Sutton's POV

The snow lightly falls around me as I make my way towards Sullivan Records. I tighten my jacket around me as a shiver runs down my back.

Not too far from where I am there's a coffee cart with a guy handing some out. I move towards him and order a hot chocolate.

After the hot chocolate is handed to me I give him the money and make my way across the road to one of the tallest buildings in New York.

On top of the building is a record that spins around and the name of the company is printed on it.

I have been working for Sullivan Records for ten years and I've seen the good. The bad and the ugly of what the industry is like.

The bands I have signed while at this label haven't had any sort of run in with the law. Unlike some of my other colleagues.

A guy walks out of Sullivan Records cursing the place out. He looks at me and says. "You don't want to go in there today. It's a shit show."

I hope it's not as bad as he is saying.

Then I take in the box that he has in his arms. "Levi, is getting rid of everyone. Right before Christmas too. Can you believe that?"

No, I can't. I'll have to find out what's going on when I get inside.

"Thanks for the heads up..." I trail off as I don't know his name.

"Unbelievable." He yells. "She doesn't know my name and we've worked on the same floor for six years."

"I'm sorry,"

"Dwayne, my name is Dwayne. It's pointless you knowing it now as you're going to be one of the people that gets to keep her job."

I wouldn't be so sure.

"I'll see you around, Dwayne."

He shakes his head. "No, you won't. I'm moving back home and starting over again. This city is too expensive to live in when you don't have a job. It's a good thing that we can pay the first and last month rent. It's times like this that I'm glad they do it." Dwayne walks away leaving me staring at the doors to the recording studio.

Hiking my bag up my shoulder I walk through the doors and am greeted by a few people on the ground floor. As I walk through the foyer I see the records of people that have signed with us.

I stop at one of the signings. Nolan Grey. He was the guy that I signed three years ago. He's still one of the most requested artists in the country.

Also, he's about to go on his fourth tour for the studio.

The door to building opens and in walks a guy wearing a suit and sunglasses. Pulling them off he looks around the room and his eyes collide with mine. "Hello, Sutton. How are you this morning?"

"Good, you?"

He loosens the tie that he's wearing. "I'm okay," pulling the tie completely off. "Can you get everyone on the twelfth floor to meet me in the boarding room at 9:30am?"

Looks like Dwayne is right.

"Yes, Sir." I walk over to the elevator and press the button. The door opens a couple of seconds later. I step inside and press the button for my floor.

When I get to our floor there's heaps of people walking around with paper in their hands and talking to their friends.

Ellie looks up from her desk as I get close to it. "Hey, Sutton. Did you enjoy the light snow that we had this morning?"

"No," I take my jacket off as I start to feel warm. "Mr Sullivan wants us to meet him in the board room at 9:30am. Can I use your computer to send everyone a message?"

"Sure," she moves away from the computer.

Taking the seat from the desk beside her I start writing an email to everyone.

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Meeting @ 9:30am

Dear Everyone,
Mr Sullivan would like you to meet him in the Boardroom at 9:30am.

Regards

Sutton Holgate

I send the message to everyone.

Bing,

Ellie's computer goes off and she moves back to her computer. She opens the message and turns towards me. "Do you know what the meeting is about?"

"No, I don't. Before I walked in I saw Dwayne and he told me that he was..."

"Let go." She says. "I can't lose this job. If I do I'll have to move back home with my parent's. The one place that's known for no hopers."

"Go through your resume and then send some applications into other places. I'm sure someone in New York will pick you up."

"What are you going to do if you're let go?"

I'm not worried about what will happen. I've been working on something for the last four months.

Ding, my phone goes off and I look at it. Seeing 'Hayley' appear on the screen it makes me smile.

Hayley: I'm in.

Me: That's great. How about we meet in the afternoon?

Hayley: When and Where?

Me: Rossini's? Say 1pm?

Hayley: I love Italian food. I'll see you then.

Me: Bye,

As I make my way through the floor I'm greeted by everyone. When I get to my office I place my bag in the desk and start my computer.

Just before 9:30am, I make my way to the boardroom and join my fellow employee's. I sit next to Ellie and wait for Levi to make his appearance.

A couple of minutes after 9:30am, Levi walks into the room with messy hair, lipstick on his lips and a wrinkled shirt.

Kristin walks into the room with her lips smudged. Her shirt wrinkled and the mini skirt hiked up higher than usual. She wipes around her mouth before waving at me. "Hey, Sutton." She waves at me before standing at the back of the room.

Levi looks around the room before clearing his throat and gaining our attention. "Thank you all for coming to the meeting. I have some news that I need to break to you." He looks at his bed warmer and says. "These people are free to leave right now. Kristin."

Kristin walks over to the door. "Good luck." She calls to everyone before closing the door with a smug smile on her face.

I'm not surprised that she's one of the ones to stay with the company.

Levi keeps calling out names and they walk out of the door. When he's finished there's six of us left.

Ellie's face pales. "I can't go back home." Her hands begin to shake.

Placing my hand over hers. "Go home for Christmas and the New Year. Take your mind off things. Next year should be better for you."

"Okay, I think I can manage one week with my family. I hope you're right about next year being better."

Once Levi has our attention again he says. "The company is being downsized. Unfortunately you six are not needed. I would like to thank you for working for Sullivan Records for the past year. It was a pleasure getting to know you all."

What a load of shit. He didn't get to know us.

Standing up I look my ex boss in the eyes and say. "It wasn't a pleasure working for you. Hank was better than you in every way passible. He would have made sure that we all kept our jobs."

"I'm not my father. He was a weak man who hired all the poor souls from the street who wanted to be an executive. What have you done for the company in the last year."

"All the signings that are on the wall downstairs were mine. Once I walk out those door they will be gone. They signed contracts specifying that once I left, they would too. Your company won't be standing for long, Levi." With that I walk out of the room and head towards my office.

When I get to my office there's a box with my name on it. Pulling the lid off I see that it's empty.

At least I don't have to go looking for a box.

I start packing up my office and a few tears begin to fall as I look around the room that has been mine for the last six years. I've had a number of good memories in here.

"Knock, knock," Kristin says. She has a smile on her face. "I'd say that it's sad to see you leave, but we both know that it's a lie."

"Congrats on keeping your job and by contracting STD's and STI's by sleeping with our boss. How desperate are you to keep this job?" I place my photo's in the box and other stuff that I have lying around the office.

Her mouth opens and closes a couple of times. "You're a bitch."

"Thanks," picking up the box I move past her through the door. "Have a good life, Kristin."