Freelance Reporter
by C. Dreamer
Rating: G
Disclaimer: My name is not Naoko Takeuchi, and I do not own
or work for any big company;
conclusion: I don't own Sailor Moon nor do I make any claims
so don't sue, cause I'm broke.
E-mail any comments, suggestions, questions, etc to
Cdream_109@hotmail.com or R&R. Please?
Chapter One- A New Rival?
"Darien Caldwell! Come here this instant." Amy Lewis shouted. Darien
walked quickly up to the office. "What Ames?"
"Amy, Caldwell not Ames."
"Whatever," he shrugged.
"Anyway, you know the Diamond deal."
"Yeah, it's a scam. No doubt about it. I mean 50 million dollars for a
couple thousand acres of deserted land. There is something wrong with that.
And on top of that rumor has it that several people were wounded on that
very land in the past month. Now what idiot purchases cursed lands especially
for a couple million."
Amy looked smug. "Well Caldwell seems like I've chosen the right reporter
for the job then."
"You can count on me, Ames."
"Amy." She automatically corrected. "This time, you have a partner for
this assignment.
Her name's Serena Carlyle."
He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, "SHE!? You're sending me
off to California to investigate this fraud deal with an amateur reporter!?"
"Yeah, that pretty much covers it. Except, one, she's not an amateur and,
two, there's nothing wrong about female reporters! Just because you have
biased ideas about woman and careers doesn't mean there is anything wrong
with it. And, three, she was directed to me by another editor."
"You know how I feel about partners, Ames. Especially female ones." he said
cooly.
"Get over it, Caldwell. Life moves on, about time you did."
"So when do I get to meet this PROFESSIONAL partner." He said his voice
dripping with sarcasm.
Just then the door burst open and Darien, who was behind the door, was
thrown into the wall behind him. He groaned, "Excellent timing." He muttered
rubbing his temples. She turned around. She took off her silver designer
glasses and looked at him. "Sorry," she muttered under her breath.
He looked at her. Her blonde hair was in a sloppy bun that somehow looked
intentional. She was dressed in a dark bluish-green plaid skirt that stopped
mid-thigh, a short-sleeve white blouse, and a short dark blue vest with
black high heels. Her blue eyes were absolutely enchanting. She certainly
had style but he couldn't say much for grace. He frowned. This isn't right,
she's just another pretty face
"Do you normally stampede into rooms?" She frowned as he finished his
comment.
"Caldwell, was that necessary?" Amy snapped. He shrugged . "Anyway this
is Serena Carlyle, your partner. Serena this is Caldwell, Darien Caldwell.
I'll leave you two to do the get-to-know-each-other-chat.
----------------------------------
Serena looked speculatively at Darien. He was definitely not what she
imagined him to be. He was gorgeous, unlike most of the male reporters
she had met. Cute guys like him often have big egos.
"So, Mr. Caldwell, or should I say Darien?"
"Neither, Caldwell is just fine. I'm not on a first name basis." he said
stiffly. He gave her a penetrating glance.
"O-okay."
"Okay, well th-"
"Listen Carlyle-
"Miss Carlyle is fine, I'm not on a last name basis." She smirked.
"Okay, MISS Carlyle, let's get three things straight right now. One: I'm
not a team player. Two: I work alone. And Three: I plan to keep it that way.
"Not exactly inviting are you?" she noted.
"No, I never was, I never have been, and I never will be."
She turned around and made eye contact, "Listen Caldwell, you might not
like having a partner, you probably don't want a partner, but for the record,
we're going to get this story as a team. Whether it kills us or not because
we are stuck together, and there's nothing either of us can do about
it. So get over it."
----------------------------------
Darien trudged to his apartment building. It had been a long day and now
he just wanted to go home and go to sleep. As he neared his apartment, he
saw that the lights were on. Didn't I turn off the lights before I went to
work? He opened the door and stuck his head in cautiously. Then he saw long
raven-black hair and groaned. Damn it. He was suppose to pick up his sister
at the airport! Now she was going to fry him!
"Hi, Raye." He called cautiously. Raye Stewart turned around.
"Darien, why didn't you pick me up at the airport? Do you have any idea
how long I waited? And, on top of that, do you know how hard it is to get a
taxi in New York?"
"Sorry, Raye. I had to work late."
"Don't you always? I only come here once a year; you could at least be on
time!"
"I know, I know. How's Kunzite doing?"
"He's doing okay. We might get married by the end of this year if he
manages to get enough time off work that is. It's funny though, Kunzite is
a lot like you in a way. He works way too much."
"I suppose so." he said with amusement written on his face.
"So how do you like work? Same as always or what?"
Darien wondered whether or not he should tell Raye about Serena Carlyle,
his so-called partner. Then decided against it. Last time he told her about
his first and only partner, Molly Monroe, she had managed to get them to go
out to dinner. "Same old thing."
"Of course. Darien help me get my things into my room."
"Sure."
----------------------------------
"Hey, Rena. So how'd your day go." Mina Diora asked. Serena stared at her
roommate. "Oh, it was just great. I met my partner and he was so very
friendly and nice." she said sarcastically. Mina raised an eyebrow.
