Rey awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside of her window. The light streamed in through her fabric blinds in her studio apartment. Rey typically didn't notice the sound of nature outside of her window. The car horns blasting and the sound of trucks rumbling down the streets below her window typically drowned out any sounds of nature that were present in the City.

This morning was different though. Today she tuned into the sound of birds chirping and smiled as she remembered the events of the night before. She threw her arm next to the space beside her on the pull out bed of the couch. She knew what she would find, what her arm would land on once it crashed down to the surface below.

Her hand hit something soft. Definitely a pillow, just a pillow. Nothing else. Her bed was empty.

She could still make out the impression in the bed , where his body had lain beside hers.

A moment of disappointment hit her. She knew it was irrational disappointment.

For a fleeting moment she thought that her arm would land on something firm, something warm. Kylo's shoulder or his back.

Kylo had already left her apartment. Of course he did, probably around 6:30 am because the contract only included an eight hour time period. He hadn't disturbed her and she was sure that he locked the door when he left because he said that he would.

She shouldn't have expected him to stay over that time period until she woke up for free after all. What was she thinking? It was a business relationship; she shouldn't confuse what they were with anything else.

Last night had been odd for her though. She just expected that he'd cuddle with her and she'd stare at the ceiling for hours before finally sleep would overtake her. She didn't expect to be out like a light twenty minutes after his arms were wrapped around her and his body was pressed firmly against the curve of her back. His legs intertwined between hers.

Rey had never slept in bed with a man in a non-intimate setting before. She had to keep telling herself as he held her close to him that it was not about sexual intimacy, she was doing this to take back her power and gain control over her life. To not let her depressed state about losing the love of her life over take her any more.

Yet as hard as she tried, she still felt like what she was doing with Kylo was an intimate act. Even if his hands didn't explore her body, even if his lips didn't touch her face and even if she couldn't feel an erection pressing against her backside as he held her.

She kept telling herself she didn't know this man. She tried to picture him as a giant teddy bear and not as a man that she was attracted to because she thought that the thoughts of a cute, squishy, cuddly teddy bear would keep her mind from going into the gutter.

It didn't help though. Her mind still went straight to sex. Sex she obviously wasn't going to have with him. That would cross the professional / personal boundary that he had already made so clear to her was set. Plus she hardly knew Kylo. She wasnt even sure if Kylo was his real name ir not.

Even with her mind in the gutter, she slept peacefully for the first time in months. Once she was asleep she didn't toss and turn. She didn't wake up several times in a panic, realizing that the love of her life wasn't the one that was holding her.

She slept the entire night without interruption all thanks to Kylo.

When she got out of bed , she checked her phone and saw that he confirmed their next appointment for that later that night.

It was short and to the point, just confirming the time. Like before he didn't ask any questions.

They hadn't really talked before she fell asleep the night before but there was one short conversation that had taken her aback somewhat.

Kylo had asked to use her bathroom, which he had to cut through the area with her bed to get to the bathroom. She was sitting on the side of the couch when Kylo came back up to her ad he was holding out a framed picture that had been displayed on a night side table beside her bed

He held it out to her and cocked his head to the side.

"Who is this man with you in this phone?", he questioned.

Rey smiled. That was her favorite photo of her and Armie. They had been goofing around after a trip to the beach and Rose and captured them hugging tight, with Armie's lips grazing Rey's cheek. She just had to smile every time she saw the photo so it was the first choice for her to frame and have next to her bed.

The photo reminded her of when she was happy, not just with Armie but with life in general. When she could work a office job without wanting to run out the doors screaming and when she could get out of bed without having to be reminded to do so by Rose everyday.

Rey took the framed photo from Kylo's hand. She grinned up at him but then dropped her smile as she stated, "This was my fiancée Armitage Hux. We were together for several years. He died about five months ago in a car accident". Rey guled and looked down at the phto in her hands.

Rey fought back the tears that were welling in her eyes. She didn't want Kylo to see her cry. He placed the photo on the table behind the couch.

"I thought you told me that we wouldn't ask each other any personal questions. You taking the photo by my bedside with me and another man and questioning who the man is, feels very personal to me", Rey stated frowning.

Kylo shook his head emphatically. "No, not personal at all. Rather more curious. I thought he looked familiar and you have confirmed my assumptions for me."

Rey narrowed her eyes as Kylo sank his body onto the mattress. "You knew him?", she asked.

Kylo gave Rey a halfhearted smile. "I did indeed. My freshman year of College, he was my roommate. We went to Coruscant University together. He looked different then of course at 18, more boyish, no facial hair and his hair was cut short. We were both Poly Sci majors back then. I went off to law school but he always insisted that wasn't his pathway. He said his pathway was going to be a different one then his father s. He had quite the reputation back then".

