3

The elevator opened up on the top floor. Bryan stepped out with one of the members of the board beside him. The two men talked like the old friends that they were, until Ryan noticed Lucille walking out of her office with files in her hands. "Just imagine. You ended up following me all the way here. It's my fault."

"Oh not at all."

"Excuse me." He said to his friend, then, "Lucille!" He called out. She turned sharply.

His friend squinted at her, before his eyes widened in recognition. "That Lucille. You hired that Lucille."

"Yes I did. Don't make a fuss about it. And don't go telling anyone either."

"What? Of course not. But does her f-"

"We can discuss this further another time." He pat his friend's back. "Excuse me." He reached Lucille before she could reach him.

"Good morning Mister Atkins."

"Yes. Good morning." He smiled ever so brightly. Taking her arm and gently steering her to his office.

Lucille felt a bit uneasy by his action and the smile on his face. "Is everything-"

"I heard about what you said to Nick. Telling him you don't work for him. Ha! I can't believe it. I don't think anyone has spoken to him like that before. You have such a way and y-"

"How d-" She wasn't expecting that. There was only one person she knows who knows things like that, though he got news much much faster.

"Suzanne's inability to keep her mouth shut has its good side. Like now for instance." He answered her question without letting her finish her question. He smiled at the woman in question as they walked past her and into his office where he closed the door. "Tell me. What was his expression like?" He let go of her arm and moved to his chair.

Her forehead creased. "Um... He had- he didn't have an expression."

Bryan shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Well done Lucille. Next time close the door. Suzanne hears a lot and talks a lot. I can see myself calling her into this office one day and just letting her talk. It would be amusing. In any case, it's good that you have such rules about work. I like that." He picked up a pen. Ready to go through the files on his desk.

"Thank you."

"Mmhmm." He looked at the papers in front of him then lifted his head with a deep breath. "That reminds me. You have do some work with Nick."

"What?" She blinked. "Mister Atkins, if this is punishment or something. I'm sorry-"

"What? No it's not. I'm happy with what you did. Why would I do that?" He smiled and focused on the work on his desk. "He has a deal he's working on. I have something to add to it, which I'm working on right now. You'll take it to him. And work on it with him."

"But I'm-"

"You wouldn't be the only one. You're just representing me. As you would from time to time in most cases. Or" He raised his head. "Do you have a problem with him?"

"No I don't. I don't even know him."

"You'll be fine. I know he can be intimidating. But you won't be the only one there. In any case, you still have a day before working with him. So take as many deep breaths that will calm you. Okay? And don't worry. You're not working for him. You're working for me while working with him." Bryan smiled.

The Lawes family, with the exception of Nina, sat down to a quiet dinner in the grand dinning room. Quincy looked at his daughter for the fourth time since dinner started. Waiting patiently for her to inform them of her new job. That is, until he decided it would be so much better if he brought it up himself. Clearly, she wouldn't. "How's work?" He asked calmly.

Lucille smiled. Of course he knew. He knew almost everything. "It's good." She cleared her throat.

"Work?" Madison stared in shock. "You're working? Since when? Where?"

"For Bryan Atkins." She answered between bites. "As his assistant."

"That's not what I asked Lucille."

Quincy let the conversation go on without him. He knew enough.

"Two weeks now. At his company."

"Why?" Madison showed serious concern. "You could work for your father. And not as an assistant. You can even run the whole thing for your father. Right Quincy?"

"Yes. She knows that." He took a sip of water.

"I want to try something else. Away from what daddy does."

Her mother sighed and laughed. "You're just so independent. Thinking about it some more, it is a good thing."

"Who said it wasn't?" Her father asked. "She should broaden her scopes. See more, learn more."

"And that's what she's decided to do. It's a good thing."

"I know it is. And I earn my own money. Which doesn't feel like I'm getting an allowance."

Quincy looked at her. "Is that what it felt like?" Amused by her words.

"Yes. It didn't feel very rewarding." He arched a brow. "Nina's words. Not mine." She confessed.

"But now it feels more like you're earning it. And really working for it." Madison said.

"Exactly."

"Okay. Is Bryan treating you well?"

"Yes daddy. He is. And he's always so happy looking and full of life."

Quincy nodded once. "That he is." And there ended the conversation for him.

"Cherrylu. Stay here tonight. I want to see you go off to work tomorrow."

"Mom-" She started, ready to protest.

