“You’re still touchy, huh? People might think we are still dating.” 

She simply chuckled moving her hand to my shoulder before pulling away completely.

“I guess you’re still touchy about certain things.”

Ah, I had forgotten that she always loved to say that. That was just how Natasha was. 

We had dated from the start of the last semester of senior year to the end of the first semester of freshman year in university. 

I had always seen her growing up as she was in all the same classes as Howl and me growing up. However, we weren’t particularly close beyond that. The only person she hung out with was her cousin who was a year behind us.

From the moment I first saw her, I was reminded of a fox. Her eyes were light brown leaning almost red and her hair was dark brown with a red highlights in the sun. I remember being young and calling her a fox when my mother asked me about people in my class. My mom giggled at that, but who would’ve known my little observation about her appearance would also be closely related to how she would be later. 

She had randomly approached me with a rather odd proposition to pretend to date. I was taken aback, but heard her out. At first, it all seemed rather trivial until she was unrelenting about my agreement. It was a desperate plea, so I complied. 

I learned right away that my appearance at her home made her and her mother’s life easier. Her “father” wasn’t the kind and caring man that he had presented to the public as a merciful judge and loving family man. So, I frequented her house as much as I possibly could. However, I could only do so much as she never dared to confide in me in the slightest. When I tried to reach out she’d draw a clear line. 

Much like her appearance that was akin to a fox, so was her personality. It had grown from the environment in which she lived. In certain moments she was playful, in others cunning and strategic. 

Despite that, our relationship that was born out of necessity and comfort had slowly developed into something more. While short lived, I did like her quite a lot until she made her dramatic exit, much like her entrance now. 

“It’s been, what? Eight years since we last saw each other?” 

Things had ended amicably, so it wasn’t a surprise that she still acted so comfortable.

“It’s been too long, though you haven’t changed in the slightest.”

We caught up rather quickly and moved to a more quiet area to speak. She wasted no time and got right to the point.

“I have a feeling I have exactly the information you’ve been dying to find. I say that quite literally considering how unwell you look.”

She laughed to herself while poking my cheek. 

“Then tell me, what exactly am I dying to find?”

“You’re probably wondering where all of Leo’s clients went right?” 

Her deep brown eyes lit up with excitement as I surely indicated that she was in fact correct. 

“Well, I think you could say that’s my fault or at least it was supposed to be.” 

She grew irritated as she finished her sentence, looking as if she had just eaten something sour.

“I had every intention of taking every client from Leo. I came so close until that man showed up. It was the perfect retaliation after he up and left without a word.”

I had seemingly become a therapist as she moved on from the information I really needed and began her rant about Leo. She didn’t want to say it, but she had come to like Leo as more than a friend when she met him a few years back. 

I listened to her story before reeling her back in to the topic she had left behind. 

“So, you want revenge on both of them?” 

“I’ll handle Leo myself, just get me in the same room with him. As for the other one, I don’t plan to show mercy. This isn’t the first time he’s interfered with my businesses.” 

Her feistiness was reappearing after looking down in then dumps over her relationship woes. 

“What proposition are you coming to me with this time?”

“The best deal you could ever ask for. You definitely won’t hesitate to agree, unlike last time. I’m sure you’ve heard how renowned my mother and her family are. I plan to back you a hundred and ten percent in all your future endeavors. Just help me take him down.”

She wasn’t wrong, having her and her family stand behind you meant something. In fact, it meant the world. They controlled almost every industry you could think of. Their hands were everywhere. I was well aware of this fact as I grew up, however, her husband had done all he could to make that power his own until the day it wasn’t. They had carefully built their name back up and had risen to place others could only wish to be. 

“Though, I have one condition.”

Her smile came out almost sinister. Her foxlike eyes told me I wasn’t prepared for her condition.

“I want a meeting with Astrid Tate.” 

I found myself shaking my head before she even hit her last name.

“Absolutely not, why would you need to meet her?”

My words were rushed as she seemed to find my reaction amusing.

“Do you think I’m going to bite her? Why should it matter? I simply want to meet the brilliant girl that Howl told me so much about. If I can work with her I would feel much better. It’s my only condition, be rational about this.”

We bickered about this for the longest time before I finally gave in to her condition. There was now one more reason for me to get even more restless sleep.