"Truthfully, it sucked. Plain and simple. Caldwell - you know, my supposed
partner? - is, in a word, cocky. I mean I've had unagreeable partners
before, but he's-" she shrugged,
"So, is he cute?"
"Mina! Are boys all you can think of? ... Well?"
"Well, I am a 'single' carefree beautiful blonde-
"-with the biggest ego on the planet." Serena finished for her. "Well,
second biggest ego. Caldwell wins the prize." Mina threw a pillow at her.
"And that brings us back to the original question, Is he or is he not
cute?"
Just then the telephone rang. Saved by the bell "Hello?". "Hi, I haven't
talked to you in forever. How are you doing?"... "Sure, how about tomorrow at
the Fork Cafe."..."How about around 5. That's when I get off from work
anyway." ..."That's great!"..."Who are you staying with?"..."Really, perhaps
we'll meet. Do you need a ride?"..."Are you sure?"..."Okay. See you at 5,
okay, bye."
"So," Mina asked.
"So what?" Serena asked innocently.
"You know exactly what. Who was it?"
"I'll bring her here tomorrow."
"It'll be a real treat."
----------------------------------
Darien groaned. Back to work. Maybe today would be a better day. "Raye!
I'm going to work." Just then he heard someone running down the steps.
"Wait!"
Darien turned around, "What?"
"When are you going to be home?"
"Around 4, I guess. Why?"
"Good, because I need to borrow the car."
"Why?"
"I'm meeting someone."
"Whatever you say. I got to go. I'm going to be late for work."
----------------------------------
Serena looked at her alarm clock, "Crap! 8 o'clock!" she jumped out of bed
and into the bathroom. Mina groaned as she pulled her pillow over her head.
She could hear Serena get into the shower while brushing her teeth. She was
always so late. Just then she heard Serena blow-drying her hair. Mina
groaned, "5...4...3...2...1" Serena slammed the door opened fully clothed in
a lavender sweatshirt and light blue jeans. Her hair was pulled back in a
sloppy bun, bordered with a light violet scrunchie. She put on socks,
grabbed her purse put on her sneakers and before you could say Serena
Carlyle she was out the door. Mina groaned, Serena had better not bring
home a speeding ticket. Mina closed her eyes as her alarm clock rang. She
slammed the clock shut. "Serena!"
----------------------------------
Serena pushed down the gas pedal. As she entered the paarking lot
she parked to the nearest empty lot she could find. She got out of the car
and grabbed her purse. She ran into the building and punched the
button for the sixth floor on the elevator
"I'm so late! Amy is so going to kill me." She paced back and forth
on the elevator staring at her watch giving an occasional
glance to see what floor she was on. The
elevator door opened after what seemed lika an eternity. She ran past
the offices and as she neared the Amy's office--SMACK-.
"Ow!" she mumbled.
"I'msorryIwasinarushthismorningandIwasn'twatchingwhereIwasgoing." she said
really quickly and drew in a quick breath. "Ireallyamsorry.Itwasanaccident."
"Man, and I thought my sister had a problem of speaking fast." a familiar
voice said.
"Well at least she's punctual."
Serena looked up. "Darien Caldwell?"
"I'm flattered." he answered. "You remember me."
"Don't be. I only remembered because most people have a feeling called
manners. Obviously something you've never heard of, or should I say
something you've never used."
"Neither actually. Manners: n. The way in which something happens or is
done; an action or style of speech; one's social conduct and etiquette.
That's out of the Webster's definition." he smirked. "I could give you
another one if you don't like Webster's."
Serena frowned, What the heck is wrong with this guy? What idiot memorizes
the exact definition of a word from more than one dictionary. "No thank you.
Webster's suits me just fine." she forced a smile. "Now if you'll excuse me.
I need to talk to Amy." he moved over, "Sure, feel free." he muttered.
----------------------------------
"Dang it! It's 5." Serena yelled. She quickly grabbed her purse and ran
toward the
elevator. As she neared the elevator, she tripped over a stair. As she
prepared to
hit the wooden floor, surprisingly something soft and warm broke her fall.
A person.
She stood up and brushed herself off. She looked up to soft blue eyes.
At least it wasn't Caldwell. "I'm really sorry. I accidently tripped."
Serena said looking at her sneakers.
"That's okay. I understand." Serena looked up.
"Chadwick Jed Lowell?"
"Serena! Hey, I haven't seen you in forever. How's everything been going?"
"Everything's been going great. When was the last time I saw you anyway?"
"I think in college. That felt like ages ago."
"I know. We should meet sometime for ice cream or something. Get to know
each other again."
"Sure. How about Saturday, late, after I get off work?" Jed said.
"And what time would that be?"
"Around 6 or 7. Meet me at the Jaqulin down the street?"
"Okay, usual time?"
"I didn't change that much, Rena,"
"I should have known. Anyway, what are you doing here?"
"Just passing by. Actually, I'm visiting an old friend of mine."
"And that would be?"
"Darien Caldwell." Serena stared at him and laughed, "You're joking
right?"
Jed shook his head. "No, I'm not."