"You have clothes here don't you?"

"I do. But-"

"But nothing. You're staying over." She smiled proudly. "My baby girl." Lucille chuckled, shaking her head.

Grabbing her cup of coffee from her desk, Lucille strolled over to Suzanne's corner of the hallway. Having finished what she had to do, she still had some time before she would be called to Mister Atkins' office. "Hi." Lucille smiled. Taking in the pleased look on Suzanne's face as she approached the Secretary. Suzanne looked like she was ready to burst with words. It better be good.

"Hi." Suzanne tried to play it cool. "What brings you out for your cave?"

She shrugged. "I suppose boredom. At 10:45, I know."

Suzanne laughed. "I heard you're going to Miser A's office for work."

"Mister Who?" Genuine wonder on Lucille's face.

"Mister A." She repeated as though Lucille ought to know. "Mister Nick Atkins doesn't like to be called Mister Atkins junior. So everyone calls him Mister A. Imagine trying to call Mister Atkins attention and they both answer. I heard that happened a lot. So he stopped answering when anyone called him Mister Atkins."

Lucille nodded, resting her hip on Suzanne's desk and taking a sip of her coffee. Suzanne Collins hears a lot. To answer her question, "Yeah, I am. I'm representing Mister Atkins."

"I heard there are like five assistants going to him too. Plus you of course."

"Apparently, there's a project he's working on and he needs more hands on it."

"I bet the whole time you're there, he's going to get like a dozen calls from like a dozen women."

Lucille's facial expression didn't change. Of course he would. He looks like the type. No wonder Geegee keeps asking after him. "He has a lot of girlfriends." She stated.

"He doesn't really date. He hangs out with them and they find it hard to let go. So I heard. If you ask the right girls here," she leaned forward. "they say he's amazing." She nodded suggestively, smiling and biting her lower lip. Lucille smiled. Maybe she should have stayed in her office. "If you're lucky, an angry girl may barge into his office."

"Wow. Such drama."

"Only for the pretty ones." She sank into her seat. "And he has this cool steel thing going for him. And-"

"You want to kiss his feet too?" Lucille chuckled.

"Oh no." She shook her head and both index fingers. "I have a boyfriend. I'm only admiring."

"Mmm..." She nodded, looking at her watch. Attention no longer with Suzy or her gossip.

"They're all this dolly types. Real fake looking. Not to mention..."

Nick gripped some papers in his right hand. Spreading the ones on his desk so far, they almost fell off. Hadn't his father sent the notes? His forehead creased. Inaudible chatter coming from three of the assistants working together. Another one sitting with his own team, and another, looking through notes and flipping pages. His office had enough room for eleven of them to move. Five of which were his team. He rubbed his forehead, getting agitated. The red hair in a bun backing him caught his eyes. His father's assistant. What was her name again? A knock on his door interupted his thought. "Yes?"

His secretary walked in, straight to his desk and dropping a file. "Sir," he looked up. "You have another call. She keeps insisting."

He didn't care who it was. "Did you tell her I don't take calls at work? And I'm busy. Is this from Mister Recks?" He asked about the new file.

"Yes it is. And I did. She yelled and said you weren't answering your phone."

He pressed his nose for a second. Feeling sweats coming on. His mind too boggled to think straight. Where are his father's notes? His phone began to ring. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Disconnect that. Just pull the damn thing out. It's giving me a headache. Inform the Secretary-"

"I am the Secretary."

Nick opened his eyes and assessed the man beside him. He scoffed and smiled. "Unless it's absolutely important, don't come in here. That means, don't bother me with calls from girls right now."

"Yes sir."

Ah! Yes, red hair. "Cilley." He called out.

Lucille looked up from the papers in her hands for two seconds, and went back to looking at them.

That wasn't right. What's her name again? "Umm... Mister Atkins' assistant. What's her name?" His secretary started to speak. "Never mind. Tell her I need his notes. Mister Atkins notes." The man nodded and went to her.

Lucille smiled to herself. Suzanne was not wrong. Although, the phone calls weren't up to a dozen yet. She got up after the Secretary spoke to her. Mister Atkins' file in hand. She made sure her amused smile had vanished before she went to his table. She gently placed the file on the table and turned around. Too bad she'll never know if it passed a dozen.

Nick stared at her as she went back to her seat. His thoughts slowly untangling themselves. Giving him a chance to go back to work. Another knock on the door. his secretary walked in again. "Um... sir."

