Ember Cinder and Ash

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Glasses of champagne, martinis, cocktails, and other fizzy alcohol filled drinks colored the ballroom. Creating the perfect accessory for the bedazzled women and men that circled around the room. They all wore their best fake laughs and smiles. Making sure to leave a very unforgettable first impression. Trying to become the person that was, "at the right place, at the right time."

That's what they all wanted..success, a story that people wanted to hear..the ability to look at someone and say, "I use to be you."  The ability to lay false hope. They scattered around the room, like an infestation. Crawling to the people that held dollar signs over there heads. Or networking as some may say. They looked pitiful, smiling and laughing like they were actually enjoying themselves. But, deep down, they were wanting to go home and escape from the heavy jewels that dripped from their bodies, the killer shoes that squeezed at their feet, the judgmental gazes that hid behind 'genuine' smiles. And the clothes, the clothes that fit a little too tight in some areas...they were losing their breath as they hung onto their significant other to hide their struggle. They were all like dolls..playing the wrong roles.

"What's up with him? He's been staring at you for the past fifteen minutes." My attention was taken away from the scene in front of me as my eyes fell on my good friend, Rebecca Crawford. Her dyed red hair, shined dully under the dim lighting from the studio lights. Making a great contrast from her laced white dress, that held a yellow undertone from the dim lights and her caramel skin.

"Huh?" I questioned. Still distracted from my pervious observation of the unnecessary celebratory event. She took a sip of her champagne, the carbonated bubbles deflating at the contact of her tongue. Her red lipstick leaving a stain on the elongated oval shaped glass.

"Twelve O'clock." My gaze moved in the direction of her words. Falling upon a man standing in a far off corner at the bar. He stood tall and still. His black suit was perfectly tailored to his form, ready for the event. His hair was sleeked back clearly with gel, as it held a shine under the dim light. A cocktail accessorized full in his right hand as his left one laid in the pocket of his slacks. 'Not a drinker.'  I watched a plump man in a white suit accompanied by a lady clinging onto his arm in a red dress approach him. He instantly broke into a smile, his pearly whites coming out for show as he shook hands with the man. They fell into a conversation. Or more like an introduction of businesses, and I decided my observation-curiosity- belonged elsewhere.

"Do you know him?" My gaze unwillingly wondered back over to the man, falling onto his slanted stance as he continued to speak business, as they all were.

"No, never seen him before."

"Well, he sure seems to know you." The clattering of glass pulled my attention away from the man and to the stage. Ready for the overall reason of being here.

"May I please have everyone's attention." The room fell silent as everyone eyed the man on the stage, looking at him with reverence as he stood higher than the rest of us. "I hope everyone is having an amazing time, this evening. As you may all know..this place is not cheap." The room rumpled in a low volume of laughs and chuckles, as everyone deemed on the expense of the extravaganza. "Well, as everyone knows we are here tonight in order to celebrate not only the launching of Ardor's fashion industry but, also the promotion of a very intelligent, hardworking, loving, and everything else good and bad women. Now, now I'm not going to go into any type of sappy story or any inspirational jazz but, I just wanted to make a toast to this amazing woman. And not because she's my soon to be boss but, because she is truly and utterly amazing at what she does and is the most wonderful person I have ever met in this business. So, without further ado. Congratulations, Ms. Lennon." A little clapping filled the silence of the room after the presenter's short speech. Drinks being lifted into the air, along with the clattering of glasses. A small smile makes it's way to my lips as the clicking of my heels sound through the ballroom. My feet and body moving on auto-pilot.

As I make my way up the steps to the stage, I'm grabbed into warm arms.

"Congratulations, Riya. Knock 'em dead." I give him a genuine smile-a real one-as I nod my head, before turning to the crowd ahead of me.

"Wow, what a crowd, aye. Uhm, first off, I want to thank all of you for coming out to this evening, it truly is my pleasure."

--

I could feel my eyebrows scrunch together as I read over the article about the famous couple scandal. Another cheater, another mistress, another affair, another court date, another rekindle...a publicity stunt, easy money. All of it was fake, fake, fake. None of it was ever real, just like these celebrities, their bodies, and half of their faces.

Well, I guess if you're half fake, why not make the other half your life...right?

I let out a little chuckle as I laughed at my own joke. They're all pathetic. Walking around like puppets and if you drop a string, they go tumbling down. Again, a light chuckle escaped my lips.

"Do you enjoy the morning paper?" Startled, I jumped a little in my seat. Holding the newspaper closer to me to hide my tremble and cover up my slight fright. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."

Nice, cover up.

"No, it's okay. It's my fault. I was so stuck up in someone else's life, I forgot what was going on in my very own." I said, shaking my head and letting yet, another chuckle escape my lips.

"Quite observant, aren't you." I looked up from my lap to be met with two amused, blue-green eyes.

"Yes."

Curious.

He slowly nodded his head, his eyes leaving small tracing across my face. "Ari." I could feel my head tilt in confusion as one of my brows raise for the stars. I watch confused as a smile makes its way to his plump pink lips.  "My name. My name is Ari." A tight smile lays on my lips.

"Riya."

"I just wanted to formally introduce myself. I seen you the other night at the event, and I didn't get the opportunity to say hello." Right.

"Hello." I said standing from my seat as I see a taxi cab swivel in front of the glass doors. A quick chuckle left his lips, as his hand came up to his chin. Showing off his minimalist but, surely expensive watch. Mentally rolling my eyes, I re-folded the newspaper and placed it back in its rightful place on the end table. Before walking around him.

"Would you like to go grab some coffee?" This time I actually rolled my eyes.

"I'm not a coffee person." I replied back, still making my way towards the glass doors. Trying to escape this place..or that person.

"How about lunch? Or are you not a lunch person either?"

--

Hello, my lovely imagineers!!

I hope you are all doing absolutely fantastic, and I hope you enjoyed this new story that has been boiling in my mind and is getting plated and ready to serve. If you did, please feel free to tell me and if you didn't...still feel free to tell me. But, anywho..anywhere...anywhat...anyway stay tuned for more.

Bye my lovelies!!!

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