Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognize.

Spoilers: Ha! A/U baby.

Summary: Amidst the corruption and company politics, she was always strictly business. But there was always an exception to that rule; especially where it concerned him.

Notes: As stated in the spoilers bit, this is an A/U story using characters from the WWE. There fore, consider that your warning. For some base idea, if you've watched Sex and the City, this is almost like it. At any rate, I hope you do like the story and please review.

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While most of the working world was just on their way to the concrete and steel jungle, she had been there half an hour early. Her colleagues said she was a workaholic, and perhaps they were right. She, however, preferred to think of herself as a go-getter. Where it concerned work and where it concerned her career, nothing came first. It was always work before play and there were no exceptions to that motto. And today, just like every morning, she sat back in her corner office; the Business section of the New York Times in her hand while the Wall Street Journal sat untouched on her pristine oak desk. She could proudly say that she was the CEO of one of the nations top companies, but even that distinction did nothing to ease her fears. She may have fought her way, tooth and nail, to the top ranks of their company; but that wasn't good enough for them. She may have received numerous awards and accolades for her efforts and her contributions, but that still wasn't enough. For, while their company was near the top of the food chain; they were not at the top of the food chain. There was still one more corporate predator above them and it bothered everyone, from the low level janitor to the top executives to no end.

And it wasn't just that they had one more company above them in the top, it wasn't just that they were that close to topping the list of Forbes Top 100 Businesses. It was the person that ran that company. She was proudly employed by the McMahon family, Stephanie McMahon and her brother Shane McMahon shared the position of owner; an inherited position from their father. From what she understood when she had interviewed for the position in Advertising six years ago; both children had been groomed from the get go to take over the business. Their father in fact, had even said that his children had been spoiled, sometimes he felt too spoiled; but he said he would rest easier handing over the company to his children than selling out to his rival. And that rivalry had been one that every employee was made aware of. It didn't matter what division you were working in, you still had the laminated wall charts in your office or on the divider between your cubicle. But, that wasn't their concern. The motivation factor was on track, company profits were at an all time high and business really couldn't have been going better. But still, between them and the absolute top; there was still a roadblock. And this roadblock had a name.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

A ruthless businessman to say the least, but also a very cunning businessman. Originally it had been thought, that after his marriage to Stephanie McMahon, he would try to take a share of the McMahon Corporation. But, after two years of marriage and a bitter divorce; Hunter's intent became clear. Now that he couldn't take control the easy way, he would take control the hard way. And he started, by signing on with McMahon Co.'s top rival. Hunter used his own personal connections to bring in a team of top advisors, and was in the process of bringing on three others to help him run the company from the top. Two had already been named and the third was to be named at a board meeting next Wednesday. She knew this of course, because she made it her job to be informed about their rivals activities. If Hunter was jetting off to Tokyo to inspect that market for potential, than she was off to Tokyo to inspect the market. They were rivals, the top two CEO's in the country and little did either one know, but business was just about to pick up. Granted, their companies would have to work together in one months time as Congress was set to review the validity of Corporate Monopolies. She had all of her paperwork in order and she already had her team picked. But, that was the least of her concerns; the New York Times set aside as a sharp knock was heard at her door.

"Enter."

"Li?" The President of Marketing queried, pushing the double doors open. "What are you doing here so early?"

The CEO shook her head, removing her reading glasses to address her longtime friend and co-worker. "The business world never sleeps Lillian, you know that."

Lillian Garcia could only nod, no matter what, the argument would get her nowhere. "What's your schedule like today?"

Lita frowned, flipping through her day planner. "I need a new secretary..that girl can hardly write chicken scratch."

Lillian shook her head, "Take it easy on her; she just graduated you know."

"I know, but that shouldn't be an excuse." The CEO pursed her lips in thought, "I've got two conference calls, a meeting downtown before lunch and this afternoon, I'm scheduled to oversee a project."

"What about lunch?"

"Can't." Came the tart reply, the day planner set down on her desk, "I've got too much to do."

"Li, you always have too much to do." Lillian walked further into the office, taking a seat in one of the leather chairs in front of the desk. "Schedule in some time for yourself."

Lita shook her head, "Not between the hours of work."

"Give it up Lil." The President of Advertising spoke up from the doorway, "You know it won't work."

"Good morning to you too Victoria."

"But she has a point," Victoria raised a brow, stepping inside the office. "You work too much."

"Hardly." Lita's curt reply fell like clockwork on their ears. "One can not work enough in this line of work."

Both women shook their heads. Since the fiery redheaded woman had started for the McMahon corporation, she always stuck with this nose to the grindstone attitude. Granted, they had to admit, that attitude had lead her to getting to where she was now. But still, in those six years that she had been there; the three women had formed a friendship. They were always there to look out for each other, and that included their personal lives. That friendship also included a fourth and fifth woman; the President of Finances and one of the companies top corporate lawyers.