"Yes?" Nick kept his eyes on his work.

"You have a meeting in ten minutes."

He looked at the somewhat scared man. "I thought I told you to shift all my meetings."

"You did. I did." Ten pairs eyes where on him. Lucille didn't want to laugh at the sound of the man's voice.

"Then why do I have a meeting to attend in ten bloody minutes?" When he couldn't answer. "You better reschedule without problems." And once again, his thoughts were a mess.

The next day, Bryan called Lucille into his office. A smile on his face. "Well done Lucille. I hope working with Nick wasn't too bad. I know you didn't want to do it."

"I didn't say I didn't."

His smile brightened. "I think you deserve an explanation."

"Explanation?"

"Someone... or more, have been divulging information on the company to our competitors. We needed to know who. So only those who had the privilege of knowing these informations and-" He kept talking. Her mind was on the chores she had left undone at home. And how best to go about doing them. Then she heard, "I'm sure you understand."

"I do."

"Good. Now. Nick may have been the observer in all of this. But unfortunately, you will have to work with him some more. He reports directly to me."

"You're keeping him on a leash?" She joked.

He chuckled. "No. It's the job description."

"So I will represent you again."

"Yes, exactly. When the need arises. Obviously." She nodded. "That is all."

Doing her best to supress her yawn, Lucille lazily turned her house key and opened the front door. She took off her shoes in the corner by the door and made her way to the kitchen barefeet. Where she looked into the fridge packed with different foods. She had a habit of cooking and keeping so she wouldn't have to cook for a while. Unless what she wanted wasn't in the fridge. Ruffling her hair while contemplating what to eat, she decided to shut the fridge and take an apple to keep her till she made a decision. Grabbing an apple form the small basket on the kitchen counter, she strolled to her room, changed into a freeing gown. After which, she arranged her shoes which she had so carelessly scattered before rushing to work. Turning off all the lights in every room except the livingroom, she decided to have shepherd's pie. Which she settled down to eat in front of the television. Legs folded on the chair and her eyes glued to the screen.

When watching TV would get boring, she turned to music. She listened to music while reading a book. More often than not, she preferred watching TV. Lucille liked the noise sometimes. Other times, it was just entertaining. And when staying in got boring... which was at most four times a week. She'd go out. If not to see the children then to visit Geegee and her other friends. Where she was bound to drink. When she wasn't out visiting, she was shopping. There was nothing better to her than no longer living with her parents and doing her own thing. Reasonably of course. Rather, what she felt was reasonable. And she loved it.

Suzanne dropped the phone once she'd received the news and headed straight for Lucille's office. She wasn't the one spreading the news. But she would have to and must inform someone. And the closest? Lucille. "You wouldn't believe it." She announced with wide eyes.

"What?" Lucille asked, packing up her hair. Mister Atkins would be in soon.

"Mister Hueford and his assistant were fired."

Not that she knows who Mister Hueford is. "Why?"

"They were giving out company info."

She shifted in her seat. She remembered Mister Atkins words. "Wait, who is his assistant?"

"That lady with short hair. She always has a pair of glasses on her head. She never wears them though." The last sentence was a note."

"Umm... V something? Tall and really thin? Huge fe-"

"Valentine." Suzanne blurted her name.

Lucille nodded. She was in Mister A's office that day. Sitting at the table with his team.

"But they aren't the only ones. One of Mister A's people got fired too. I don't know who though."

Lucille nodded. Suzanne must feel incomplete without knowing who. "Wow!" What else is she to say? If there was something to say, it didn't come to her.

Cool evening breeze ruffled his hair and grazed his upper body on his drive home. Completely happy with himself on closing a deal like he had every other time, he picked up his car phone and decided to make a few phone calls. "Hey. It's Nick." He said cheerfully into the phone when his friend picked up. "We're celebrating tonight."

"It's a little short notice Nick."

"So? Isn't everything? Are you in or not?"

"Of course I'm in." The friend chuckled.

"See you at the club." Nick slacked his tie and proceeded to call the next person.

"Hello?" A soft voice answered.

"Hi sweetheart." He smirked. "It's Nick. Meet me at the club tonight?"

"I haven't seen you in days."

"I know Babe. Come on. Meet me there. Call a friend." She hissed. "Or you can be greedy." He chuckled. "Come alone then."

"Okay."

