~SEBASTIAN~

"Personally, I find their demands somewhat unreasonable, considering ours is supposed to be a partnership," Callie Holmes said. She stood in the front of the conference room. The dim room was lit up on her side by the screen behind her. "Negotiations are taking too long," she added.

It took a few seconds for me to figure out Callie's last comment was directed at me. "Any suggestions?" I asked smoothly, hoping no one had noticed I'd been distracted.

"I say we quit pussyfooting around," she said, crossing her arms. "I understand you wanted us to take cultural considerations in this, but I believe our friends in China can appreciate straightforwardness."

"You do."

She cocked her head. "I'll be happy to take the lead in this, if only they'd take me as seriously as they do you."

"Because you're not a man?" Elton Lowry said, grinning. 

The man had always been a jerk, I never liked him.

Callie narrowed her eyes. As a black woman, I knew she had to put up with a lot of crap from less evolved people like Elton.  "Because I'm not the CEO," she said.

I made a decision. "Do it then," I said, standing up. "I'll be there for tomorrow's conference call, but you can do the talking. Next week, you and I are flying to Beijing."

"Would they not wonder why the EVP for corporate and not the EVP for world services is negotiating for Mattheson?" Elton said, cocking an eyebrow.

"We'll see, won't we? Come along too, Elton. And make sure to pay attention to Callie in action," I said. I nodded to everyone, and they all stood up. The meeting was over.

"I'll pack a red suit," Callie said, grinning.

Quietly, I shot her a look. We've been colleagues for years, and we've always understood each other's non-verbal cues.

Touché. 

It was as if Callie had read my mind. Quit pussyfooting around. Images of Victoria smiling beside me as we drove through the streets of L.A. last night kept me preoccupied through the Executive Vice President's report. I remembered how Victoria looked lying on my couch, her hair spread out like spilled wine around her face as she slept. 

I wondered if anyone had noticed.

Callie did. She noticed everything.

"Something wrong?" my assistant, Frank Mallory, asked as I got back to my office. "Sorry, I thought your meeting would be longer," he explained.

"Everything was fine, Frank." I sat down at my desk. Three new documents had been laid on it since I had left for the meeting an hour ago. I barely looked at them as as I scribbled my signature.

Victoria's laugh was like the rich tones of a church bell. Deep, and a little husky.

I wondered how she would sound as I made love to her. The things I would do to her to make her moan. I imagined her voice as she cried out my name.

"I'm going out in five minutes," I said, signing the last contract. My voice sounded ragged. I cleared my throat. "I'll be back at six."

***

~VICTORIA~

One more day, I thought.

It was only half an hour into my shift when I accidentally bumped into Rach who was carrying a tray of burgers and shakes. Thankfully, the younger girl had astounding balance, and the damage was limited to a little splash of chocolate milk on the tray. However, I winced when I recalled the dirty look Rach gave me as she walked away.

Then there were the two instances when I poured too much coffee into a customer's cup, letting the hot liquid spill onto the table.

"What's the matter with you today, Vic?" whispered Mabel, after seeing me berated by my customer, an irate woman with a toddler and an infant in tow.

"Just a little distracted, I'm sorry," I said.

"Boy problems, huh?" The older woman winked.

"Not really," I lied. I'd had been zoning out all day, that was true. But I really didn't want to talk about it, not even to Mabel. "Problems at my other job," I added.

Technically, that was true.

I'd kept going back to the dream I had Tuesday night. Sebastian waking me up with a kiss. Sebastian's hands all over my body as his mouth ravaged mine. Sebastian's body pressed against me.

I shivered at the memory.

Not even a memory, I corrected myself. The memory of a dream.

As I cleaned up the broken pieces of the cup that had slipped off a tray I'd been carrying, I told myself this would be the last of it.

No more thoughts about my unattainable boss. No more distractions.

If I didn't get a hold of myself, I'd lose this job. I might even lose the other job too. God only knew what kind of trouble I'd get myself into if I didn't stop panting after my boss.

One more day, I thought. Tomorrow, I'll be over it. I'll come to work and be a professional, and no one would get fired.

I tossed the broken shards of china into the trash bin behind the counter.

"Hey, Slade," Rach called out. "That guy who didn't know you is asking for you."

I turned around, broom in hand. I blinked twice to make sure I hadn't conjured something out of my own daydream.

Sebastian stood in front of me. Dressed in a dark blue suit, he was standing so close I could smell his cologne. "Busy?" he asked.

I looked down at the broom in my hand. "You could say that," I said.

"You and I have somewhere to go."

My hair is a mess.

Seriously, that was my first thought. Instead I said, "I'm sorry?"

"We have unfinished business, Ms. Slade. Remember last night?"

"You mean..." I felt my knees go weak with fear.

"Yes," Sebastian said. "You can put this off as much as you want, but I am a man who would much rather deal with work...issues as soon as possible."

"Please, Mr. Chase." I kept my voice as low as possible. I didn't want Mabel or anyone else at the coffee shop to hear. "Not now."

"You're coming with me. Now. You could walk out to my car on your own or I carry you over my shoulder. Your choice."

I swallowed. "I'll walk."

I realized I should have known Sebastian wouldn't just let this go. And now he was going to do something I never dreamed he would. Something I dreaded. Something I was definitely not prepared for.

***

~SEBASTIAN~

"Ms. Slade, one would think you were about to get a root canal," I said, noticing Victoria wiping her palms on the side of her faded jeans.

I tried not to notice the way her back curved down to her finely shaped backside. Or how her jeans hugged her curves the way well-worn clothes seemed to fit the woman who owned them. Like the shirt she wore yesterday, her blouse was a size too small, and her breasts strained against the soft material whenever she breathed.

I needed to get her something to wear that was less ... tight. Soon. Maybe then I'd be able to suppress my fantasies about what she looked like underneath her clothes.

Maybe a sweater. A really loose one. Or those man-sized shirts.

"Is it that obvious?" Victoria said. She smiled weakly.

We were ushered by a smiling sales woman into a private room of Barneys. "Ms. Williams will be with you shortly," she said, then left.

"I don't understand," I said. "Most people would be happy they were getting new clothes. I did say I'll be taking care of the bill."

"It's not that..." She seemed unsure of how to explain. "I always feel like I'm making the wrong choices when picking clothes." She laughed, embarrassed. "I'd go home and put them on, and then realize I made a mistake and the money I spent was wasted."

"It's my money to waste." I said. "And anyway if you don't want to make the choices yourself, we'll have Deborah make them for you."