A/N: Hi thank you to all who read the story and to all the guest reviewers who I can't reply to so I can say thanks to. I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story and follow it as I get through my current writer's block.

Chapter 10

"Jeff, I haven't received the formal invitations to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Gala next month. You know I'm counting on you, mate" I said into the phone as I walked from the parking lot and into the building.

"I'm trying, Will. But you know it isn't easy. These are hard to get. I don't know that I can get you one this year" he said apologetically. Well, apologies weren't getting me in anywhere.

"Jeff, I was counting on you for this!" I say growing upset. This is one of the most important events I attend every year and it is invaluable to the company that I be there. Alfred expects it and that I bring with me results and I have yet to fail him.

"Well, you took my most important contact! Now that Bill Morgan is retired, thanks to you, may I add, he doesn't want to be bothered with any more favors!" he said, his New Yorker accent becoming more predominant as he got more upset.

He had me there, though. Jeff was a friend from Uni who I had kept in contact with. He was from a very reputable family in New York and had been a great help with making contacts and business deals in America. He was working with his father, learning the ropes so one day he could lead their company but he helped me for a commission. I swear, the man had to have dollar signs in his eyes. He did not lose an opportunity to make more money whether he needed more or not. So I knew I could push him enough and he would budge.

"Jeff, Bill Morgan was not your only friend. You know more people and I know you can pull some strings. Remember you make a very impressive sum out of all the purchases and sales that come from this day" I reminded him.

The elevator doors finally opened and I stepped inside on my own. No one was coming down to the car park under the building at this hour and I was early. Not too many people going in yet.

I heard a sigh from the other end of the line.

"You're gonna be the reason I get premature white hair" he finally said and I laughed.

Just then the elevator doors opened again at the first floor and I almost jumped out of my skin when my eyes were met with what had to be the most annoyingly colored paisley skirt I had ever seen with mustard-colored socks and a fuzzy red jumper.

I didn't need to look at her face to know the petite form waving furiously at me as she stepped in was Clark.

I tried to mask my shock with a cough I tied in with the previous laughter.

"You're the man" I said into my Blackberry, remembering Jeff was still on the line.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll email your secretary when and if I get them" he said not won over by my compliment.

"Do you have the new one?" I asked him not sure if I had given it to him.

It was his turn to laugh.

Just then I looked at Clark who was still standing beside me with an obnoxiously large smile on her face. It was Monday morning, for God's sake!

"What's so amusing?" I asked already knowing the answer.

"You have a new one? Already?" he asked obviously enjoying this.

"Yes, Jeffrey" I replied.

"What do ya do? Sleep with them and fire them?" he asked laughing still.

I saw Clark shift beside me and I silently prayed she hadn't heard that.

"I am going to take a wild guess and say you don't have her email address so I will text you it to you now. Good bye, Jeff" I said and hung up on him still laughing.

I put the phone down and away from my ear and began typing the message.

"Morning, Clark" I said without taking my eyes off the phone keyboard.

"Good morning, Will" she said turning her entire body to look at me with her wide grin and eyes hiding under her smiling eyelashes.

The elevator door opened and I allowed her to step off first then walked just before her.

I put my phone inside my jacket pocket and looked around to see a few people were already in the office including Rupert.

Rupert!

I had forgotten to call him back.

My cell battery had died yesterday as I waited for my motorcycle to get serviced and I had not brought the cord to charge it. By the time I had gotten home and got it turned on again to see his missed calls I was not in the mood to call him.

Alicia had been unusually quiet and acting quite odd if I was honest with myself but I couldn't be bothered to care.

The mechanics fixing the accumulator had been fastidiously slow and I just wanted some peace and quiet once I'd finally gotten home.

But as I approached my office this morning I felt eyes on me as I walked behind Clark.

I looked around me to see two of the girls who were there staring in an unkind way towards our direction, almost as if they were disgusted. But as soon as they saw me looking their way they turned towards their computers and tried to look busy.

Alright, I knew Clark's fashion raised some eyebrows but it wasn't so bad as to get a look like that.

I turned my face forward to examine her outfit again for anything offensive I might have missed but ended up getting distracted by the flowy movements of her skirt and the fact that once you saw her bum in that pink dress from Saturday you just couldn't unsee it, even under all that paisley.