"Oh, my gosh! You wouldn't understand though. Happy reunion. Speaking of
reunions, I'm late!" Serena ran past him toward the elevator and he heard
her rapidly pushing the buttons. If she keeps that up, they're going to
have to replace the buttons on the elevators to switches.
==========
Serena slammed the brakes. She unbuckled her seatbelt and ran indoors.
She was over an hour late! "I hope you're still here." She saw the familiar
raven-black hair swish.
"Raye!" She turned around. "Serena, hi. Long time no see."
"I'm so sorry. I had to work late."
"You don't have to apologize. I got here a few minutes ago."
"What! Miss Punctuality late!? This is a moment to remember. After al-
"Oh, shut up. I know you have never been on time once in your whole life.
So instead of wasting time waiting for you to show up, I did something
valuable with my time."
"Like what?"
"Like shopping. That is the best thing about New York, you don't have to
drive to every store you want to go to. You can basically walk to each store
unlike any place in Africa."
"That's right you were at the safari hunt in Africa, weren't you?"
"Yep, that's where I met Thomas Kunzite"
"Thomas, who?
"Kunzite, my fiancee."
"You're kidding!"
"No I'm not! We call him Kunzite. He has incredible pale blue eyes and
the sweetest personality. He's polite, kind, and sweet. He was our tour
guide. He also happened to be an old acquaintance of my brother who happened
to be along. And he set us up. And it went smooth sailing from there. So
what's new in your life?"
"Let's save that for later. Anyway, let's eat dinner, then we can go to my
house. Maybe you could stay over? Anyway I'm starved. Waiter, my friend and
I would like the Big Burger combo with a large order of fries and two Cokes
please." she waved him off.
"So one more time, what's new in your life?"
"I'm now officially a reporter for the Daily Tribune. I get my first
assignment Monday. The bad thing being I have a horrid partner. To make a
long list short, he's a cocky, self-assured, conceited jerk. He's pretty cute
though, come to think of it." Raye started laughing. "What? It's not that
funny." Just then the waiter brought them their drinks.
"I'm sorry, Serena, but he's rude, arrogant, conceited, and a jerk, but
he's cute? That's something you don't hear everyday from you. So what's his
name?" she asked earnestly.
"Darien Caldwell."
Raye spewed her drink. "Darien Caldwell? You mean, um...I mean...um, so
what does he look like?"
"Black hair, around 6'2, blue eyes, etc. you know the usual tall dark and
handsome."
Raye smiled, "Serena, Do you have any plans Saturday night?"
Serena frowned, "Yeah, I think so."
"Well, you'll have to cancel them. Because I set you up on a blind date."
Raye smiled slyly. This time Serena spewed her drink. "What! You've only
been here two days, how could you have possibly set me up on a blind date?"
"I've got connections?" she offered. "Don't worry though. If you can't
cancel your meeting, I'll cover for you." she sipped her drink. "That's okay
isn't it?"
Serena stared at her uncertainly, which was definitely not a yes,
"Great, meet him at the Skylight Tower at 7, okay? Good."
"But...-
"Listen, I can't go over to your house right now. I have to call someone
at home. I'll come over Saturday and we can go shopping or something." She
cracked a smile, "Waiter! Make my Big Burger with fries to go, please." she
hollered.
"Sorry Serena, I have an appointment I have to make."
"But Raye-
"Pay the check, and I'll treat you Saturday, okay? Bye, got to scram!" She
picked up her box and bag and left.
Serena frowned, And Caldwell thought I had a speed problem. He obviously
never met Raye. she thought as she quietly sipped her drink.
=============
Raye smiled, as she pushed the pedal. She had a lot of work to do. Serena
and Darien are perfect for each other; they just don't know it yet. Darien
found me someone now I'm going to return the favor.
She turned the corner and parked in the parking space. She grabbed
everything and went inside. "Darien! Are you home?"
"Yeah! I'm in my room."
"Okay, Darien, I need a favor." He looked at her cautiously. "What kind of
favor?"
"A really big favor." he sighed. Here it comes. Another blind date. "Go
ahead.
"I set you up on a blind date?"
He sighed, "With who?"
"A friend. She's really nice, sweet, and understanding."
"If she's understanding, maybe she'll understand if I don't go."
"Darien, please, for me?" He sighed, he could never refuse her. "Fine,
what time, when, where, and what's her name?"
"7, this Saturday, Skylight Tower, and that's a secret."
"More and more secrets?"
"Not bad secrets."
"Anyway, what could happen? It's just dinner and a walk." Raye commented.
"In all my years of being a reporter, I've learned that anything can
happen. No matter what it is or how small it may seem." Darien replied.
"Nobody would be stupid enough to cause trouble on one blind date." Raye
replied.
"You never know. I just have a bad feeling about this."
"The worst thing that could happen to you is you might find someone you
actually like."
"I doubt it. Anyway if it makes you happy, I'll go, but if it turns out
disastrous, then no more blind dates. Now I have to finish this article."
"Okay, just promise me you'll go." Raye said.
"Yeah, yeah." Darien replied as he rapidly typed.
