Ariella didn't do much that day except run errands for Slate, sort paperwork, and schedule meetings. She met a couple new coworkers, along with Vanessa and Karina, that didn't seem so bad as well. She didn't expect much on the first day, but she expected it to be a lot more intense than it was. The most intense thing she had to do was be in the presence of Slate.

It still was a mystery about how much of an effect that man had on her. It's like he awakened the libido that lied dormant within her and she desperately wished it would go back into hibernation.

It was 7 o'clock by the time Ariella made her way to the elevator. She couldn't wait to get home, kick her shoes off and watch trashy reality tv shows.

Just as the elevator was beginning to shut, an arm shot through the crack forcing the doors to open.

"I'm sorry." Karina stepped into the elevator huffing as if she had ran. "I called your name, but I don't think you heard me."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I was in a bit of a hurry."

Karina dismissed it with a wave of her hand and gave her a small smile. "Don't worry about it. How was your first day?"

"It wasn't as intense as I thought it would be." Ariella chuckled.

"Oh, believe me it'll get more intense." It was quiet for a minute as they watched the numbers on the elevator go down. The door opened and they began walking through the lobby.

"You have to go out to drinks with us. There's a bar that we go to called Links. Think of it as your first day celebration." Katrina lightly laid her hand on my shoulder.

Vanessa, who was close by, squeals. "That's a great idea Kay! You should totally come. We go for drinks every Monday."

Ariella thought about it for awhile. It wouldn't hurt for her to go out for a drink or two. She would be able to sit down too. "Yeah sure. That would be cool."

"Great the others should already be heading over. Do you know how to get there?" Vanessa asked as she dug through her purse.

"Yeah, I'll meet you there."

"Cool." Karina grinned. "See you there."

Before walking to the bar she took her flip flops out of person. If she learned one thing from her mother, it would be to always keep a spare pair of comfortable shoes when wearing heels.

Links was only two blocks away from Mastermind. It was a small bar and the cars in the parking lot was pretty scarce. It was a Monday, though, so it wasn't too unusual. A shiny black Mercedes Benz sat parked out front. It would've seemed out of place if it wasn't for the fact that the bar was around the corner from a wealthy neighborhood.

Upon entering, Ariella was surprised to see Slate sitting by the bar. He didn't seem like the type to hang out with his employees. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Either way, every one of my nerve endings were on edge. Just being in the same room as him did something she couldn't explain. She didn't like it. At all.

Karina was sitting at the table with Vanessa and Rowan, another coworker on the same floor. She walked over to the table.

"Hi everyone."

"Hey." Rowan smiled. "Ariella, right?"

"Yep, that's me." Ariella sat her purse down on an empty seat and sat down next to it.

A waitress came over and asked Ariella for her order. She ordered her usual before flashing her ID. A few minutes later, the waitress came back with her drink.

Ariella nursed it while she talked to the other girls. Well, more like they talked and she would comment every once in awhile. She would glance over at Slate every once in awhile. It must've been obvious though because Rowan chuckled. "Don't even think about it, girl."

"Uh, what are you talking about?" Ariella tried to play dumb.

Rowan laughed. "You're not really good at playing dumb you know. It's obvious that you keep looking at Slate."

"He doesn't date." Vanessa said before taking a sip of her mojito. "I've worked at Mastermind for four years and I haven't seen him with a girl once."

Karina nodded. "Same. I haven't seen him show an ounce of interest to any of the girls that flirted with him on a daily basis." She shrugged. " Now, I just think he's gay."

Ariella shook her head. "I'm not interested. I'm not looking for a relationship with him or anyone else. Even if I did, he's my boss after all."

The girls gave Ariella a look that said they didn't believe a word she was saying.

"If you say so." Rowan stood up and grabbed her purse. "I'm heading out ladies. I'll see you tomorrow."

Vanessa and Karina stood up too. "It's probably time for us to leave too."

Ariella downed the rest of her drink. "You guys came together?"

Vanessa nodded. "We're roommates, so we figured it be easier to carpool."

"Will you be heading out soon?" Karina asked.

"Yeah." Ariella looked at her watch. It was only 9:30. "I think I'm going to get another drink before I leave.

"Ok." They gave Ariella a hug and told her to be safe."

After they left, Ariella grabbed her purse and walked over to the bar. Slate was just getting another drink as she appeared next to him. He gave her a side glance before focusing his attention back to his phone.

The bartender grinned at her. He was cute until she noticed his yellowed teeth. She tried to suppress a grimace. Dental hygiene was a make or break thing with her.

"I'll take a Bay Breeze, please." She slid a twenty and her ID towards him.