"See you at eight sweetheart."

At 8:30, he was sitting at a table in the VIP section with two out of four of his friends. The other two were in the bathroom doing coke. Nick and the others, had been in there five minutes before for it. "So what made this deal so special?"

"It didn't take as much time as I expected. It looked like it would. We'd met three times before and I almost believed I hadn't convinced them." The other two walked in as he talked. One signaled for a waiter and ordered drinks. "The rumour was, these guys are hard to please. So naturally I was concerned, you know. But here I am now."

"Here you are now. The man with the silver tongue. You should have been there. He was amazing." The closest to him pat him on the back, a broad smile on his face.

"Anything for a party." One commented.

"Of course you'd say that."

"Well, he's not wrong." Nick laughed, taking a sip of his glass of scotch.

"Nicholas Atkins."

All five of them turned their attention to the girl calling out for Nick over the music. "Hey sweetheart."

"I have a bone to pick with you." She scowled.

"Come over here first. I missed you." He smirked.

"Oh yeah?" She stepped foreward a bit, arms crossed.

It was close enough for him to grab her. "Yeah." He took her arm and pulled her closer.

His friends laughed and talked among themselves. She looked at them and turned back to him. "If you did then how come I didn't see you? And you didn't answer any of my calls?"

"I was busy sweetheart. I needed to make money. You don't want me to?"

"Of course I do." She better accuse him of something else. "I heard you were with some other woman."

He smiled. "I might have been." She gasped. "But they're not you sweetheart."

"They?" She folded her arms.

He knew it was a bad idea to call her. And yet he did it. "It's a party. Don't ruin it with this." She sighed heavily and looked away. "Sit down. Please." He tugged on her arm. Making her sit on his thigh. "How are you?" He gave her his drink.

"Hey. B." One of his friends said to another sitting by Nick's right. "You see anything you like?"

"More like someones." He sat up.

"Someones?" He followed B's gaze.

"Yeah. Plural."

They all looked. Including Nick. Four girls. Cascading red hair caught his sight. With a profile he recognised as... His father's assistant. Out of her corporate clothes and in a black knee length flay gown that lifted a bit above her knee in her sitting position. She looked... something else. It was like he was seeing her for the first time again. Another word came to mind as he stared. Unfair.

"Nick?"

He raised his brows, turning to look at the girl who for an instant, he forgot was sitting on him. "Mmm?" He reached out for his scotch. The glass was empty.

"Hey." B signaled for a waiter. "those girls over there." He pointed at the group. "Give them a round of whatever they're having." He bit his lip for a second. "On me."

"On us." He was corrected by his friend. The waiter nodded and walked away. "Tell us about this closed deal we're celebrating."

"I'll make this interesting. He was doing the talking. He didn't see what I saw." B said excitedly. "He didn't know it, but three minutes into his talk, they were ready to sign."

The four girls were laughing at something Geegee had said when drinks arrived at their table. Two girls Lucille had gone to high school with came to visit. "Umm... excuse me." Tabby said to the waiter. "We didn't order these. Take them back."

On informing them of who they were from, Geegee caught sight of Nick and gasped, placing her hand on Lucille's. "You won't believe it. It's Nick."

"Who?" Lucille asked. Looking in the direction the three girls were looking. Four men raised their glasses to them. Except for Nick. "Oh." Lucille turned back, pushing the drink offered to her to Geegee.

"You don't want it?" Doris asked.

"No. I can pay for my own."

"That's not the point Luce."

"Wait, you guys seem to know one of those guys. Who's Nick?" Tabby asked.

"Lucille's boss's hot son. He's-"

"She's completely crazy about him. He's just another playboy." Lucille interupted Geegee.

"How do you know he's a playboy?" Doris asked.

"Besides the rumours. I've seen enough to know it's true. And I know playboys."

"You mean we." Tabby corrected. "Stew."

"Carmen." Doris added.

"Wes. When he isn't with you." As did Geegee.

"Who's Wes?" Doris asked before Tabby could.

"He's a friend of ours. Crazy about Luce since forever. It's swe-"

"Goergina!" Lucille glared at her. "Anyway. Julian."

Tabby and Doris gasped at the name Lucille mentioned. "Julian." They chorused.

"Who's Julian?" Geegee asked. Knowing better than to push the Wes subject.

"He was this total social zero in school. Now he's a really big star. You know. Julian Price." Tabby answered.

