2 Chapter 2

She walked over to her wardrobe and pulled the doors open. She had an opulent apartment for a woman who lived on her own with two dogs. For this expedition she always went with her babies. It was an image thing. She dressed up to the nines like a mafia woman, a wig of a different colour to her usual and shoes that could kill a person. This was the persona she adapted when she went to visit her chain of lingerie shops. She wore make up that hid her mainly innocent looks and replaced them with a sultry vixen. She was Vivienne when she was like this. She studied herself in the full length mirror near the doorway one last time then clucked for her dogs to follow her out. She took a ground floor apartment because of her dogs. Her family didn't know where she lived, thank goodness for small mercies, and she liked it that way.

She let the dogs into the car and drove downtown into the area where her store was located. She parked her car right in front of the store and got out, with her dogs. She strolled into the store majestically and since the employees knew her, they sent word to the back for the manager. Here she was a task mistress with an iron hand and strict rules.

"So glad to see you Madam," Her store manager Silia greeted her. She managed the administration and day to day work but also was the face of the store. People thought she was the designer of the super sexy lingerie sold in the store. Vivienne was just the owner. Silia led her to her office in the back. After she had a seat, she took off her sunglasses.

"How is business?" Viv asked as she motioned for her dogs to sit by her.

"It is going well, the new designs you brought in are ready for the racks. We will see about how they sell then. We are going to meet with a marketing company I picked out to discuss the campaign."

"We are meeting them next door right?" Viv asked. The restaurant next door was where she would hold all her meetings regarding the store. They allowed her to come in with her dogs and gave her a private room because of them. She also had one particular server. "Let us go." She got up and clucked for her pets.

They made it to the restaurant just in time for the marketing personnel to come in. After ordering food, she allowed Silia to lead the meeting as she looked around at the people and made observations. She also tossed out a few ideas to put in. The aim was to cement it that Silia was the designer and Viv was the money. When the meeting was done and the marketing team had left, Ri could relax.

"So I hear congratulations are in order?" Silia smiled at Riona. They had been friends since college, Riona, Silia and Claire. Even though they had all done business majors, Claire and Riona had decided to venture into the Administrative Assistant industry while Silia had agreed to be the face for Riona's side project. It had been one of those things that they had dreamt of doing Their forth friend had decided to go to another country to brush up on her cooking skills. Word on the street was that she was due back soon.

"Claire has a big mouth," Ri grumbled. She couldn't believe Silia already knew. At this rate the whole city would be aware.

"And he isn't bad looking either…" Silia ventured.

"No he isn't" Ri answered reluctantly.

"You know hun," Silia begun, "You are going to have to get back on that horse sooner or later."

"So Claire said but I didn't want my parents to force me to do so. I wanted to do it on my own terms."

"Your own terms would have seen you an old dog lady,"

"I was about to start trying, I swear!" Ri exclaimed. Silia laughed at that and sipped more of her tea. There was a small silence before she spoke again.

"Babe I know you may think it is disloyal to Kevin to get a man but I am sure he would have wanted you to …."

"We are not going there Silia" Ri interrupted her quietly.

"It has been 2 years…"

"And not nearly enough for me to heal," Ri resisted raising her voice. She knew that her friends meant well but losing one's fiancé was a lot more complicated than losing a pet goldfish. "Leave it alone," she said finally, putting an end to that conversation.

Riona got up abruptly and put some bills on the table. "I promised Claire I would stop by the office. I need to go." She rushed out of there, the dogs at her heels.

When she got to the car, after securing the dogs in, she got in, sat at the steering wheel and stared ahead for a few minutes. Must they bring up Kevin every single time? She white knuckled the wheel and put her fore head on it. It still hurt Damn it! It still hurt that she couldn't call him and just complain about the day. She didn't cry as often as she had at first but she still did. Some nights were unbearable. And even though she felt lonely a lot of the time, she just couldn't move past the fact that she had almost married a good man who she loved and loved her. Starting that process again felt like a betrayal let alone was just too hard. After some time to calm down and a protesting whine from one of the dogs she finally started the car and headed towards the main office building. She didn't see the black car that followed her.

"She has just left the restaurant Sir," the man in the car reported, "she was alone, seemed upset. Sat in the car for a while and now she is headed up town."