"You made it." Myra smiles beatifically a la a pageant girl. She gives me a wooden hug and I can see that the caterers are setting up everything. Myra is not open to PDA even if there are only ten other people around us.

"Where's Jack?" Surveying the large living room, my sister's fiancée is nowhere to be found.

Myra bats at an invisible fly in indifferent annoyance. "He'll be here later. Where's my dress?"

"I'm almost done. I just need to fix a small rip in the back. It'll take a minute." My footsteps make a heavy thudding sound with each step I take in the hollow hall. Suddenly, I can hear thundering steps behind me and I can only guess who it is. A large body hurls itself at me and I giggle as I try to fight off Myra's Great Dane, Minnie. "Minnie, get off me you big lug! Hey!"

After a couple minutes of a good licking (me) and belly rubbing (her), I enter my room and shrug off my coat onto my bed. Next to my desk, on my dummy is the dress I'm making for my sister. It has a deep v-neckline which ends at the waist while three-quarter length sleeves are meant to accentuate my sister's long arms. All of the dress is made in a vibrant cherry satin and the skirt should just graze her knees. The only jarring detail of the dress is a small rip Minnie made when she thought that the dress would be a lovely chew toy it should be fair to say that I gave a squirt of bitter spray on the dress and Minnie. She learned.

"Hey, sis, you done?" Myra taps on the door and enters my room. She's carrying two flutes of champagne and hands me one.

Gulping down the bubbly liquid, I nod. "Yeah, why don't you try it on along with those beige Louboutin pumps?"

"And the diamond pendant?"

"You read my mind."

"Thanks, Corrine. By the way, the guy I was talking about, you know the one who recently broke up with his girlfriend? He's coming over and I was hoping you could cheer him up for me. He's a good friend although you may not know him that well. He's famous and recognizable though."

"Is this another poor boy you keep trying to set me up with?" Myra throws me an ambivalent smile and leaves me all by myself. Oh well, just another innocent fool to play with.

"Darling, you look wonderful as always." Suffocating me in some flowery perfume that smells like a bunch of daisies vomited on a pile of dead roses, Rococo smothers me in a hug and proceeds to spin me around while she inspects my handmade dress. "I love the way your tulle skirt whirls like the wind and the chiffon! But most of all that true blue hue befits your green eyes so well! Now, tell me, darling, how are you? Oh wait, I see Didi! I must go and say hello."

Wearily, I watch Rococo attack Didi Johnson with an overbearing hug. The migraine like I predicted is back, but a few Advils put it to a dull headache. Seeing Myra having fun makes me reluctant to leave the party but I feel like I'm dying. My sister is one of the most taciturn people I know but she morphs into this social butterfly when she's in a party. Her fiancé, Jack Morris, has his arm around her and looks admiringly at Myra while she laughs at a joke. Hard to believe my sister would be attracted to a dope like Morris- I mean he's a good looking but a total horse-loving nerd. If he had a choice between saving Myra or a horse, he would actually have to think about it. Luckily that hasn't happened because if it did I would probably be standing over Myra's grave enjoying a sandwich made of horse meat while sitting on Morris's corpse.

"Corrine?" Myra gently takes a hold of my arm startling me. "I have someone I want you to meet. He's a good friend of mine and you might recognize him from the news and magazines."

"Hi, nice to meet you." I offer my hand to the oncoming figure until I see his face. My face freezes and I quell the urge to squeal.

"It's you!" Dominic Strata and I say stunned. What on Earth is my boss doing here?

Myra looks confused and asks, "Do you two know each other?"

"Myra, this is the guy who offered me the job. Weren't you listening? I said I was going to work at Strata." My face is red with embarrassment and my voice is shaking nervously. At the moment, I could strangle the life out of Myra and I want to. I mean here is my boss, somebody important in the fashion world, and here I am wearing a ratty dress I put together at the last moment. I could die.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Flynn." Dominic smiles eagerly, accepting my hand shake.

"The pleasure is all mine." I say through my teeth while thinking of ways to kill Myra.

"Well, I'll be leaving you two cute singletons alone, okay?" The tone in Myra's voice is like that of an overbearing, perky kindergartener teacher's.

"I'm sorry. I did tell my sister about you but she doesn't listen sometimes." Apologetically, I smile, letting the corners of my mouth to stretch out by two centimeters. Yeah, I feel that tense. Nightmarishly, the hammer in my head pounds again and my hands instinctively touch my forehead. "Ow."

