It was Monday afternoon, the Monday after Kylo Rens soiree. He was waiting outside her classroom door. His mother was a music professor at NYU. She believed music was an art, an art of love, the opposite of war. He just wanted to talk to her. After the finalized deals he knew the company was headed down a new serious path and he didn't want to lose his mother over it. Ren thought if he talked to her, she would see why he does what he does. He looked up to notice people flooding from his mother's classroom. Once the doorway was clear he entered the empty classroom accept one or two students packing up.
Kylo cleared his throat, "Mother."
The older woman in front of him turned around with an emotion on her face he couldn't place. "Kylo, my dear. What are you doing here?"
He clenched his fists. Is she really so disgusted to see him? "I just wanted to talk."
Leia gave a small smile, "We can talk later but right now I have a private lesson with one of my students."
He followed his mothers gaze and found a pleasant, yet shocking, surprise. Rey.
Xxx
Class had just ended, and she was waiting for students to leave. On Mondays her professor taught her new music after class. Once the rest of the students left, she saw him enter the room. It couldn't be. There was Kylo Ren in dark pants with a silk black button-down shirt tucked in. She couldn't help thinking to herself that he looked good. But why was he here? As soon as he said mother her eyes widened. This is beyond a coincidence.
"Rey?" his voice broke her thoughts.
"Uh hi." She sat there blinking at him wide eyed. He was here, in her class, seeing her out of uniform in her normal life.
His brow furrowed, "What are you doing here?"
She raised an eyebrow. "What am I doing here? I go to school here. what are you doing here?" she shot back.
He motioned to her professor, "This is my mother."
Leia had a grin but a face of confusion, "You two know each other?"
When Rey said no, Kylo said yes.
He ran a hand over his face, "She was wait staff at the thing Saturday night that you didn't come to."
Leia's grin disappeared, "Really Kylo? You want to do this now?"
Quickly Rey started gathering her things, there would be no lesson today. "I should go… Ill see you next week miss Leia." With her coat and bag, she left and hurried down the hall. Her cheeks were red. She thought she would never see him again. Now she had a feeling she would see him a lot more.
Xxx
Kylo had been so surprised to see her. Rey looked so different, her hair was down, and she was wearing a baggy grey sweater and leggings. She looked like the average college student, but he knew under those clothes… she was much more then average. After she had left, he returned his attention to his mother, expressing his worries to her. She told him she would still love him no matter what. He was her son, all her love belonged to him. Feeling comforted by his mothers' words he had asked her about Rey. Leia told him she was musically gifted. He told her how she had played on the piano she had given him. Leia's eyes sparkled. She was always so proud of that girl, she almost felt like a mother to her. Kylo was interested in Rey. She certainly wasn't like most girls he knew. They all looked right through him and into his bank account. They were dull, no ambition and easy. But not Rey. He knew she was inclined for an education, a better life. Despite the different social class, Rey was his type and he decided to pursue her.
The next week Kylo waited outside the classroom with Starbucks in hand. He had no idea if liked Starbucks or coffee for that matter. Patiently he waited as students were leaving the classroom. After the last one left, he knew only Rey and his mother remained inside. He entered with a big smile. Her back was to him as she was looking over some notes on the center table. Today she wore jeans and a loose tee shirt with her hair pulled back. Beautiful, he thought to himself. He stood there for a moment before clearing his throat. He smiled watching her jump and turn around. Rey's checks were turning red. "Kylo… your mother is in the back she's grabbing a stand."
"Oh, I'm not here for her." He walked over to her; her face puzzled. "I brought you coffee."
She stood there frozen and blinking up at him. "You... brought me... coffee?" she said slowly and quizzically. She slowly extended her hand and took it, their fingers touching for only a moment. His heart jumped in his chest from the small contact.
"Yes, I wasn't sure if you even like coffee. If you don't, I can go get something else for you." his heart fluttered when she gave him a small smile.
"No, thank you, I do like coffee." She took a sip and he could swear her checks were getting darker. "Why did you get me coffee?"
He shrugged, "Just being nice."
She raised an eyebrow at him and sat the coffee down before folding her arms over her chest. "But you live several blocks away and you aren't here to see your mother which means you went out of your way to come out here, just to give me a coffee?" Now his checks were getting warm. Damn was she smart and witty.
Kylo was a confident guy, always knew what to say and when to say it. But right now, he was feeling shy. He brushed his shaggy hair back from his face and sighed. "Well I didn't come out here just to give you coffee, I thought I'd ask you out?"
Her face drained of color and her eyes went wide. "Kylo I-"
"Rey! Dear can you come help me, this is heaver then I thought!" Leias voice called from the back room.
"Coming!" Rey called back. She glanced at Kylo walking away to help Leia. "I think you should go; I have a lesson." Her voice was void. Did he just get rejected? He has never gotten rejected before. He stood there stunned feeling agitated but even more enthralled by her. When she slipped into the back he went over to the table and wrote his number on the lid of the coffee cup. Maybe this was a long shot but it was worth a try.