"Clark, I need you to get started on something new" I said as she took her seat at her desk. "I'm looking into . They're a fairly new dating website and growing steadily but the CEO has terrible head for business. He's the son of Gerald Horowitz and he's trying to make his own mark in the world outside of his father's shadow, which I respect, but all the ventures he's started have started out well but failed in the long run. He knows this one is going there and he's going to be the main target at Miami. He needs revenue and we're going to offer just that. He can't afford another failure" I explained to her as she looked at me intensely drinking every word.

"Aye, aye, captain!" she said cheerily saluting me with her hand and making me smile.

Before I was sitting down on my office she was already typing away on her computer, no doubt already familiarizing herself with our new project.

I had to admit she was turning out to be a better assistant than I hoped for. I had quite given up on finding someone efficient and who truly felt like they were there to help my job be easier.

It often felt like it was me constantly reminding them of what their duties were instead of them helping me.

But not Louisa Clark. She still had a lot to learn but I felt confident in her progress.

Just then I realized I had been having these thoughts as I stared at her across the glass of my office. Then my eyes moved towards Rupert's who was looking at me but turned away immediately.

Odd.

So I decided to go to him and clear up the misunderstanding of yesterday.

But throughout the whole conversation he barely looked me in the eye. He was acting so strange.

"No problem, mate" he said. "But you might want to go see Alfred" he suggested.

"I already did" I informed him. I may not have been in the mood for talking to Rupert yesterday but I knew if Alfred called it wasn't about what you wanted.

He had simply said he wanted to meet with me today at 10 in his office and we had left it at that.

Between now and then however I had some work to do.

The company I had bought in New York was almost ready to be back on the market. Though it had a steady clientele, it was hugely behind in all things technological. We had got it up to the date on all the software and massively redesigned their very basic website.

These new changes among others had seen an increase in productivity and in new clients as well which had upped the value of it in the stock market and caught the attention of various business men who had already shown interest.

But I had a few more cards to play with and when I was finished with the company it will have increased in value by at least 32%.

And once it was sold 25% of the profit stayed with me and so I was no rush to sell just yet. The more money I could sell it for the more I kept in my pocket.

And so I got working.

A while later, I saw Clark get up from her desk and walk into my office.

"Will, just wanted to remind you of your 10 o'clock. It's ten minutes' till" she said with her sweet smile and sat back down.

So I gathered my things and walked to Alfred's office. He appreciated punctuality which to him meant to be there before, rather than at, the agreed time.

But as I approached it, I could tell he was bothered by something.

I softly knocked on his glass door and saw his eyes meet mine briefly and then he signaled me to come inside.

Something was definitely wrong- this was not the greeting I was used to.

"This will have to be quick" he said as he gestured towards the chair in front of him and so I took a seat.

"As you wish" I replied and waited for him.

He seemed stressed and worried which unsettled me. It was no secret he favored me. If he saw me around the office he would always stop to chat and shook my hand with firmness. Of course, of all his employees I brought in the most revenue for the company so it was no surprise he pampered me but today it was nothing like that.

He was behaving as if he was meeting with Rupert or any other person he didn't particularly care for and it was somewhat unsettling.

It was not as if I needed a pat on the back for doing my job but it was strange for him to act so altered.

"What's the progress on the last company you bought?" he asked to the point. No asking after Alicia or my parents whom he always asked for though I suspected he did not really care.

"It's already up 17.5% in the stock market value and I have more ways for it to go up higher. I already have interested parties but I predict we can hold it a little longer till it's increased by 32%" I informed him proud of myself.

"32?" he asked as he slammed the table. His eyes looked wild and I was taken aback by the response.

"I'm sure we could do more but we might lose the interest we have right now and were it to be too much more expensive to sell we might have a hard time finding a buyer" I explained. "If the company shows it's doing all it can and there is no possibility of the new owner making a profit from it then we might have it on our hands for longer than we want to and the buzz might die down. I've thought long and hard about this and the best possible outcome will be for me sell it in about a month's time".

I saw him exhale deeply and place his face on his hands. Was Alfred in some sort of trouble, I wondered.

"Yes, you're right" he said finally. "You always know just what to do to make the most profit, Will" he said looking at my eyes for the longest he had today. Now he just looked tired and defeated. It was not a look I was used to in Alfred.

