Prue knocked on Rex's door. "Come in," came the muffled sound from within.
Prue entered the office to see Rex Buckland sat behind his desk. Hannah glared at her from the nearby sofa.
"You wanted to see me, Rex?" Prue asked, taking a seat.
"Yes. As you know, we have a big art exhibition coming up at the SF museum and I want you to be the co-ordinator of it."
Prue was shocked that he was willing to give her such a big responsibility. "You want me to organise it?" she asked.
"I know you are more than competent to handle it, Prue. I have arranged a meeting for you and the Head Curator for tomorrow morning to discuss the arrangements."
Prue smiled weakly and got up to leave.
Rex grinned evilly at Hannah as Prue left the office. "We've set the wheels in motion, let sit back and enjoy the ride."
Prue sat at her desk, dumbfounded. She couldn't believe that this time tomorrow, she would be sat face-to-face with Roger, her ex-fiancé. The last time that she had seen him was when she had walked out on her job six months earlier.
Back at Halliwell manor, Piper and Phoebe were sat down drinking coffee.
"Going anywhere nice with Leo tonight?" asked Phoebe.
"Well, Prue will be working late…."
"Yeah…."
"And well, I was wondering…."
Phoebe nodded. "I get it. You want me to make myself scarce, right?"
"Only if you don't mind, Pheebs."
" Well, actually, there's a really good movie on TV that I want to watch, so I thought I'd stay in tonight, with a big bowl of popcorn." She saw Piper's face drop, and said laughing, "just kidding!"
Suddenly they heard the front door slam. Followed by a muffled voice pleading for help. Running into the hallway, they saw a pile of books being carried by a pair of legs, which looked exactly like their sister Prue's. They grabbed a pile each and carried them through to the front room.
"So, Prue, ran out of space at the office?" asked Piper.
"Yeah, welcome to Bucklands warehouse!" added Phoebe.
Prue gave them 'the look' "listen you guys its just for a few days, while the decorators are in, Rex has trusted me with a really important job, and I need to concentrate, which I can't do in the office, those painters can't keep their eyes off me, its distracting you know".
"so what's the job Prue?" asked Piper
"Walking his dog?" asked Phoebe smirking.
Prue glared at her sister, "No Phoebe, I'll have you know that I have been chosen to organise and ensure the smooth running of a very important art exhibition at the San Francisco Museum"
Piper raised an eyebrow at the mention of the museum, "Would that be the same one you worked at"
"yes Piper!" answered Prue.
"And the same one that a certain Roger, still works at" she asked again.
"Yes Piper" Prue glared, " and for your information I have a meeting with him tomorrow morning"
"How do you feel about that?" asked Piper concerned.
"The Roger thing is ancient history now, this is purely business"
"Ok, well Prue I'll remember that next time Roger rears his ugly head in one of our heated discussions". added Phoebe.
Piper could sense the tension growing, "how about a nice cup of tea anyone?"
"Not for me Piper, I have things to do" said Phoebe getting up from the sofa. She left the room and headed upstairs.
Piper turned to Prue, "Are you ever gonna let that lie?"
"what?" said Prue "I wasn't the one who bought it up"
"Yeah, well you know how sensitive, she gets on that subject, especially as she has always protested her innocence on the matter"
"Ok, I'll go talk to her" said Prue
"Thanks Prue, and I'll make your tea" smiled Piper.
"Well I need her to help me get all the invitations out so I have to make the peace" Prue headed off to Phoebes room.
Piper was pacing the kitchen, Leo was due in an hour, and their front room still looked like Bucklands archives. With no sign of Prue clearing out in the foreseeable future. She entered the front room to find out Prue's plans for the evening.
"So Prue, what are you up to tonight?" she asked.
"Just more of what you see here" answered her sister,
"Oh, so you have no plans with Andy or anything"
Prue looked up at Piper "No, Why?"