This is perfect. In all my years I've known Serena she was always
popular, but she never paid any attention to boys (except Andrew), because
she never thought a single thought about a boy except, 'Oh, him, he's just
a friend.' or something. And she actually admitted Darien was cute. That's a
big step for her. Darien was always popular with the girls. No one ever
disliked him. They're meant for each other. They just need a little help
from me, the World's Greatest Matchmaker.
===============
"So where is she?" Mina asked.
"Where is who?" Serena asked.
"You know the visitor that called whom you kept a secret from me."
"Oh, it was Raye. The bad thing is she couldn't come. The other bad news
is that she set me up on a blind date."
"What! You mean Raye Caldwell from college. And she set you up on a blind
date?"
"Yes, like she did in college. She always did like playing matchmaker."
"Why didn't she ever set me up on a blind date?"
"She did, like every other week. They lasted about the first date. Wait a
minute I think I remember one that actually lasted a week. No, that was
Lita."
"Whatever happened to her anyway?"
"She moved to California."
"Yeah, I forgot." She paused for a moment, "I'm going to call Raye and
tell her to go shopping with me on Saturday. Do you know her phone number?"
"Yeah, I have it somewhere here." Serena dug around in her pockets until
she found a torn piece of notebook paper with a number messily scribbled on
it. I'll call." she volunteered. "Let's see, 680-5248? or is it 5243? I'll
try the first one first."..."Hello," a deep male voice answered. Serena
froze That sounded like... "Hello?"..."Hi, is Raye there?" I hope I
called the wrong number, "Who is calling, may I ask?"... "Um, Mina Diora."
Serena paused. She heard him yell, 'Raye! Phone call from someone named
Mina Diora.'...'You can hang up now.'
"Mina?"
"Hi, Raye, listen Mina wants to talk to you, but I can't meet whoever on
Saturday. I have a..." Serena smiled, "...date."
===============
Raye panicked, and as calmly as possible she asked, "With who?"
"Chadwick Jed Lowell." came the calm response.
"I'll go over there myself and personally tell him that you are busy and
then I'll reschedule your...date. If that's not possible, I'll entertain him
myself. But you have to go to this date. It's at the Skylight Tower at 7 got
that. Oh, yeah and be on time. Another thing, you and I and Mina will get a
facial, we'll get our nails done, our hair done, and go clothes shopping for
your big date."
Serena sighed, "Fine. Anyway meet Jed at Jaqulin at 6:30. He has blonde
hair, around 5'8, blue eyes."
"I thought his name was Chadwick?"
"It is, but call him Jed. He likes it better and it's shorter."
"Okay, bye!"
============
Serena walked out of her apartment building and toward the Daily Tribune.
It was 9 PM and she felt somewhat depressed. The weather seemed to feel
her mood. It was pouring down rain. For some reason she wasn't afraid of the
weather today. Usually she wouldn't even think of being out when it was
raining, but today was different. She kicked a rock and watched it hit
someone's shoes. She looked up and sighed, "Listen Caldwell I don't feel
like putting up with you today. So just go away."
"I can't. I work here and I work with you. But seriously, are you sure you
want take the Diamond deal?"
She scoffed, "What, don't think I can handle it."
He grabbed her arm, "Serena, I'm serious. This story is dangerous. Diamond
is dangerous. He had 62 people killed for being on his property!"
Serena looked into his midnight eyes. "I can handle it. If you're going, I
coming as well."
================
Darien was standing outside the news building. Somehow he felt compelled
to this place event though it was pouring. And he felt a slight pressure on
his foot. He turned around, Serena Carlyle He heard her sigh and mutter,
"Listen Caldwell I don't feel like putting up with you today. So just go
away."
For some reason he didn't feel as he should tease her right now. So he
replied, "I can't. I work here and I work with you. But seriously, are you
sure you want take the Diamond deal."
She scoffed, "What don't think I can handle it." He grabbed her arm,
"Serena, I'm serious. This story is dangerous. Diamond is dangerous. Rumor
has it that a lot of people were wounded for being on his property." He
looked into her brilliant blue eyes. "I can handle it. If you're going, I
coming as well." I admire your determination, Carlyle. But if you want to
get this story and still be alive by the end of it. You're going to need
more then guts,
================
A pair of violet eyes watched the scenario before her. "OW! Raye, you're
hogging all the space." Mina pushed her out of the way. Raye shoved back,
"Stop pushing, I'm trying to see here. Mina! Move your head."
================
Dangerous ice-blue eyes flashed. "Diamond."
"What Sapphire?" he demanded
"The government and the press are getting suspicious, we need a
diversion."
"Perhaps, you're right. We will need a diversion. Emerald, come here." A
figure stepped out of the shadows. "Yes, Diamond?"
"Operation Diamond inn session"
"And make sure you don't fail," Sapphire commented.
She smiled, "Of course, you can count on me."
======================
Big hug to Kat Morning, my editor, for reading this hours after hours,
this probably wouldn't be out if it wasn't for her and go read "With a Ring
of Truth" or "13 Hours" by Kat. Chapter Two should be longer so don't worry
for those of you who actually made it through the whole story without dying
of boredom. ^_^ Feed back is always nice. You can never get too much
e-mail. So e-mail me at Cdream_109@hotmail.com. Questions, comments,
suggestions are welcome. Enough said. Till then, Later. ^.=
by C. Dreamer
Rating: G
Disclaimer: My name is not Naoko Takeuchi, and I do not own
or work for any big company;
conclusion: I don't own Sailor Moon nor do I make any claims
so don't sue, cause I'm broke.
