ready for a kid." She confirmed, putting the books on the table, and I nodded my head as I decided not to push the subject. She opened her book bag and pulled her wallet out. Discreetly looking over her shoulder, I watched as she opened it and had only $40.
She sighed and put it back in her bag. She looked over at me and smiled sadly.
"Everything alright?" I asked her, and she pushed her hair out of her face.
"Everything's fine.. Just trying to look for a new job." She reassured me, and I looked down at the scattered newspapers on the desk.
"What's your current occupation?"
"I'm part-time here at the library and at a dance studio." I nodded my head, and my phone buzzed in my pocket. I looked down at my watch to see it was already 12. Looking back up at her, I smiled politely.
"I don't mean to be rude, Brielle, but I must get going." She nodded her head and stuck her hand out for me to shake.
"Well, it was nice to meet you, Killian." I grabbed her hand and brought it to my lips, giving it a small kiss. I did my best to ignore the slight sensation of touching her delicate hand.
"Believe me, darling.. the pleasure was all mine." She blushed madly, and I internally chuckled before walking away. I walked past the front desk, and Delilah waved from the seat beside the man.
"Bye, Killy!! See you later!" I smiled at the nickname she'd given me.
"I'll see you later, sweetheart." Walking outside, I pulled my phone out and called my driver, George.
"Yes, sir?" He answered.
"I need you to come pick me up. By the library near South Street."
"Of course, sir." Five minutes passed, and he pulled up in front of me. After entering the car, he spoke.
"To headquarters, sir?" He asked.
"You know it, George." He pulled off, and I turned on my phone to answer a few of the hundreds of emails I received this morning. As I tried to concentrate, the image of Brielle kept clouding my head. It seemed that she didn't know the slightest bit about me, and I obviously knew nothing of her.. but just the thought of her made the hand that just shook her own twitch. For some reason, I felt the need to see her again.