Rey looked at Kylo curiously. "What do you mean by 'quite the reputation. Armie was pretty straight-laced when we met. He didn't drink or smoke even. He never even talked about past relationships. His friends that I met that knew him for years never mentioned him having any type of reputation".

"Lean over on your side and face the wall. We are going to start simply tonight. I will be the big spoon and you the little. Maybe after a few days if you get comfortable with this position, we can switch to another position", Kylo replied seemingly ignoring Rey's question.

Rey turned to her side, propping herself up on one elbow. Not being able to face Kylo meant she couldn't study his face when he spoke to her.

Rey was typically good at reading people when they spoke to her. Their eye contact, their body gestures, the amount of times they blinked told Rey all that she needed to know about a person and how truthful they were being. That skill had come quite in handy when she worked as a paralegal. She could read the clients, she could read the opposing counsel, she could even read the judges.

She didn't like not being able to read Kylo's face but she didn't want to question his methods on their first night.

"Are you going to answer my question or not. I am really curious about how Armie was around others before I met him. I thought I knew him pretty well. I could always read him by the way that he looked me in the eye. I never sensed any deception", she told him.

Kylo draped his arm over Rey's shoulder and she stiffened up in his arms. His hand landed on her arm. He felt warm and Rey felt tingly just from his fingertips brushed up against her arm.

He cleared his throat. "I didn't mean anything by the comment Miss Niima. I am sure he changed over the years as he matured. He was a bit of an ass to everyone back then. Sort of flaunted his wealth and notoriety. He always wanted to lead every situation that he was in. He was my friend though we got along just fine. Back then we both thrived in knowing we could flex at least some power even at eighteen".

Rey closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of his cologne. He smelled like sandalwood and oranges. His scent was comforting to him and she wiggled her body closer to him.

Kylo pulled back from her some when she wiggled her behind into his crotch. She hadn't meant to do it. She could tell that he tensed up the moment she moved back into his body.

"Please call me Rey, just Rey", Rey corrected him.

She didn't like the formality of being addressed by her last name. She wasn't at school or at the doctors office.

She was with Kylo, in his arms. She felt safe and protected for the first time in several months.

His body felt like it was a furnace. She only had a light comforter covering them. Anything else would have been kicked off in the middle of the night when she became overheated.

His arms were muscular and she could feel his strength in the way that he held her. He held her firmly yet gently at the same time.

With Armie she had also felt safe and protected but in the few months she had spent planning their wedding, she felt like his mind was somewhere else even if his body was there with her.

She could tell that Armie had been concerned with something but he never mentioned to her what his concerns were. When she asked what was wrong, being firm that she knew something was wrong he would brush it off and tell her that what he was worried about was nothing that she needed to concern herself about. She was still concerned though.

Armie never disclosed to her what was bothering him before the crash. After the crash, his family, specifically his father and his law firm handled the funeral planning and all of his financial matters.

Rey felt like a nobody again after the funeral. Rey Nobody, that was her. She wasn't entitled to any of his estate. He didn't have a will , so nothing was left to her even things that they shared like his car. She struggled to afford the rent on their Brooklyn apartment.

She couldn't continue to work with Armie's father as the job just reminded her of Armie and the life she no longer shared with him.

So here she was, working 12 hour shifts at the diner, not having a life outside of working.

She envied Kylo in a way. He had gotten to see a different side of Armie that he either didn't share with Rey or had moved past that life.

She had told herself when she younger that when she got married, she wanted someone that would share their complete self with her. Good and bad. She wanted to know that person completely . Now Kylo was putting doubts in her head that Armie had shared his complete self with her.

She just nodded and didn't continue the conversation further. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

The next thing she remembered was waking up alone in the bed.

She had to get ready for work. She knew that Rose and Finn would jump on her with questions as soon as she walked into the café.

Rey spent a few extra minutes putting herself together. She brushed her hair, put on a minimal amount of makeup including a smatter of pink pearlescent lip gloss. She wore a v neck red blouse that hadn't seen the light of day from her closet in ages.

Rose cornered her in the kitchen once Rey walked in. "So you must give me all of the juicy details. How was it?", she asked excitedly.

Rey shook her head but couldn't help but to crack a smile. "There are no juicy details to spill. Honestly. He kept things completely professional and on his terms outlined in his contract. I did sleep like a baby though. He promised that I would sleep through the night and that indeed happened", Rey told her.

"Ok but Paige said he was crazy hot. She said that she had a hard time keeping her hands to herself during their sessions. What did you think? ", Rose asked.