E-mail any comments, suggestions, questions, etc to
Cdream_109@hotmail.com or R&R. Please?
Chapter One- A New Rival?
"Darien Caldwell! Come here this instant." Amy Lewis shouted. Darien
walked quickly up to the office. "What Ames?"
"Amy, Caldwell not Ames."
"Whatever," he shrugged.
"Anyway, you know the Diamond deal."
"Yeah, it's a scam. No doubt about it. I mean 50 million dollars for a
couple thousand acres of deserted land. There is something wrong with that.
And on top of that rumor has it that several people were wounded on that
very land in the past month. Now what idiot purchases cursed lands especially
for a couple million."
Amy looked smug. "Well Caldwell seems like I've chosen the right reporter
for the job then."
"You can count on me, Ames."
"Amy." She automatically corrected. "This time, you have a partner for
this assignment.
Her name's Serena Carlyle."
He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, "SHE!? You're sending me
off to California to investigate this fraud deal with an amateur reporter!?"
"Yeah, that pretty much covers it. Except, one, she's not an amateur and,
two, there's nothing wrong about female reporters! Just because you have
biased ideas about woman and careers doesn't mean there is anything wrong
with it. And, three, she was directed to me by another editor."
"You know how I feel about partners, Ames. Especially female ones." he said
cooly.
"Get over it, Caldwell. Life moves on, about time you did."
"So when do I get to meet this PROFESSIONAL partner." He said his voice
dripping with sarcasm.
Just then the door burst open and Darien, who was behind the door, was
thrown into the wall behind him. He groaned, "Excellent timing." He muttered
rubbing his temples. She turned around. She took off her silver designer
glasses and looked at him. "Sorry," she muttered under her breath.
He looked at her. Her blonde hair was in a sloppy bun that somehow looked
intentional. She was dressed in a dark bluish-green plaid skirt that stopped
mid-thigh, a short-sleeve white blouse, and a short dark blue vest with
black high heels. Her blue eyes were absolutely enchanting. She certainly
had style but he couldn't say much for grace. He frowned. This isn't right,
she's just another pretty face
"Do you normally stampede into rooms?" She frowned as he finished his
comment.
"Caldwell, was that necessary?" Amy snapped. He shrugged . "Anyway this
is Serena Carlyle, your partner. Serena this is Caldwell, Darien Caldwell.
I'll leave you two to do the get-to-know-each-other-chat.
----------------------------------
Serena looked speculatively at Darien. He was definitely not what she
imagined him to be. He was gorgeous, unlike most of the male reporters
she had met. Cute guys like him often have big egos.
"So, Mr. Caldwell, or should I say Darien?"
"Neither, Caldwell is just fine. I'm not on a first name basis." he said
stiffly. He gave her a penetrating glance.
"O-okay."
"Okay, well th-"
"Listen Carlyle-
"Miss Carlyle is fine, I'm not on a last name basis." She smirked.
"Okay, MISS Carlyle, let's get three things straight right now. One: I'm
not a team player. Two: I work alone. And Three: I plan to keep it that way.
"Not exactly inviting are you?" she noted.
"No, I never was, I never have been, and I never will be."
She turned around and made eye contact, "Listen Caldwell, you might not
like having a partner, you probably don't want a partner, but for the record,
we're going to get this story as a team. Whether it kills us or not because
we are stuck together, and there's nothing either of us can do about
it. So get over it."
----------------------------------
Darien trudged to his apartment building. It had been a long day and now
he just wanted to go home and go to sleep. As he neared his apartment, he
saw that the lights were on. Didn't I turn off the lights before I went to
work? He opened the door and stuck his head in cautiously. Then he saw long
raven-black hair and groaned. Damn it. He was suppose to pick up his sister
at the airport! Now she was going to fry him!
"Hi, Raye." He called cautiously. Raye Stewart turned around.
"Darien, why didn't you pick me up at the airport? Do you have any idea
how long I waited? And, on top of that, do you know how hard it is to get a
taxi in New York?"
"Sorry, Raye. I had to work late."
"Don't you always? I only come here once a year; you could at least be on
time!"
"I know, I know. How's Kunzite doing?"
"He's doing okay. We might get married by the end of this year if he
manages to get enough time off work that is. It's funny though, Kunzite is
a lot like you in a way. He works way too much."
"I suppose so." he said with amusement written on his face.
"So how do you like work? Same as always or what?"
Darien wondered whether or not he should tell Raye about Serena Carlyle,
his so-called partner. Then decided against it. Last time he told her about
his first and only partner, Molly Monroe, she had managed to get them to go
out to dinner. "Same old thing."
"Of course. Darien help me get my things into my room."
"Sure."
----------------------------------
"Hey, Rena. So how'd your day go." Mina Diora asked. Serena stared at her
roommate. "Oh, it was just great. I met my partner and he was so very
friendly and nice." she said sarcastically. Mina raised an eyebrow.
