Mine, in public.
733 Words
The Cole tower hit different at 8:34am. The entire building smelt like money, no cheap air freshener. Just cold marble floors, quiet money and the type of silence that meant everyone here could end your career with just a phone call. Sophia never got past the lobby. In her past life, she had left 13 scripts with the security, but they were all returned to her, untouched.
Zoey walked to the front desk. The security man looked up. He was young and also new. No scar on his eyebrow yet. In her past life, he’d have it by next year because Adrian would start a fight here.
“Name.”
“Zoey Walker. 9AM. Crimson Throne.”
He checked a tablet in front of him and frowned. “You’re not on the list.”
Of course, she wasn’t. Mia had definitely called in last night. Sophia would have begged, cried and called Adrian, shaking.
Zoey pulled out Ethan’s black card and put it on the desk. “Call him.”
The security officer picked up the phone and dialed his number. He picked up on the first ring.
“Sir, there’s a…Zoey Walker here. She has a…” he paused. “Yes,sir.” “Right away, sir.”
He hung up the phone and swiped her through. “He’s on the 25th floor, he’s waiting for you.”
The elevator was made of glass. She went in and some part of New York spread out below, beautiful, glittering but chaotic. Sophia used to look down and feel small but Zoey looked down this time around and counted the buildings she’d own.
Ding, she was on the 25th floor.
The 25th floor was quieter than death. No posters or inspirational quotes were hanging around, just a long hall and a door at the end of the hall. She got to the door and it opened before she even knocked.
Ethan Cole stood there, his sleeves were rolled up and the scar on his knuckles were fresh, like he had been hitting something or someone.
His eyes scanned her again.
“You came alone.” It wasn’t a question.
“Mia made sure I wasn’t on the list.” Zoey stepped inside. His office smelled like cedar and violence. “Adrian said you don’t keep girls like, Sophia.”
“Sophia is dead.” He said while shutting the door. “You said so.”
“I did.” They met each other’s gaze but neither of them flinched.
“So what do you keep, Mr Cole?”
He walked over to his desk and picked up a script. Crimson Throne, lead role: Queen Idara. A woman who burns a kingdom to save it. He threw the script at her and she caught it one handed.
“Read for me, Zoey.” He sat on the edge of his desk and watched her. “Page 17, where she kills her fiancé.
In her last life, she’d have failed this audition because Mia spiked her water and Adrian told her to “stay soft, directors like soft.” Zoey opened the script and swept over to page 17. She didn’t just read the script, she became.
“You promised me a crown,” her voice dropped , cold and regal, “but you gave me a crown and pour it down your throat.”
Silence…
Then Ethan gave her a warm smile. It was the first real smile she had ever seen him wear. It looked so sharp like a blade.
“Mia said you were damaged goods,” he said. “She was right.”
Zoey raised an eyebrow.
“You’re not goods, Zee.” He stood up, walked towards her and stopped a little too close.
“You’re a f*****g weapon and weapons only belong to the man who knows how to aim them.” He plucked the script from her hand and tossed it away.
“You’ve been picked. The costume fitting is at 2pm. Try to get murdered before then and I’ll be pissed as fuck.”
He got to the door and his hand was on the knob when Zoey spoke.
“I’m not yours, Cole.”
He didn’t turn around but his voice carried along.
“No, Sophia wasn’t mine but Zoey will be.”
And the door clicked shut.
Zoey exhaled for the first time since she died.
- Writer