Xxx
During her lesson she was distracted, making minor mistakes the whole time. She had just been asked out by one of the richest men in New York, a weapons mastermind. What could he possibly want with her? Just a poor lonely girl from Ohio who was obsessed with music. Usually in the books those kinds of guys go after girls like her as a form of conquest. Men like Kylo ren can buy anything they want, so when there's something they can't buy they see it as a challenge. She was determined not to be one of those challenges for him to conquer. Real life wasn't like the movies. She knew that much. Because if it was, somehow, she would overcome her life struggles and the underdog, but that hadn't happened. She told herself she wasn't going to text him. Yet she slid the coffee lid into her pocket. The way he smiled seemed genuine, the blush on his face and the slight awkwardness. It was different from how he had conducted himself at his event. She shook her head. She shouldn't even be thinking about boys, she needed to focus on school. Speaking of school, she was getting worried. She had to make a 1/3 payment in 2 months, or a hold would be placed on her account. Quickly her thoughts turned from his handsome face to her pitiful life back home.
When she got home she sat the coffee lid on her dresser and ignored it for the week, focusing on her studies and more loan applications.
Xxx
It had been several days, and he hadn't heard from her. He was bouncing between frustration and hopelessness. Why wouldn't she text him? He was good looking, smart, rich and polite. She probably thought he was ugly, or too old. But being 29 isn't too old, he thought. Maybe she wasn't into men and he was just getting mixed signals. He sighed and flopped onto his bed. It was late on a Friday night. Normally he would be out on the town or working. But now he just laid there staring at his phone. Suddenly his phone started ringing, shocking him out of trance. The area code was not New York so it couldn't be her. "Hello?" he answered gruffly and agitated.
There was a pause, but he could hear loud music and talking in the background. Suddenly her voice came through the speaker, making his heart stop, "Hi." Her voice was airy and slightly slurred. Even though she clearly drunk dialed him, he felt elated to hear from her. "Rey… hi."
She giggled and hiccupped, "you already said hello."
He chuckled, "That I did. Are you out at a club?"
There was another long pause he thought maybe she forgot she was on the phone. "Mmm yea, my friend took me out and I…" her voice drifted off and there was some shuffling.
"Rey?"
"oh!" she called out, "sorry I forgot what I was doing." She laughed again and then then there was a door shutting sound. "Sorry I'm in the bathroom now I can hear myself."
"Rey why did you call me?" he rubbed his eyes.
She suddenly started speaking really quickly in between hiccups, "Well she took me out and I don't know where and my friend she left and I called everyone else and I didn't know who to call and I'm really tired and-"
"Rey ill come get you where are you?" he jumped out of bed and grabbed his coat heading to the elevator.
"I dunno something rebellion? Will you really come get me?" her voice sounded so happy, but it was probably just the booze.
He knew exactly where she was, rebellion nightclub. He didn't know why her friend would take her there it wasn't exactly the safest place. "Okay Rey I'm on my way."
"Stay on the phone with me?" she slurred and practically whispered.
His heart skipped a beat, "Of course."
"You know what's shitty?" she blurted out her tone changing.
"what?"
"She just left me here! what kind of fucking friend does that!" Ren liked the fire in her, she was independent and knew what kind of people she deserves in her life. He stayed on the phone with her silently listening to her rant about this supposed friend. She was furious but comical. He pulled up and got out of his Porsche.
"Rey?" he interrupted her rant. "Can you walk out, or do you need me to come get you?"
He noticed the ladies eyeing him and his care, but he didn't care because her heart-warming laugh was filling his ears. "I can't walk out but I can crawl out."
"Okay I'm coming to get you." the bouncer let him in no problem, despite the line's protests. He quickly made his way to the woman's bathroom, the club parting like a sea before him. He entered and saw her sitting on the floor with a toothy grin.
"Kyloooo!" she reached up to him and he hauled her up on her woobly feet.
He rolled his eyes and hugged her to his side as he lead her out the club and to his car.
"You wanna know something?" she slurred in his ear, her warm breath tickling his neck.
"What is it?" his voice was soft, just like her body against his.
"Rich people are snobs and not nice. But you came and got me so you must be nice. If Leia is your mom you are nice for sure." She was leaning her head on his shoulder.
He wondered if she could feel his heart pounding in his chest. "Thank you, Rey. I'm not like most others. And neither are you." he wasn't sure if she heard him or not because her eyes were getting droopy. He got her into the passenger seat and buckled her in before taking off her insanely high heels. He tried to ask her where she lived but she was already asleep and snoring. He draped his coat over her and went around to the driver's side. As he was driving, he kept glancing at her. She was in a skintight white dress and red lipstick, yet another side to the beautiful Rey. As she slept her nose would occasionally twitch and she snored softly. He chuckled and smiled as he drove down the brightly lit New York streets. What are you doing to me, Rey? He thought to himself.