"Truthfully, it sucked. Plain and simple. Caldwell - you know, my supposed
partner? - is, in a word, cocky. I mean I've had unagreeable partners
before, but he's-" she shrugged,
"So, is he cute?"
"Mina! Are boys all you can think of? ... Well?"
"Well, I am a 'single' carefree beautiful blonde-
"-with the biggest ego on the planet." Serena finished for her. "Well,
second biggest ego. Caldwell wins the prize." Mina threw a pillow at her.
"And that brings us back to the original question, Is he or is he not
cute?"
Just then the telephone rang. Saved by the bell "Hello?". "Hi, I haven't
talked to you in forever. How are you doing?"... "Sure, how about tomorrow at
the Fork Cafe."..."How about around 5. That's when I get off from work
anyway." ..."That's great!"..."Who are you staying with?"..."Really, perhaps
we'll meet. Do you need a ride?"..."Are you sure?"..."Okay. See you at 5,
okay, bye."
"So," Mina asked.
"So what?" Serena asked innocently.
"You know exactly what. Who was it?"
"I'll bring her here tomorrow."
"It'll be a real treat."
----------------------------------
Darien groaned. Back to work. Maybe today would be a better day. "Raye!
I'm going to work." Just then he heard someone running down the steps.
"Wait!"
Darien turned around, "What?"
"When are you going to be home?"
"Around 4, I guess. Why?"
"Good, because I need to borrow the car."
"Why?"
"I'm meeting someone."
"Whatever you say. I got to go. I'm going to be late for work."
----------------------------------
Serena looked at her alarm clock, "Crap! 8 o'clock!" she jumped out of bed
and into the bathroom. Mina groaned as she pulled her pillow over her head.
She could hear Serena get into the shower while brushing her teeth. She was
always so late. Just then she heard Serena blow-drying her hair. Mina
groaned, "5...4...3...2...1" Serena slammed the door opened fully clothed in
a lavender sweatshirt and light blue jeans. Her hair was pulled back in a
sloppy bun, bordered with a light violet scrunchie. She put on socks,
grabbed her purse put on her sneakers and before you could say Serena
Carlyle she was out the door. Mina groaned, Serena had better not bring
home a speeding ticket. Mina closed her eyes as her alarm clock rang. She
slammed the clock shut. "Serena!"
----------------------------------
Serena pushed down the gas pedal. As she entered the paarking lot
she parked to the nearest empty lot she could find. She got out of the car
and grabbed her purse. She ran into the building and punched the
button for the sixth floor on the elevator
"I'm so late! Amy is so going to kill me." She paced back and forth
on the elevator staring at her watch giving an occasional
glance to see what floor she was on. The
elevator door opened after what seemed lika an eternity. She ran past
the offices and as she neared the Amy's office--SMACK-.
"Ow!" she mumbled.
"I'msorryIwasinarushthismorningandIwasn'twatchingwhereIwasgoing." she said
really quickly and drew in a quick breath. "Ireallyamsorry.Itwasanaccident."
"Man, and I thought my sister had a problem of speaking fast." a familiar
voice said.
"Well at least she's punctual."
Serena looked up. "Darien Caldwell?"
"I'm flattered." he answered. "You remember me."
"Don't be. I only remembered because most people have a feeling called
manners. Obviously something you've never heard of, or should I say
something you've never used."
"Neither actually. Manners: n. The way in which something happens or is
done; an action or style of speech; one's social conduct and etiquette.
That's out of the Webster's definition." he smirked. "I could give you
another one if you don't like Webster's."
Serena frowned, What the heck is wrong with this guy? What idiot memorizes
the exact definition of a word from more than one dictionary. "No thank you.
Webster's suits me just fine." she forced a smile. "Now if you'll excuse me.
I need to talk to Amy." he moved over, "Sure, feel free." he muttered.
----------------------------------
"Dang it! It's 5." Serena yelled. She quickly grabbed her purse and ran
toward the
elevator. As she neared the elevator, she tripped over a stair. As she
prepared to
hit the wooden floor, surprisingly something soft and warm broke her fall.
A person.
She stood up and brushed herself off. She looked up to soft blue eyes.
At least it wasn't Caldwell. "I'm really sorry. I accidently tripped."
Serena said looking at her sneakers.
"That's okay. I understand." Serena looked up.
"Chadwick Jed Lowell?"
"Serena! Hey, I haven't seen you in forever. How's everything been going?"
"Everything's been going great. When was the last time I saw you anyway?"
"I think in college. That felt like ages ago."
"I know. We should meet sometime for ice cream or something. Get to know
each other again."
"Sure. How about Saturday, late, after I get off work?" Jed said.
"And what time would that be?"
"Around 6 or 7. Meet me at the Jaqulin down the street?"
"Okay, usual time?"
"I didn't change that much, Rena,"
"I should have known. Anyway, what are you doing here?"
"Just passing by. Actually, I'm visiting an old friend of mine."
"And that would be?"
"Darien Caldwell." Serena stared at him and laughed, "You're joking
right?"
Jed shook his head. "No, I'm not."
