Tonight was one of those nights where Kimbra couldn't get her brain to shut up. It replayed her past over and over in an endless loop.

Since she couldn't sleep, she resorted to catching up on paperwork. Time was never on her side. She either had too much of it and felt dreadfully lonely, or she didn't have enough and overworked herself into the late hours of the night. Watching life from the sidelines was something Kimbra had grown accustomed to.

All she ever did was work.

But that was okay because she was helping people. Making the world a better place to live. Saving the environment and countless lives. Kimbra often had to remind herself that her sacrifices were for the greater good. She moved to the city for a chance at creating something bigger than herself.

When she was a little girl, her father, Loren, regularly spoke of St. Canard. He had traveled here for college back in his youth. Although he went back to their hometown afterwards, Loren swore his heart was in St. Canard. He boasted about city life, how well their education system was, and how remarkable the people were.

It was all a load of crap in Kimbra's opinion. The city did nothing for her.

She wanted to think that her life would be different here. Which it had been, but not in the way she preferred. For her, it was lonelier than Brittlesburg. Quieter. Not in the sound you hear kind of sense, as St. Canard was triple the size of her hometown. But in the way that she didn't know many people here. She had at the most a total of three friends. She barely ever saw one of them anymore, and the other two are just co-workers. (If you can call your co-workers your friends.)

In Brittlesburg, Kimbra knew almost everyone. She couldn't walk down the street without someone yelling good morning at her. Dennis McKinnon, owner of the general store, would always ask about her day when she came in to buy her father's writing supplies. Mary Kinney, the post woman, brought Kimbra those famous sugar cookies of hers whenever she dropped off a package. Arthur Canfield, the mayor, liked to tease her and ask when she would finally leave their little hometown. Each friendly face she'd pass by would recognize her and take the time to talk to her.

St. Canard never offered her that. The most she got from the city residents were glares and inappropriate comments. It was too hot in the summer and incredibly noisy during the rush hours. It wasn't home. It was just a polluted city full of creeps and broken dreams.

Kimbra had everything she could ever want back in Brittlesburg. She didn't have that much in St. Canard. Just a job that made no impact on the world. Sometimes she questioned why she even bothered with it.

The canine felt her eyes start to droop. She should probably turn in before she made a mistake. The words on the papers blurred all together, and the charts were becoming fuzzy. Her head was filled with nothing but static, which made it even more difficult to concentrate.

She rubbed her eyes and stood up from the table. After C.O.R.E, Kimbra wanted to go home. Permanently. She had very few things in her life that she actually felt secure about. One of them was her hometown.

She needed to go home.

Back to Brittlesburg.

Morning came to the city skyline in the blink of an eye. Kimbra felt like she barely slept. She tossed and turned all night, her own mind troubling her. She kept thinking about past scenarios that made her cringe and of her more current problems. They weren't very pleasant thoughts. She couldn't remember the last time she had a decent one. Probably not since her ice skating accident when she was small.

Something she'd rather forget.

Ever since that water salesman came into her life, Kimbra noticed herself stressing out more. Her work was starting to slack. Paperwork began piling up faster than before.

She'd overseen hundreds of projects. Projects that were of the utmost importance and relied on a determined mind to lead them. But working with the owner of that water bottle company was proving to be her biggest challenge yet.

And today she had to go into the depths of hell, to Bud's dreadful water bottling factory.

A moderately large building housed the Sparkling Crystal Pure Flud Water company in the industry park of St. Canard. A sign sat on the front lawn, with the Flud Water logo (Kimbra found it hard to figure out exactly what the blue symbol was, but she assumed it had to be a wave or something.) A map of the facilities rested under the logo.

Kimbra winced at the entrance, in disbelief she would be stepping foot in the place. Part of her said to leave and forget about Bud. The better half of her urged her to get along with the salesman. She said she'd be here to discuss the project. Yes, she had a small bit of hatred for him, but he was still her sponsor. Kimbra at least had to make an effort if she wanted C.O.R.E to be completed.

Letting out a stressed sigh, Kimbra approached the front entrance. A young clerk (a lovely orange feline) stood at the door and popped her gum, appearing uninterested in the world around her. Her eyes focused on the clipboard in her hand.

Kimbra cleared her throat. "Uh, excuse me?"

"Name?" The clerk asked, not bothering to look up.

"My name?"

"Name." She repeated.

"Kimbra Wulfe."

She glanced over the paper on the clipboard and scribbled on it with a black pen. "Mr. Flud said to wait for him in the conference room."