"What? No way." Geegee stared in shock. "That Julian?"

"Yeah. He did a play in school with Nina once. It was amazing. But other than that, he was pretty much unseen. It's hard to think that kid is so hot right now. He couldn't even get a girlfriend then."

Lucille smiled after Tabby's words. "What?" Doris asked, noticing the smile that practically screamed, she knew something they didn't.

"He had a girlfriend."

"Really? Tabby gasped.

"Who?" Both girls looked at her eagerly.

"Nina."

More gasps. "Don't lie." Doris warned. Geegee laughed.

"Why would I? If you ask me, they had one rehearsal too many."

"They really were together?" Tabby asked.

"Yeah. For a while after the play. And during rehearsals for it."

"How didn't anyone know? I would have known." Tabby needed the gist.

"Were they like a secret?" So did Doris.

"No. If you looked hard enough, you would have known. They broke up like three weeks later."

"Why?" Geegee asked.

Lucille chuckled. "It's kinda funny. He asked her what she would say if he wanted to date her and another girl. And she says, and I quote as quoted by her. 'Nothing. Because, you even just thinking about it is crazy. And I wouldn't be your girlfriend anymore. Never talk to me again Julian.' And that was that."

The girls burst out laughing. "Are you joking?" Geegee asked. Lucille shook her head. Taking a sip of her drink.

"Trust Nina. You can always count on these sister's to do something out of it." Tabby remarked.

"Now he's with as many girls as he wants." Doris gasped with wide eyes. "Speaking of out of it. Did Luce tell you about Johnny?" She was talking to Geegee.

"Who's Johnny?"

"Guys, no."

"She has to know about Johnny Luce." Tabby declared. Doris laughed. Lucille glared. They ignored her. "So we were fifteen right?"

"I was sixteen." Doris corrected.

"Sure. And I'm thinking before Nina dated Julian, cause she was seventeen. Anyway. Johnny was Luce's first boyfriend. And you can imagine, it was a strict boarding school."

Lucille closed her eyes. A small smile on her lips. "They made plans to meet up during morning assembly." Doris picked up.

"Which they did. And they needed a look out, so Doris was it."

"And then Johnny got way too hands on and when she tried to pull away he wouldn't let her. Next thing I know, she flips out and attacks him. Screaming and hitting him like a crazy person."

"And Doris had to run to her and calm her down."

"She nearly clawed his face off. But of course her screaming drew the teachers and very curious students to the back of the dinning hall. Including Tabby and Nina. And I'm freaking out cause we could all be in trouble."

"One of the teachers ask what's going on and Luce, who's fuming spits, 'Nothing.' Johnny can't help it, holding the side of his face. So he yells. 'She attacked me. She's crazy.' They scrubbed toilets for two weeks."

Geegee laughed. "I see why Nina calls you crazy. How could you skip that story?"

"They both have rage problems."

"Serious rage problems." Doris agreed.

"Coming from you who threatens to kill people. Strangle. To be specific and you're just" She mover her finger from Doris to Tabby. "Loud and bones."

"It doesn't change what is Luce." Tabby laughed.

"Is that why Wes shrinks when you're around? Does he know about Johnny?"

"Who's Wes?"

"Yes, back to Wes." Doris chants.

It was Geegee's turn to answer a who's who question. "He's totally head over heels for Luce. But every time he sees her he loses his tongue." Geegee smiled. "It's amazing. He's star struck."

"Awwwww." Doris and Tabby chorused.

"I feel hunger coming." Tabby announced.

"Oh me too." Geegee looked at the time 9:17. "Thirty more minutes?"

"Agreed. And Lucille will make dinner." Tabby declared.

Lucille scoffed. "No. We're ordering out."

"Don't do that. We came to see you. We want your food." Doris said. The others nodded.

"No. I can make something special for breakfast. Just not tonight."

"No Deal!" Doris banged the table.

"Whoa!" Maybe we should leave." The four young men now stood by their table.

B looked Lucille over. "Hi. Want to dance?" A smile on his face.

"No." Was her short reply. She watched as the others left with her friends.

"Just for a minute."

"I'd rather not." She smiled, sipping her drink.

"Why?" His smile wavered.

"I have a headache, I don't want to make it worse and I'm getting ready to leave."

Nick watched while his girl yapped in his ear. Or was it whine? Nevertheless, he wasn't the only one who had noticed her. Of course.