Silent Beauty

Chapter 1

Annalise Andrews laid her head on her soft but hard pillow, her tear streaked face faced the textured newly refurbished white ceiling as her brain didn't cease to stop conspiring thoughts. 'Only if I was better.' She thought lifting her hand and gently running it through her crimped, long, and sandy blond hair that was once in a bun, but was sprawled out over her pillow taking much of the room. She rolled over and reached for her phone that lay face up on the nightstand next to her queen sized bed. As she grabbed it she turned it on seeing she had six missed calls from her ex-boyfriend, Bennett. She rolled her eyes and scoffed at the thought of him trying to reach her after everything he did to her last week. She then saw a text from an unknown number that wasn't in her phone, as she opened it Annalise let out an excited squeal and threw her blankets off as she scrambled to get clothes. She had just gotten a text message saying that she has received an interview at ten for 'Brooklyn Magazine Company'. They were wanting her to come down and be viewed for her previous number of articles she had written for other magazines.

Annalise showered quickly as she hummed softly washing her very long, crimped hair. Using her vanilla shampoo and conditioner she hoped to soften her hair and her curls. As she finished, she quickly wrapped her towel around her skinny frame and walked to her closet. She chose a autumn orange sweater paired with long, flowy black bell-bottoms. She quickly put on her undergarments, then her sweater and pants, which fit loosely on her petite frame. Annalise grabbed her purse and phone while grabbing some black heels, slipping them on as she rushed out of her apartment. She walked a few blocks until she stood outside of the office building and  she gulped, 'Welp here's your time to chicken out Anna,' she thought as she turned, ready to leave until her friend from high school grabbed her arm.

"Anna, are you here for the job interview?" A middle aged lady with long, straight brown hair said her green eyes looking into my blue eyes. "Rachel, are you  following me everywhere I go?" She played with her friend as she crossed her arms looking at Rachel ready for her to explain herself more on why she was here, saying she was to move as soon as she got her high school diploma to do so. "I'm here because I heard about your job interview and I'm excited for you, plus I heard that the pay is amazing too girlie," She smiled and giggled. Annalise hugged and thanked her as she walked inside the tall, blue stained glass building. The first floor is humongous with chairs as well as a desk for the receptionist to sit and take note of people that come into the business.

"Hello you must be Ms. Andrews, I'm Mrs. Coldwater, it's nice to meet you." A lean middle aged woman with black hair pulled back into a neatly bun as she extended her hand to Annalise. "Nice to meet you as well." She smiled gently as Mrs. Coldwater smiled back and showed me to the elevator. "You're headed to room 118 on floor eight for your meeting. That sound like a plan Ms. Andrews?" She pushed the button as the elevator kicked into gear slowly but surely coming down from who knows how many floors. She nodded and looked up as the door dinged and she walked into the tiled elevator and pressing the button for the 8th floor out of sixteen floors 'holy cow how can there be sixteen freaking floors in this building?' She thought as the doors closed and the elevator moved at the same pace that it did when it had come down. "I can't believe I'm here right now and I mean this elevator is so posh as well." She giggled and pulled her phone out checking the time. 'Only nine o'clock come on! It looks like I'm early, score one for Anna!". 

She jumped back into reality as the elevator dinged and she looked up and flattened her shirt out as she sighed and walked to the doors as they retreated back into their holding cells. Annalise stepped out of the elevator and looked around, seeing each side of the floor had about twenty rooms on the left and right sides. 'Now what room is it again that I'm supposed to go to?" She thought long and hard about what floor Mrs. Coldwater told her again as she felt her hands start to sweat non stop as she finally figured it out on what room to go to. She walked to the right side of the floor and looked at the beautiful oak doors that had been once from a mighty tree and now were massive hand-carved doors. She finally reached the room where she needed to be as she looked at her phone and saw it was nine thirty now. "Okay I'm really good on time, maybe I should go in and sit down and wait or maybe I should stay out here and wait for people".

Annalise, finally, built up the courage to walk into the room and as she did she was greeted by light lime colored walls with an oak round table in the middle of the room that had small little details on it. The floor was a marble color but with dark colors mixed in, making the room stand out against the white chairs. The two big panel windows stood their ground letting the sunlight  shine in soft rays, reflecting off the table and floor. She looked around in awe and felt the warmth of the sun that warmed the office, reversing the sterile, cold feeling of the office . She looks over and sees oak paneled doors in the middle of the left wall. They brought almost a peace to her seeing the lovely detail in the doors. A moment goes by before the doors creaked open and someone made there way out. 

A tall lean male with dark brown hair with shaved sides, olive green eyes, and pale skin giving the impression that he has never seen sunlight  stood in front of her, his gaze right on her. 'Oh crap I'm totally screwed at this point from the look on his face.' She thought as she smiled a soft little smile. The male that looked like he was in his mid twenties took her in fully and chuckled. "I'm Xavier Lucan, CEO of Brooklyn Magazine, please to meet you Miss. Andrews  ." He smiled and closed the doors and sat down and offered a seat for Annalise. "Please take a seat, I don't believe you'll want to remain standing." Annalise nods and sits down.