"Oh… uh… okay. Thanks?"

The feline only nodded her head, resuming back to popping her gum. Kimbra opened the door and stepped into the main lobby. The atmosphere was quiet but friendly, much to Kimbra's surprise. She had expected a more sinister appearance.

The factory's lobby wasn't all that breathtaking or anything. Someone painted the walls an off-white color. Advertisement posters of Bud were placed among pictures of St. Canard's popular scenic spots. A large potted plant sat in the far-right corner of the room. It all looked ordinary. Plain. Boring.

Just like Bud.

She noticed a small group of factory employees chatting away, some sitting down in blue chairs or just standing. Kimbra then realized she had no idea where the conference room was. The clerk didn't bother to mention that part. Bud hadn't told her a single thing about his company's factory either. She was clueless.

Just ask one of Bud's employees. They obviously know where it is.

The scientist mustered the courage to talk to the group. She walked over, tightly clenching her fists out of sheer nervousness. They didn't notice her walk up, being too invested in their conversation.

Kimbra spoke up, fearing that her voice would come out in a squeak. "Excuse me?"

The group grew silent and shifted their attention towards the stranger.

Everyone looking at her made Kimbra uncomfortable. "Do any of you know where the conference room is?" She nervously smiled.

A tall muscular tiger answered. "Down the hall, last door on the right."

"Thanks." She politely nodded and turned around, heading for the hallway.

See, that wasn't so bad. You just overthink too much.

Kimbra overheard the men eagerly whispering behind her back. She didn't even want to know what they were talking about. Probably just office gossip. Her co-workers at EcoTech were the same. They'd talk about rival companies or focus on the latest rumor.

They were only wasting their time with such nonsense.

The canine made her way through the lengthy hallway. It was bare, besides a few certificates and photos hanging on the walls. It appeared that Bud took any minor achievement that the company accomplished and framed it. Something to feed that growing ego of his. Kimbra skimmed over a few articles as she walked.

New water bottling facility has been constructed.

St. Canard officials okay Flud Water bottling plan.

Proposed expansion of the Flud water bottling plant is approved.

Flud Water is recognized as top seller in the area.

Those were just a few of the many newspaper clippings that proudly hug on the walls. The company was voted St. Canard's first choice in water, the last few years. The city's residents would choose their favorite local businesses each year, and the winner received a certificate and bragging rights. EcoTech had never won, usually losing to their rival company, SpecCorp.

Kimbra finally found the conference room, exactly where the men said it would be. The door was open, so naturally Kimbra peeked inside. A large table stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by black office chairs. The front wall held a large screen that currently flickered the blue Flud Water logo.

Kimbra took a seat close by the door. Hopefully Bud wouldn't be too long, and she could get out of here. Then again, the silence of the room was a nice change. Back at EcoTech, she had to deal with constant knocks at her door. Technicians and the research department were always barging in, asking her to sign something. They always went to her as her office was closer, and the fact that the other department directors were more stubborn. She attempted to be more stern and not let her co-workers step all over her, but occasionally she'd slip up. It was hard.

She didn't know why Dr. Ainsley even offered her the job in the first place. All she ever did was screw things up.

Kimbra leaned back in the chair, savoring the peace and quiet before a sharp knock at the door startled her. It opened, and Bud's head poked into the room.

"Morning sunshine." He seemed to be in a good mood today as a smile was planted on his face.

Oh, it's way too early for this.

The cheerful attitude immediately made Kimbra frown. "Knock it off with the nicknames."

"Someone isn't a morning person." He stepped into the room, leaving the door open. His smile faded at her attitude.

"I'm not a hot weather kind of person," she mumbled, partly excusing her sour mood due to the current heat wave that plagued the city.

"So you actually like something for once?"

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You're always moody and seem to dislike everything."

"I'm moody only around you."

That made him snicker. "That's not what I heard."

Kimbra stood from the chair, getting more irritated by the second. "What have you heard?"

"Nothing."

"So you're resorting to gossip now?"

Of course, just like his employees.

"No!" Bud lied.

Kimbra couldn't help but make a little snort of disbelief in response. "Oh, you are such a bad liar!"

"I just heard… from someone… that you tend to be a tad bit moody around everyone."

"I'm not!"

"I highly disagree."

"I came down here to go over my project, not to be made fun of!"

Hearing the impatience in her voice, Bud wisely changed the subject. "Do you want to see the place first?"

Not really.

Kimbra dropped the argument in hopes of getting through this faster, so she could return to work. "I guess."