With that Phoebe entered the room, "She wants to know if your vacating the house tonight so she can have it to herself to have her wicked way with the handyman"
Piper slapped her sister as she walked by "That's not true," she answered "Well not entirely true, I have an evening of pleasant conversation, and wonderful food planned"
"And sex!" added Phoebe
Prue smiled, "Well ok I suppose I could go out for a few hours, but then I will have to catch up on this later. Hey Pheebs, fancy a movie?"
"You paying?" asked Phoebe facetiously.
"Don't I always"
"No not always….well…ok yes, but in exchange I could help with those invites"
"Deal" said Prue and the sisters went off to get ready.
Piper grinned victoriously to herself, and headed off to prepare for the night ahead.
Prue and Phoebe returned from the movie and entered the front room to find their sister and Leo in a compromising position. They laughed as two embarrassed heads appeared over the back of the sofa..
"Prue! Phoebe! Your home….EARLY!" said Piper quickly getting to her feet while wrapping her gapping blouse around her.
"Oh, right, are we?" answered Prue looking at her watch, it said 12.15.
"Er, yeah honey, it looks like their still eating" said Phoebe smiling and patting Prue on the back.
"Eating? What do you mean? I don't see any food." Answered a confused looking Prue.
"Let's just say they're definitely well into dessert" answered Phoebe, putting an arm around Prue and leading her into the kitchen. "Come on honey, I'll make you a drink".
A few minutes later they were joined by a harassed looking sister.
"Can't I get the place to myself just once?" she asked.
"Been there tried that, and believe me its impossible" said Prue.
Phoebe poured a drink for Prue, "Want some Piper?"
"No! But what I would like is some space!" she glared at her sisters.
"Ok, ok, were gone" answered Phoebe as she and Prue headed upstairs "Oh, and Piper! Don't let your dessert get cold"
Prue and Phoebe began to laugh, Piper was not amused.
"Yeah, yeah, you two kill me ya really do".
Phoebe walked into the kitchen to see Piper making breakfast.
"(yawn) Morning Piper, sorry about last night, but you did have a good time didn't you?"
"Don't worry about it, and yes we had a great time" Piper grinned mischievously.
Phoebe saw this as a green light to dig deeper, but stopped when she saw the pile of papers stacked in the middle of the table for her with a note from Prue. "Er… What's this?" she asked.
"Oh, Prue left them for you, invitations or something for this exhibition she's arranging. She said if you had nothing better to do"
"Yeah, that would be Prue" added Phoebe.
"If you had nothing better to do, could you address the envelopes and post them off for her".
Phoebe sat down at the table, "Oh well there go my plans for the day".
Piper frowned at her sister "and what might they have been?"
"Oh you know the usual, take the kids to school, business lunch at twelve then prepare something nice for my husband for tea"
Piper put down a bowl of cereals in front of her "and in this world?"
"Well lets just say I'm gonna definitely have to cross watching Jerry Springer of my list now".
Piper laughed "well Pheebs, have a productive day. I'm off to work now. Prue will be home later after her meeting with Roger".
Phoebe stuck her fingers in her mouth as though she were about to throw up. "I wonder what lies he'll fill her head with this time".
"Prue's a big girl now, she can handle him" with that Piper left. Mumbling to herself Phoebe went to top up her bowl.
Prue sat at Rogers desk looking around at the walls of his office. It had been over six months since she'd last been there, that was when she had quit her job, and nothing much had changed about the place. She looked at her watch, Roger was half an hour late, and 'he's doing it on purpose' thought Prue. Suddenly the door burst open and in breezed Roger like he had all day. Prue stood to shake his hand but he walked straight past her signalling her to be re-seated. His eyes met her gaze as he sat down before her, but he quickly averted them to the papers on his desk.
"So, Prue, Bucklands finally letting you strike out on your own are they?" asked Roger smugly.
"They know I'm the best person for the job" she answered.
"They must have been a little apprehensive though, I mean, this is going to be the biggest art exhibition this city as ever had, it's a big responsibility Prue, and a lot of heads could roll if it all goes wrong".