"Oh, my gosh! You wouldn't understand though. Happy reunion. Speaking of
reunions, I'm late!" Serena ran past him toward the elevator and he heard
her rapidly pushing the buttons. If she keeps that up, they're going to
have to replace the buttons on the elevators to switches.
==========
Serena slammed the brakes. She unbuckled her seatbelt and ran indoors.
She was over an hour late! "I hope you're still here." She saw the familiar
raven-black hair swish.
"Raye!" She turned around. "Serena, hi. Long time no see."
"I'm so sorry. I had to work late."
"You don't have to apologize. I got here a few minutes ago."
"What! Miss Punctuality late!? This is a moment to remember. After al-
"Oh, shut up. I know you have never been on time once in your whole life.
So instead of wasting time waiting for you to show up, I did something
valuable with my time."
"Like what?"
"Like shopping. That is the best thing about New York, you don't have to
drive to every store you want to go to. You can basically walk to each store
unlike any place in Africa."
"That's right you were at the safari hunt in Africa, weren't you?"
"Yep, that's where I met Thomas Kunzite"
"Thomas, who?
"Kunzite, my fiancee."
"You're kidding!"
"No I'm not! We call him Kunzite. He has incredible pale blue eyes and
the sweetest personality. He's polite, kind, and sweet. He was our tour
guide. He also happened to be an old acquaintance of my brother who happened
to be along. And he set us up. And it went smooth sailing from there. So
what's new in your life?"
"Let's save that for later. Anyway, let's eat dinner, then we can go to my
house. Maybe you could stay over? Anyway I'm starved. Waiter, my friend and
I would like the Big Burger combo with a large order of fries and two Cokes
please." she waved him off.
"So one more time, what's new in your life?"
"I'm now officially a reporter for the Daily Tribune. I get my first
assignment Monday. The bad thing being I have a horrid partner. To make a
long list short, he's a cocky, self-assured, conceited jerk. He's pretty cute
though, come to think of it." Raye started laughing. "What? It's not that
funny." Just then the waiter brought them their drinks.
"I'm sorry, Serena, but he's rude, arrogant, conceited, and a jerk, but
he's cute? That's something you don't hear everyday from you. So what's his
name?" she asked earnestly.
"Darien Caldwell."
Raye spewed her drink. "Darien Caldwell? You mean, um...I mean...um, so
what does he look like?"
"Black hair, around 6'2, blue eyes, etc. you know the usual tall dark and
handsome."
Raye smiled, "Serena, Do you have any plans Saturday night?"
Serena frowned, "Yeah, I think so."
"Well, you'll have to cancel them. Because I set you up on a blind date."
Raye smiled slyly. This time Serena spewed her drink. "What! You've only
been here two days, how could you have possibly set me up on a blind date?"
"I've got connections?" she offered. "Don't worry though. If you can't
cancel your meeting, I'll cover for you." she sipped her drink. "That's okay
isn't it?"
Serena stared at her uncertainly, which was definitely not a yes,
"Great, meet him at the Skylight Tower at 7, okay? Good."
"But...-
"Listen, I can't go over to your house right now. I have to call someone
at home. I'll come over Saturday and we can go shopping or something." She
cracked a smile, "Waiter! Make my Big Burger with fries to go, please." she
hollered.
"Sorry Serena, I have an appointment I have to make."
"But Raye-
"Pay the check, and I'll treat you Saturday, okay? Bye, got to scram!" She
picked up her box and bag and left.
Serena frowned, And Caldwell thought I had a speed problem. He obviously
never met Raye. she thought as she quietly sipped her drink.
=============
Raye smiled, as she pushed the pedal. She had a lot of work to do. Serena
and Darien are perfect for each other; they just don't know it yet. Darien
found me someone now I'm going to return the favor.
She turned the corner and parked in the parking space. She grabbed
everything and went inside. "Darien! Are you home?"
"Yeah! I'm in my room."
"Okay, Darien, I need a favor." He looked at her cautiously. "What kind of
favor?"
"A really big favor." he sighed. Here it comes. Another blind date. "Go
ahead.
"I set you up on a blind date?"
He sighed, "With who?"
"A friend. She's really nice, sweet, and understanding."
"If she's understanding, maybe she'll understand if I don't go."
"Darien, please, for me?" He sighed, he could never refuse her. "Fine,
what time, when, where, and what's her name?"
"7, this Saturday, Skylight Tower, and that's a secret."
"More and more secrets?"
"Not bad secrets."
"Anyway, what could happen? It's just dinner and a walk." Raye commented.
"In all my years of being a reporter, I've learned that anything can
happen. No matter what it is or how small it may seem." Darien replied.
"Nobody would be stupid enough to cause trouble on one blind date." Raye
replied.
"You never know. I just have a bad feeling about this."
"The worst thing that could happen to you is you might find someone you
actually like."
"I doubt it. Anyway if it makes you happy, I'll go, but if it turns out
disastrous, then no more blind dates. Now I have to finish this article."
"Okay, just promise me you'll go." Raye said.
"Yeah, yeah." Darien replied as he rapidly typed.