"Are you okay? Here sit down." Putting his hands around my shoulders, Dominic helps me take a seat on Myra's stiff modern couch. Searching his pockets, he says, "I think I have an Advil somewhere in my jacket. Just wait a moment. Aha!"

Gulping down the tiny pill and following with champagne seems to amuse Dominic because he's chuckling to himself. "Thank you, but may I ask what is so funny? This is how I normally do it."

"I was just thinking that this is probably how the rich get rid of headaches. A glass of champagne and Advil."

Dryly, I remark, "Yep, no over-the-counter shit. The rich really go all out; just look at their pets."

Immediately, I remember who I am talking to and I cover my stupid mouth. Being part Irish means that my face reddens easily which is what was happening to me at that moment. Dominic starts to laugh hysterically, with abandon, clutching his sides. His dimples take form when his lips spread into a smile and his British accent sticks like a sore thumb when he's laughing. I have to admit it's really cute.

But I never mix business with pleasure and nobody will be the exception. Not even the cute British boy with strictly Asian features. Although, even if he wasn't my boss I still wouldn't date him because there's something dangerous about him I can see it in his eyes. There's a certain edge to his steely green eyes. For weird reason, I think I'm intimidated by him.

"Is that a habit of yours? Cursing in front of your boss?" His smile still remains on face but at least he's done laughing.

"Pardon me you probably never have been set up with such a rude girl. If you weren't my boss I'd be cursing like a sailor at this point."

"Trust me the girls I've dated had manners but no humanity in their souls."

"Right, they sound like beasts especially that Sasha Bon Bon girl." Taking a bit of lox on a toasted mini bagel, I choke up again. Shit, I've got to stop being so rude.

Dominic laughs again, "Is that what you call her?"

"Actually, in my diary I refer to her as Sasha Big Mouth."

"Sasha Big Mouth, that's good. My friend, Joseph, referred to her as Sasha Big Ass." Just when I thought that I wouldn't choke anymore, I do when he mentions his friend's nickname for the witch.

"It's a shame though, that coat was beautiful." Sorrowfully, I reminisce over the glamorous coat and the giant mess I made on it. "By the way, I thought witches were supposed to melt when in contact with fluids."

This sets Dominic off and he tells me in wheezy breaths, "She kind of did. Her makeup was sliding off her face by the time she left. She looked absolutely ghastly and particularly witchy."

"Oh excuse me, I have a call." I hold up a finger as I inspect the caller id. "Sorry, I have to take this."

Turning my back to him, I cover one ear with the phone and the other with my free hand to block out the noise. "Hey Joe. What's up?"

"Sounds like you're busy. Party or TV?"

"Party, listen is this important? Can I call you later?"

"It'll be quick. Do you want to meet up for lunch tomorrow? At twelve-thirty?"

"Sure," I say much too eagerly, "Do you have a specific place in mind?"

"Is it okay if we meet up at Times Square?"

"Sounds great, I'll talk to you later. Bye Joe."

"Hmm, a party? Have fun, little wallflower."

I hang up and Dominic is observing at me curiously. Putting my phone away in a secret pocket, I shoot him an equally curious stare.

"Were you eavesdropping?"

"I guess you can call it that," Cautiously he asks, "Does this Joe happen to be Joseph Cain?"

My jaw drops, "Yes! How did you know?"

"Joseph was the friend I mentioned before."

"Yeah, Joe's a friend of mine from my college days. What a coincidence! How do you know him?"

"Through a mutual friend. Listen, there's something you need to know about Joseph…"

"What?"

"Well… he's… just be careful around him. He can be a charmer."

"What do you mean?"

"Just don't trust your feelings around him. For your own sake." Right now, his tone pisses me off and picks at my nerve. He's talking to me like I'm mentally challenged.

Angrily, I stand up and make eye contact, "For your information, I am an adult. I don't need a parent or a baby sitter to tell me how to live my life. And for a friend, you don't give him much support. It really is rude to talk like this to an employee, which is a shame because you seemed professional. Good night!"

Huh, who knew he could be so imposing. "For your own sake." Bullshit. I can take care of myself; I have been for several years already. Ugh, that presumptuous jerk. Where does he come off from his high horse? I stumble into my room to find a couple making out on my bed and tell them gruffly to get out. Tripping on my own two feet, I make my way to my bed and shut my eyes tightly. Stupid boss! Maybe a good night's sleep will relax me. Maybe instead of counting sheep I can count stupid Dominic's face. Jerk.