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looked down to his meticulously shined dress shoes. “After bills, there was nothing left... and barely enough for the bills and groceries. So I had to take a day job too, just until Mr. Yan can give me a raise—or I can get a better, higher paying job.”
    Mr. Yan—from what I had gathered over our conversations—was the manager of the building and had been promising Jim a promotion for quite some time. What promotion that was, I had no idea... but the promise of higher pay was supposed to be just beyond the horizon for him. Only, as far as I could tell, the destination wasn’t getting closer. It was always just beyond the horizon.
    “Jim, why don’t you check in with Mr. Sholts and see if he has any openings?”
    “I don’t think I can work for Mr. Sholts, Ms. Zoe,” he replied timidly.
    “Why not?”
    “He’s not the nicest of men, and besides that, I don’t really have any skills.”
    “Sure you do. You’re a door man. He has door men at our building as well.”
    I couldn’t argue about him not being a nice man. He wasn’t. There was no hiding it.
    “I don’t know...,” he trailed.
    “Come on. Just think about it.” I smiled at him and walked towards him just so that I was close enough to reach out and squeeze him on the shoulder.
    “I will, Ms. Zoe.” He smiled back. And in that moment, I realized that Jim had probably been the nicest person that I had met in the city next to Polly. I really enjoyed him. He was an amazing person, and he even seemed like the right type of person. He was genuine.
    “I’m going to head up.” I gave him another half-smile and pressed the elevator button up.
    Without missing a beat, the elevator made a loud dinging noise and the doors opened up. I smiled and waved one last time before they closed and I headed to the top floor, still in a pretty damn good mood considering the fact that I was about to enter the lion’s den.
    I watched as the elevator’s screen counted the floors, and with each floor that went up, I couldn’t help but replay the images from my dream. I blushed crimson as I recalled the sexual activity that I engaged in—quite lustfully—with none other than Derek Sholts.
    I wondered what must have been plaguing my subconscious to dream something so ludicrous. I mean, me with Derek? It was absurd, completely absurd.
    DING!
    The elevator sounded again as I reached the top floor, and the doors opened to befall a short hallway foyer which lead only to one door. His door. He had the entire top floor all to himself. I sighed. It was a life that would never be mine. But in all honesty, it still didn’t damper my mood.
    I wasn’t sure what it was really.
    I couldn’t place it.
    I hated work, and I had dreamt of it.
    I hated Derek, and I had dreamt of fucking him.
    I hated feeling and looking disgusting, and in my dream my breath was rank and my looks were far from aesthetically pleasing.
    But despite the dream, I had woken up with a greater sense of refreshing ease.
    I was actually glad to be at work, as strange as it was.
    I had no idea why, but all I knew, as my heels clanked on the marble tile floor heading towards his apartment, was that I was still happy despite all the negativity that loomed in that dream. It meant that nothing was going to bring me down.
    At least, that’s what I thought.

Chapter 7
    I t had been a long morning of phone calls to advertising companies, which had begun fairly decently for the most part. Derek was a total asshole, of course. I guess it was true what I had always read about him; he really was a perfectionist to the core. With each and every phone conversation—that he so eloquently eavesdropped on—he had more and more to critique about my deliverance.
    I wasn’t aware that I was meant to rehearse what I was supposed to tell people on the phone.
    No matter, though.
    I stayed strong and did my thing. I remained positive.
    I was well-rested and didn’t let the disgust of fucking him in a dream get to me.
    I