The bartender glanced at her ID before he gave her another flirty smile. He grabbed the vodka from a shelf behind him. "Coming right up."

Ariella made the mistake of giving him a polite smile in return. To him, that opened the door because he tried to start an unwanted conversation with her.

"So, your name is Ariella is it? Where you heading after you leave here?" He had a thick New York accent.

Ariella groaned internally. She was used to guys hitting on her, but most if the time it just annoyed her. Especially when it was unwanted, which was most of the time.

"Home." Ariella was hoping that lack of conversation would make him shut up, but when has she ever been that lucky?

The bartender slid her order towards her and laid the change in front of it. "I get off soon. How about you and I do something?"

"No thanks. I'm not interested." Ariella reached for her money, but the bartender grabbed her wrist.

"Don't be like that." He leaned closer and Ariella could smell his hot breath.

Before she could open her mouth to respond, someone beat her to it. "She said no."

He turned to Slate. "How about you mind your business? I'm talking to the lady here."

Ariella tried to yank her arm away, but his hand tightened its hold. Fear took a hold of her, and she knew she'd have a bruise tomorrow on her wrist. "Get off of me."

"All I want is a little date." He continued to pursue her.

Slate stood up from his seat. He had about six inches on the guy that was harassing her. Slate's dark eyes stared him down. "She said let her go." When he was angry, his presence was even more intimidating.

Reluctantly, the man let go. "Whatever, bitch." He spat at her with a glare in his eyes before walking to the other end of the bar. Probably to harass the other women that sat down there.

"Are you ok, Ms. Morgan?" He asked her.

Ariella nodded, rubbing her sore wrist. "Thank you," she whispered with tears in her eyes.

Ariella drank her drink in silence. No one had ever been so aggressive with her before. She felt small.

"Don't worry about that asshole, ok?" Slate said as he was about to leave. "Great job today, as well. I'll see you tomorrow." Ariella watched him as he walked towards the exit.

She turned back to her drink and stared at it. Who knows how long she would've sat there if it wasn't for a phone ringing. Ariella answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Hey!" Selene yelled in her ear. "Want to have a junk food and movie night at your place like we used to to celebrate your first day?"

"I'll bring the weed!" Jayeden says somewhere in the background.

Ariella laughed. After the night she had, she wanted nothing more than to hang out with her friends. "I'm in. I'm on my way home now."

"You're still at work?"

Ariella made her way to the door. "No. A couple of my coworkers invited me to go for drinks after."

"Oh, so you finding other friends I see?" Selene joked.

"Shut up." Ariella laughed. "I'm on my way."

"M'kay," Selene said before hanging up.

Ariella slid her phone in her purse and pushed the door to the bar opened. The warm air was a stark contrast to the coolness inside the bar. She made her way to the train station.

It was past 10:00pm now, so it was now dark. The street lights were the only source of light outside. There weren't many cars out and the eeriness made Ariella shiver.

"Next time, I'm driving to work," she muttered to herself.

She was considering calling Selene to pick her up, when someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her into an alley. She tried to scream, but whoever it was put her in a headlock preventing her from getting air into her lungs.

"You bitch. I bet you wish you had said yes to me now," they hissed in my ear as she was pushed against the wall.

It was the bartender from the bar. He must have followed her after she left. She cursed herself for not being more careful, especially after what just happened. She desperately tried to claw his arm off her throat to no avail.

She starts to loose consciousness. Before she does, she's able to breathe again from where he let her go. She coughed wildly as air was finally able to enter my lungs. She tried to run, but he grabbed her hair and slung her to the ground. He got on top her.

"Help!" She wheezed as she tried to fight him off of her.

"Shut the fuck up." He says before smashing his fist into her face.

With his left hand, he wrapped it around her neck again as he forced the other hand up her shirt to fondle her breast. He leans forward and whispered into her ear as she continued to try to fight him off.

"Don't move. Just be a good girl and I won't have to hurt you."

His breath was sour and it made Ariella want to gag. He frees his hand from underneath her shirt before using it to yank her pants down. After a few tries, he gets the pants to her knees. All of the fight left Ariella as she stopped struggling. She closed her eyes and cried silently as she let him do what he wanted to her.

It seemed like forever, until suddenly he wasn't on top of her anymore. She could make out with her good eye someone repeatedly slamming their fists into the face of her assailant. She tried to speak, but even that simple task was way too painful.

Moments later her, savior is crouched down beside her. "Hey. I'm going to get you to the hospital. Okay?" His voice sounded far away as Ariella slowly drifted into unconsciousness.

The last thing she saw before she drifted off into the darkness was Slate's face.