"Let me guess," Molly Holly stated as she stood in the doorway, "Lillian and Victoria are here to try and talk Lita into leaving work early?"

"That was last week," Lita replied with a smirk. "And if they did ask, the answer would be the same."

Molly shook her head, taking up another seat in front of the desk. "I don't know why you two still try. The answer has always been the same..every day, for the past six years."

"You never know." Victoria stated simply, "Besides, technically we're not on work hours right now..so we can chit chat all we want."

"Yeah?" Molly looked down at her wrist, primly checking her watch. "For another ten minutes anyway."

Lillian shook her head, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You're still coming with us tonight, aren't you?"

The CEO looked up from the legal pad before her, "Hm?"

"Tonight? You know..happy hour downtown?" Victoria raised a brow, "There are five barstools and cosmopolitans with our names waiting."

Lita rolled her eyes, shaking the highlighter in her hand admonishingly. "You'd think that after six years of doing this, we'd find another bar to visit."

"But it's tradition." The three women chorused in unison.

"Fine, fine." Lita tossed the highlighter down on her desk. "You win."

"Ladies." Shane McMahon greeted from the doorway. "Good morning."

"Good morning Mr. McMahon." Lita greeted sternly from her desk, the CEO rising then. "I have the reports you requested."

"Work doesn't start for another two minutes," Shane stated with a raised brow. "No rush."

The redheaded CEO nodded, smoothing out her suit pants. "As you wish sir."

"Please," Shane held up his hands as he stepped further inside. "Drop the formalities."

"It's just my nature," Lita informed him with a smirk. "At least during work hours."

Victoria raised a brow, "And when are you not?"

"I take plenty of time off."

Molly snorted, rather un-ladylike. "Yeah, when you're forced to. Come on, who are you trying to fool? Last year, when you came down with walking pneumonia, you still showed up to work..half an hour early."

"As I've always said," Lita crossed her arms, hazel eyes shining with pride. "The business world does not sleep, there's always something going on and there's always something to be done."

"Which is why you are the CEO." Stephanie McMahon stated proudly from the doorway. "Do you have those reports?"

The redheaded CEO nodded, "All the way back from last year..I had to do a lot of digging for that."

Stephanie nodded primly, "Yes well, blame the secretaries for that..they can't seem to handle a simple filing system."

Lita nodded, moving from behind the desk with a file folder in hand. "My secretary is working on gathering the other files..that is when she gets here."

Stephanie grimaced, accepting the file folder from her CEO. "If she shows up late once more..she's fired."

Lita nodded in agreement, "My sentiments exactly."

Stephanie nodded shortly, leafing through the file. "This looks like everything."

"And it looks like it's time for work." Lita nodded towards the gold rimmed wall clock next to her bookshelf. "If you all would excuse me, I must prepare for this conference call."

"Ladies," Shane nodded briefly to each in turn, lingering in the doorway. "Go get em."

Lita shook her head, resettling back in her chair. "You'd think he was a football coach or something."

"Let us know if you change your mind about lunch," Victoria stated as she exited the office. "I doubt you will, but who knows."

Lillian nodded in agreement, "Take a break and stop having lunch in your office..we're in Manhattan for crying out loud."

Molly shook her head as she stood, "Don't work too hard, okay?"

Lita waved them all off dismissively. She knew that they meant well, but if they only knew the half of it; maybe, just maybe, they would leave her alone.

But, despite the fact that they had known her for the past six years; the redheaded CEO's past still remained a mystery. Even to her room-mates, Victoria and the corporate lawyer, Dawn Marie. All any of them knew about the CEO, was what she told them and what little they had heard when she was hired on. They knew she had graduated at the top of her class from NYU and that she had interned for several high profile companies both in the states and overseas. And when they had first met her, she had long since adopted her work before play motto. In fact, starting with her first day on the job, she stayed late to work on a project and showed up early the next morning to make sure it's presentation would be flawless. That work ethic had lead to the McMahon Corporation landing one of their largest accounts in the company's history. Still though, Victoria, Lillian and Dawn suspected, that before she became this top corporate business woman; she had been a real woman. One who knew how to laugh, how to take a step back and one who enjoyed life. Not that Lita didn't enjoy life, just that there was this wall around her; a wall that seemed virtually unbreakable. And they weren't exactly sure how this wall came to be, only that it must've been something big to have lead to it. Exactly what, they still weren't sure..but as they would find out within the next coming week..the very reason would come to surface.

Authorly notes:

I have a general plot for this, and although, I'm not entirely sure how it'll all play out..I do have some set ideas. More faces will be making an appearance, including key employees from the rival to McMahon Corporation. Let me also say that, this is my first attempt writing an A/U piece, but I've always wanted to try one. At any rate, I hope you liked the chapter, please review.