This is perfect. In all my years I've known Serena she was always
popular, but she never paid any attention to boys (except Andrew), because
she never thought a single thought about a boy except, 'Oh, him, he's just
a friend.' or something. And she actually admitted Darien was cute. That's a
big step for her. Darien was always popular with the girls. No one ever
disliked him. They're meant for each other. They just need a little help
from me, the World's Greatest Matchmaker.
===============
"So where is she?" Mina asked.
"Where is who?" Serena asked.
"You know the visitor that called whom you kept a secret from me."
"Oh, it was Raye. The bad thing is she couldn't come. The other bad news
is that she set me up on a blind date."
"What! You mean Raye Caldwell from college. And she set you up on a blind
date?"
"Yes, like she did in college. She always did like playing matchmaker."
"Why didn't she ever set me up on a blind date?"
"She did, like every other week. They lasted about the first date. Wait a
minute I think I remember one that actually lasted a week. No, that was
Lita."
"Whatever happened to her anyway?"
"She moved to California."
"Yeah, I forgot." She paused for a moment, "I'm going to call Raye and
tell her to go shopping with me on Saturday. Do you know her phone number?"
"Yeah, I have it somewhere here." Serena dug around in her pockets until
she found a torn piece of notebook paper with a number messily scribbled on
it. I'll call." she volunteered. "Let's see, 680-5248? or is it 5243? I'll
try the first one first."..."Hello," a deep male voice answered. Serena
froze That sounded like... "Hello?"..."Hi, is Raye there?" I hope I
called the wrong number, "Who is calling, may I ask?"... "Um, Mina Diora."
Serena paused. She heard him yell, 'Raye! Phone call from someone named
Mina Diora.'...'You can hang up now.'
"Mina?"
"Hi, Raye, listen Mina wants to talk to you, but I can't meet whoever on
Saturday. I have a..." Serena smiled, "...date."
===============
Raye panicked, and as calmly as possible she asked, "With who?"
"Chadwick Jed Lowell." came the calm response.
"I'll go over there myself and personally tell him that you are busy and
then I'll reschedule your...date. If that's not possible, I'll entertain him
myself. But you have to go to this date. It's at the Skylight Tower at 7 got
that. Oh, yeah and be on time. Another thing, you and I and Mina will get a
facial, we'll get our nails done, our hair done, and go clothes shopping for
your big date."
Serena sighed, "Fine. Anyway meet Jed at Jaqulin at 6:30. He has blonde
hair, around 5'8, blue eyes."
"I thought his name was Chadwick?"
"It is, but call him Jed. He likes it better and it's shorter."
"Okay, bye!"
============
Serena walked out of her apartment building and toward the Daily Tribune.
It was 9 PM and she felt somewhat depressed. The weather seemed to feel
her mood. It was pouring down rain. For some reason she wasn't afraid of the
weather today. Usually she wouldn't even think of being out when it was
raining, but today was different. She kicked a rock and watched it hit
someone's shoes. She looked up and sighed, "Listen Caldwell I don't feel
like putting up with you today. So just go away."
"I can't. I work here and I work with you. But seriously, are you sure you
want take the Diamond deal?"
She scoffed, "What, don't think I can handle it."
He grabbed her arm, "Serena, I'm serious. This story is dangerous. Diamond
is dangerous. He had 62 people killed for being on his property!"
Serena looked into his midnight eyes. "I can handle it. If you're going, I
coming as well."
================
Darien was standing outside the news building. Somehow he felt compelled
to this place event though it was pouring. And he felt a slight pressure on
his foot. He turned around, Serena Carlyle He heard her sigh and mutter,
"Listen Caldwell I don't feel like putting up with you today. So just go
away."
For some reason he didn't feel as he should tease her right now. So he
replied, "I can't. I work here and I work with you. But seriously, are you
sure you want take the Diamond deal."
She scoffed, "What don't think I can handle it." He grabbed her arm,
"Serena, I'm serious. This story is dangerous. Diamond is dangerous. Rumor
has it that a lot of people were wounded for being on his property." He
looked into her brilliant blue eyes. "I can handle it. If you're going, I
coming as well." I admire your determination, Carlyle. But if you want to
get this story and still be alive by the end of it. You're going to need
more then guts,
================
A pair of violet eyes watched the scenario before her. "OW! Raye, you're
hogging all the space." Mina pushed her out of the way. Raye shoved back,
"Stop pushing, I'm trying to see here. Mina! Move your head."
================
Dangerous ice-blue eyes flashed. "Diamond."
"What Sapphire?" he demanded
"The government and the press are getting suspicious, we need a
diversion."
"Perhaps, you're right. We will need a diversion. Emerald, come here." A
figure stepped out of the shadows. "Yes, Diamond?"
"Operation Diamond inn session"
"And make sure you don't fail," Sapphire commented.
She smiled, "Of course, you can count on me."
======================
Big hug to Kat Morning, my editor, for reading this hours after hours,
this probably wouldn't be out if it wasn't for her and go read "With a Ring
of Truth" or "13 Hours" by Kat. Chapter Two should be longer so don't worry
for those of you who actually made it through the whole story without dying
of boredom. ^_^ Feed back is always nice. You can never get too much
e-mail. So e-mail me at Cdream_109@hotmail.com. Questions, comments,
suggestions are welcome. Enough said. Till then, Later. ^.=