"Good. Follow me." Bud held his arm out for Kimbra to take a hold of.

She looked down with disdain at the arm Bud held out and ignored it. He rolled his eyes and dropped it as he began to show the scientist around. Everyone he passed immediately moved out of his way. It was like his employees respected him or something.

Oh yeah, he pays them. Of course, they're a bunch of suck-ups. They don't want to lose their jobs.

The group of men she had passed on her way to the conference room still stood around, chatting. Kimbra felt their eyes follow her as she walked by. She brushed it out of her mind and followed the salesman through a door that led into a large factory.

Bud stopped at the entrance, holding his arms out wide as if he was presenting something grand. "And here's where the magic happens."

She raised an eyebrow. "You mean where you just bottle water?"

"Well, when you say it like that-"

"It's not that interesting."

Bud dropped his arms to his sides. "You really are a drag."

"Harsh."

As they walked side by side, Bud rambled on about the factory which came off more like boasting in Kimbra's opinion. Every word and movement of his looked prideful. Kimbra hated it. Someone as sleazy as Bud Flud shouldn't revel in the fact he's only successful due to ripping off others. He oversells his water and probably underplays his employees.

The mark of a true capitalist.

Kimbra despised him even more as the seconds passed. She wanted to tell him off and name off the reasons why he's a plague on society.

No. Embarrass him. Break his ego. It would impact him greater than any statistic or moral you say.

Kimbra decided to stump him with a question. Just to see if he actually knew what he was doing or if his employees do most of the work for him.

And to take a shot at that inflated ego of his.

"How do you purify your water?" She spoke up, still close behind him.

He stopped walking, looked at her, and took a moment to process the fact that she took an interest in his work. "Reverse osmosis."

Kimbra clapped her hands together in fake joy. "Oh, you actually know something!"

"It's my line of work, of course I do." Bud said, not picking up on her sarcasm. Kimbra found his obliviousness delightful. It meant he would be easy to mess with.

"And what kind of minerals are you adding?"

"Calcium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and magnesium sulfate."

"Oh, and you have a brain after all!"

This time the businessman picked up on what she was doing. He frowned, shook his head, and continued walking. "You're such a mean person, I swear."

Kimbra didn't comment further, as she did consider that partially true. She wasn't exactly known as the nicest person in St. Canard. People called her plenty of names behind her back. She had her reasons for being closed off and sour. It wasn't anyone's concern as to why she's this way.

Before they went up the stairs to the platform, Bud pulled a bottle from the convertor, offering it to Kimbra.

"Ew, no." She declined, crinkling her nose in distaste.

A heavy sigh came from Bud's mouth. "It's just water."

"But it's your water."

"Would hearing the water treatment and bottling process make you feel better about it?" He set it back down and started up the steps with his guest close behind.

"No, it sounds boring."

"Hey, this is a very dangerous line of work. It isn't boring."

"How?" Kimbra asked uninterested.

Bud hesitated on answering, and then looked over the railing. He motioned with his hand at the vat below. "You could fall into one of the vats and drown, I guess?"

"Only a complete moron could manage to fall into a vat full of water." The scientist leaned slightly over the rail, squinting her eyes as she looked down into the vat. "There's literally guard rails."

"Some of my warehouse employees could probably manage to do it."

Kimbra laughed. He actually managed to make her laugh. "I really hope you have a good lawyer then."

"Yeah I have lawyers, don't worry about it."

"I won't. I highly doubt anyone would if I'm being completely honest."

"Thanks for bruising my ego."

"I'm so sorry I didn't take your little feelings into consideration." She said in the most unapologetic tone that Bud had ever heard. "It isn't my fault your ego is so fragile."

Bud didn't comment further as he led Kimbra back to the corridor, into his office. Once they entered, he sat behind his desk, and gave Kimbra that iconic smile of his.

"Have a seat."

The rest of the week passed uneventfully. Bud barely stopped by the office due to being invested in a personal matter. Kimbra didn't need him anyway. All he'd do is get in the way or be annoying. He appeared to take delight in doing both of those things. So, she'd sit at her desk, watching the world go by when there wasn't much to do. Her only actual friend, Trisha, was busy with running an antique shop. Her family had their own priorities. Outside of work, Kimbra didn't have much of a life. Even work this week slowed down to almost a halt due to late shipments and delayed paperwork.

A sunny Thursday is when things started to pick up at EcoTech. Kimbra began the day by filing the last of yesterday's lab reports. It was a tedious process. The boys down in the testing facility weren't very trustworthy with reports. She decided to just do it herself. As some people say, if you want it done right you gotta do it yourself.

