My Contract Husband One More Day

As she stared up at the blazing hot sky, she wondered what her life was going to look like. The clouds floated around happily in humor to her predicament. Being fired from the only place she had worked so hard to get into after graduation was quite a comic story indeed.

As she crossed the pathway leading up to her rundown apartment close by, a few blocks away from the building that had held all her dashed hopes and dreams, her heel got stuck in the broken cemented sidewalk. Thrusting out with all her might, the heel of her favorite suede stiletto broke. She stumbled backwards and landed on her butt, grazing her hands onto the ground. It hurt. She knew that right at this moment, the universe was mocking her.

Working endlessly and tirelessly for years, only to come out with the best degree and getting admitted into the workplace she had applied for, seemed so far away now. She looked down at her stubbed heel and wept for her bleak life.

"What's a beautiful girl like you doing on her ass on the sidewalk?"

Her head whipped around so fast she was afraid her neck would snap. She raised her head up to look at the stranger who had his hand outstretched with a huge smile on his face.

"Am sorry, who are you?" she spoke before her body could register what she had said.

The said man was gorgeous, with chestnut brown hair and blue eyes; he looked so handsome it took her breath away.

"Why don't I help you up?" he offered, gesturing to his outstretched hand.

She nodded because words had seemed to fail her. "Yes, thank you," she stammered.

He pulled her up; stumbling due to her wobbly legs, she collided with his chest. "Sorry," she said abruptly, straightening up.

"Can I buy you a cup of coffee?" he asked politely.

Nodding, her lips widened in a shy smile as she felt her cheeks redden.

"There's a great coffee shop just two blocks away if we can just make it," he took the lead.

Being careful not to lose him, she walked as fast as her legs could carry her to match his long strides. She noticed that he slowed down a few times to give her time to catch up, which was very thoughtful of him.

"Come on in," he said, ushering her in through the double glass doors that held the coffee sign.

The place had an aesthetically pleasing mahogany feel to it. There wasn't much of a crowd for the lunch hour, but it wasn't completely empty. There were customers scattered around the shop, chatting away and sipping away at their coffees, worry-free.

She let out a defeated sigh.

"What's wrong? Don't you like coffee?" he asked.

She shook her head vehemently. "No, no, I do. I was just... thinking about something else," she reassured him.

He nodded and walked over to the counter to place their orders. Busing herself, she picked a table at the far end of the coffee place and slid into the curved seats overlooking the floor-to-ceiling windows.

She watched as the people breezed by, some tired, some happy, but most of all she noticed the satisfied looks they all had as they passed by, probably on their way back to work.

Clearing his throat, she jerked back away from her internal musings.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Concern etched on the creases at the base of his forehead.

She gave him a wan smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. Just work," she summarized.