"Well we'd better make sure it all goes smoothly then hadn't we!" Prue glared at Roger.
"Well I know I can cope Prue, the question is can you?"
Prue got to her feet "Look Roger, what happened between us is in the past now. I have moved on and I was hoping you were mature enough to have done the same. Now my new employers obviously think I am qualified to cope, and I certainly know I am, so can we just cut the small talk and get on with it. I have a very busy schedule, and thanks to you I'm already running late".
Roger smiled, never losing his cool "My, my, Prue, still as feisty as ever"
Prue and Roger spent the next hour going over the arrangements. Finally happy with the progress Prue got up to leave.
"Ok, Roger, I will email the final guest list to you as soon as I have all the replies, I think we've covered everything else". She extended a hand to Roger, instead of shaking it he kissed the back of it quickly she drew away.
"How about dinner, tonight Prue?"
"You've got to be kidding! Besides I'm in a relationship".
"Purely professional" answered Roger.
"No need Roger, anything else you need to know of a professional nature, you can find out from my assistant"
"I'm impressed, an assistant too" said Roger.
"Yes Roger, like I said before, quitting this place was the best thing I ever did." Prue turned away and headed for the door. "Oh and I will be getting full credit for this exhibition".
Prue walked out of the door Roger followed "Don't forget to say hi to Phoebe for me".
Anger began to rise inside of Prue, she turned to see Roger strolling back to his office with a coffee in his hand. Prue stared toward his door, and just as he was about to step in it slammed in his face. She could not help but laugh at the pathetic sight of Roger soaked in coffee and holding his nose.
'I love my power' she thought to herself as she left.
"PHOEBE, YOU HOME?" shouted Prue as she entered the manor.
"Where else would I be" came the answer from the kitchen.
Prue entered the room to see her sister sitting at the table halfway through the pile she had left her.
"How's it going?" asked Prue.
"Well if you ignore the fact that my arm is dead from the elbow down, and that my mouth is so dry from all the stamps and envelopes I have licked that my tongue could be mistaken for sandpaper, I'm fine!"
"Want a drink?" asked Prue going to the fridge.
"I'll say, I could dehydrate here you know"
Prue poured a drink for herself and Phoebe.
"So…How was the…meeting?" asked Phoebe apprehensively.
"Not as bad as I thought it would be actually" Prue smiled to herself as the vision of Roger soaked in coffee reappeared in her head. "Oh by the way Pheebs, Roger said to say hi".
Phoebe looked at her sister, "Er… Why would he say that, is he causing trouble again cause I swear Prue I never…"
"How should I know what goes on inside his head" interrupted Prue "Besides I have more important things to worry about right now like getting these invitations out, the exhibition is next week". Prue began to help with the invites, As Phoebe picked up the next one from the pile she had a premonition.
"You ok Pheebs?" asked Prue "What did you see?"
"I saw the exhibition, and then a group of people I didn't know, and us, but it was strange we weren't exactly ourselves"
Prue was confused "What are you talking about Phoebe?"
"Well it was like I was there but not in my own body. It was like I could see myself through someone else's eyes"
"Ok now I'm really confused" frowned Prue.
Phoebe shook her head "Me too". She looked down at the invitation in her hand.
"Who's Joyce Summers?" she asked.
"Never heard of her, why?"
"Well I had the premonition when I touched this invitation that's addressed to Joyce Summers, its going to a place called Sunnydale".
Prue shook her head "I don't know most of the people on the list, they're either clients of Bucklands or friends of Rex's, I haven't a clue, we'll just have to send off the invitation and wait and see, but I hope your premonition doesn't mean there is going to be trouble at the exhibition, that's all I need with Roger gloating"
Phoebe put it in an envelope, and sealed it up "Ok, Prue we'll just have to keep an eye out for this one" she grimaced at the horrible taste in her mouth. "Now could you please pass my drink before my tongue completely sticks to the roof of my mouth".