She set the pen down, sat back, and stretched her arms. A heavy sigh left her mouth as her eyes scanned the room of her office. Signs of her accomplishments, awards and framed diplomas, filled the walls and shelves. She should have been proud of all that she has done. But she wasn't. Kimbra still felt like she had more to do. More to prove to the world. She needed this project to be successful.

Prove to that greedy sorry excuse of a scientist that her project wasn't a mockery. They had crossed paths years ago, he probably didn't even remember her.

She hadn't forgotten the day her idol crushed her dreams.

Kimbra shook the painful memory away, not wanting to dwell on the subject any longer. Maybe that's why she despised Bud so much. He was a constant reminder of a man that she used to look up to. They both were greedy and had no regards for anyone but themselves. It hurt that Bud only sponsored the project out of pure selfishness. Getting rid of him shouldn't be this hard.

As it turned out, Kimbra underestimated that scam artist. She stood up from the desk and stepped across the room, over to the window. She pulled the chain, raising the blinds up to let in some light. Sunlight poured into the room, coating the walls. She almost went back to her desk until something caught her eye. The billboard a few blocks away had finally been leased out. Someone plastered a shiny new advertisement onto it.

The hell is THAT?

Kimbra squinted and frowned once she realized what was on the billboard.

That son of —

The opening of her office door interrupted Kimbra. Bud stepped into the room with a cup of coffee in hand. "Morning Kimmie."

"Oh, don't you even call me Kimmie." She continued to glare out the window, not bothering to give him a glance. "No one calls me that."

"I do."

She looked at him, frowning. "We are not doing pet names."

"I mean, you can call me Buddy if you want."

"I'm not calling you that."

"Aw come on, we can do that thing where partners call each other cute little nicknames," he added which earned him an eye roll.

"We aren't partners."

"Dr. Ainsley says otherwise."

He's only trying to get a rise out of you, don't fall for it.

She placed her hands together and took in a deep breath. "Anyway, I have a question for you."

"Ask away."

Kimbra pointed to the window, in the direction of the billboard "What the hell is that?"

Bud looked to where the scientist was pointing. And he smiled.

"You like the billboard I bought?" He leaned against the glass and proudly lifted his head, copying the advertisement image. "They captured my likeness pretty well, didn't they?"

"You just did that to spite me!"

Bud faked a gasp as he placed a hand on his chest. "I would never do such a thing."

Liar.

"It's literally within view of my office! I have to see your face every time I look out my window now!"

"Lucky you." He smirked. The man looked way too pleased to have gotten a rise out of her.

"I want it taken down."

"No."

"Bud."

"I'm free to do what I want with my money. And I wanted my face plastered on a billboard."

"You just did it to be petty."

"I'm just killing two birds with one stone." He grinned, looking even more pleased with himself. "Can you blame a guy?"

Yes.

"Get out."

"You aren't really that worked up over a billboard, are you?"

Kimbra spoke louder this time. "Get out of my office, or I'll have security throw you out."

"Like how you had them tackle me at the door?"

"You really aren't going to let that go, are you?" She refrained from making a crude comment.

"Because you're insane! Who does that to someone?"

I do.

"This project is very important to me, okay?" Kimbra let out a pathetic whine. "I just think it'd do better with someone else as a sponsor."

Her sad little act didn't work on Bud. He only frowned. "When are you going to get it through your head that I'm not going anywhere?"

"When you finally realize I don't want to work with you!"

A soft snort left his mouth. "Like you have a choice."

"No Bud, I don't have a choice. Unlike you, I'm forced to work alongside you because I'm trying to make something meaningful out of my work." She looked back over to the eyesore of a billboard. "And you're only here out of pure selfishness."

"My reasons for sponsoring you aren't anyone's business but my own."

"But—"

"No, you should be focusing on C.O.R.E, but instead you're feuding with me, and it's causing your work to slack." Bud said, scolding her like a child as he made his way towards the door. "My intentions don't affect you or the project, so you really should redirect what you put time into, sweetheart."

"Are you done scolding me?"

Bud sighed, realizing nothing he said made an impact on the scientist. "See you tomorrow, Kimbra."

She didn't respond. Bud left the room, shutting the office door behind him. The sounds of his footsteps disappeared down the hall, and Kimbra was left alone.

Finally.

She glimpsed once more at the billboard from across the block. The smug face of the arrogant business executive glared right back at her. He looked as if he had won this round.

Kimbra didn't know how she'd deal with this man for seven months.