Rey smiled and then bit her lip and turned her head away from Rose to hide her smile. "He's a handsome man. That is besides the point though Rose. I didn't hire him to stare at him like a statue of Adonis all night. I hired him to lull me to sleep. I definitely slept, the entire night".

"Rey threw a dish towel at Rey playfully. "Ok, Ok I'll let you get back to work. Besides, Dopheld is in a booth right now waiting on you. He asked specifically to be sat at one of your tables.", Rose said with wink.

Rey blushed. Dopheld Mitaka was one of her regulars at the cafe. He always asked for her when he came in and relentlessly flirted with her when she'd serve him his coffee and bagel.

Dopheld was in his mid 30s, had fair skin with freckles on his cheeks and sported dark hair that was always slicked back. He always wore a button-down shirt and tie. Rey wasn't sure what he did for a living but she was guessing that he was in accounting. He just looked like an accountant or what an accountant in Rey's mind would look like. He also talked about numbers and money all of the time that added to her suspicion.

She made her way to where Dopheld was sitting. He was staring at his phone, typing a text when Rey walked to the side of his table. Her glanced up at her and all of a sudden he flashed her a big smile.

"Hey Rey. You look lovely today by the way. I just want my usual but maybe tell the cook to go lighter on the cream cheese, last time it was spilling over on my bagel", he instructed.

Rey smiled. Typical Dopheld, she thought. He was complaining about his food not being right yet he kept coming to the café, day after day. Rose told her it was only to chat Rey up and not because he enjoyed the food. Finn even admitted that the coffee was absolute crap but they couldn't afford to upgrade the brand that they were using just yet.

Rey nodded . "I'll go and put in your order now", she said. She smiled at him, trying to avoid rolling her eyes.

Rey scurried to the kitchen and was met with Finn, winking at her as she handed him the order.

"Is lover boy here again? That boy never gives up , does he? How many times has he asked you to go out with him on a date? How many times have you politely turned him down? He's trying to wear you down until you say yes to him", Finn said grinning at her.

Rey rolled her eyes at him. "He hasn't tried to ask me out today yet, he just complimented my appearance.", she explained.

"Ahh has the gigolo that you hired made that much of an impression on your Rey. I haven't seen you wear your hair down or put on a speck of make up in ages. Not that you aren't a knock out every day but usually you don't put much effort into your appearance", he joked.

Rey playfully hit him as he handed Rey the coffee cup and then the plate with the toasted bagel.

"For the last time Finn, he is not a Gigolo. I did not hire him to be intimate with me and that's not what he does anyway.", she insisted.

Finn smirked, "Ok, intimacy surrogate then?".

Rey shook her head and started walking out the door to the dining area with her tray filled with several items.

"He's not that either. For the last time, he's a professional cuddler. He calls himself, a cuddle buddy. He was completely professional and didn't go past any boundaries that were set. I actually got a good night's sleep. I didn't wake up the whole night. There was something odd that happened though", she explained as she stopped, the door swung back shut.

"What's that?", Finn questioned.

"He saw a photo of Armie and I and told me that he was Armie's roommate freshman year of college. He then proceeded to tell me that Armie had 'quite the reputation' during his college years. He wouldn't explain further though, not really. He said they were friends. The whole conversation just threw me for a loop. I mean what are the chances that I meet Armie's roommate and then he tells me that my wonderful fiancée had a wild reputation? Armie was very buttoned up and straight-laced from the moment that I first met him.", Rey explained.

Finn bit his bottom lip and turned his gaze to the floor. "Sometimes Peanut it is just better to live without knowing information that may hurt you. It is in the past and Armie is dead. I suggest that you just don't push it anymore. Just live in the present, Rey. You need to move on with your life.".

Rey cocked her head to the side and stared at him curiously. She felt like he was not telling her something.

He gestured his hand towards the door, "Now go before the coffee gets cold. Wouldn't want to disappoint your best customer with cold coffee now, would we?".

After Rey delivered Dopheld's order to him, he leaned over to her and looked up at her.

"I've got this small party that's being held at the Ultra Bar this Saturday night, starting at 8 pm. I'd love for you to come with me", he asked.

Typically Rey didn't give his invitations a second thought but being with Kylo the previous night had given her a new perspective. She thought to herself, maybe it won't hurt to put myself out there.

"You know, actually, that sounds like fun. I'll be there", she exclaimed.

Rey felt giddy the rest of her shift. She received a text from Kylo confirming that he'd be over again around 10 pm again.

Besides her date with Dopheld, the prospect of seeing Kylo again made Rey smile and look forward to seeing what the night would bring.