"I'm already looking forward. There's a dating site that shows promise but lack of knowledge on the people managing it. I think it can be a good investment. It will be a new challenge for me but I feel confident I can do it" I said trying to offer him some hope for the future. Just what was up with him?

"Will, you're the star of this company" he said. "You know I expect more from you than anyone else".

"I'm aware, sir. Have I not been doing my job to the extent of your expectations?" I asked honestly worried now.

He offered no reply.

I sat there and waited expectantly.

"Do you think you can sell the company you're working on now for at least 37% more, perhaps even 40?" he asked slowly.

"If you ask me to, sir. I will strive for that number. I will have to put some extra thought into it to make sure I am not burying myself under by adding more changes than can be expected for the employees to adapt to before the buzz dies down but I am sure I can figure a way" I assured though I had no idea what I would do.

I had only once managed to sell a company for over 40% of the original value but it was more luck than my doing.

We had bought it incredibly cheap and sold it for more than it was worth but only thanks to the fact that among the company records was incriminating information the buyer wanted gone and so he was willing to lose some money just to acquire the company.

But something was wrong and Alfred was obviously desperate. However, I was never one to shy away from a challenge and I wasn't going to start now.

"I'm counting on you, Will" he added as I stood up to leave. I nodded surely and walked to my office trying to exude the confidence I needed.

0-0-0-0-0-0

It was Friday afternoon and I was feeling the stress get me to me. I had been working on Morgan Accounting all week and I was hitting dead ends.

Any other improvements that would increase company value would take too long to put into practice and that could hurt it more in the long run than it could help.

I ran my hands through my hair which must be horribly dirty by now. I had been doing the motion all day.

"Will?" I heard as I jumped in my chair startled. I did not think anyone was still here. "Are you alright?" I saw Clark ask with worry lines across her forehead.

I shook my head to relieve some of the tension and assured her I was fine though I was sure I was far from looking it.

"Go home, Clark. It's late and it's Friday" I added.

There was a silence for a few seconds as I saw her deliberate what to say next.

"What's the matter?" she asked looking honestly concerned as she hugged the door frame with her body.

"The stakes have been raised" I answered. "Alfred has asked me to sell Morgan Accounting for 37-40% profit".

I could almost see the little wheels in her head turning.

She bit her lower lip as she often did when trying to think really hard and I felt bad for putting this burden on her. This was not part of her job and there was no point in both of us stressing more about it.

"I have an idea!" she said as she suddenly jumped in place with excitement.

I narrowed my eyes at her. I doubted she could have come up with the answer for this in the last 5 seconds when I had been at it all week.

"Come" she urged me as she reached out her hand for me.

"I really need to keep working on this, Clark" I told her mildly.

"We will" she said and I was more confused.

"What are you thinking?" I asked her though I found myself intrigued and already standing up.

"You'll see" she said skipping out of the office motioning for me to follow her.

Skipping, really? Oh dear. Thank god we were the last ones here.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

I felt as if my lungs were breathing properly for the first time today.

I looked around us at the other empty tables outside of the small ice cream shop and was thankful for the quiet.

Don't get me wrong. I was all for excitement and loudness and fun but this week had taken a toll on me and it felt as if my brain could explode.

I couldn't remember the last time my head had hurt from something that wasn't skydiving or a hangover.

"I can already tell this is helping you" Clark said with a smile as she put a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

"I doubt it" I said. "I still have no idea what I'm going to do". Then I noticed her ice cream. "What are you eating, Clark?" I said disgusted.

"It's birthday cake flavor with sprinkles" she replied defensively. "And it is to die for! You don't know what you are missing" she said as she put her ice cream closer to herself as if I was going to steal it. Pfft!

I looked down at my mint with chocolate chips and I was almost curious of what hers was like. Mine was nothing to brag about certainly.

"Let me try it then!" I asked surprising myself.

"No!" she said firmly. "You've offended it!" she added as she almost brought the cup over her shoulder as I tried to reach for it.

"So then you admit it's gross and you don't want me to find out" I teased her.

She looked me up and down and raised one eyebrow at me. I almost had her.

"Get your own" she finally decided.

"No, I will not. It's going to be gross and then that will be £3 down the drain" I told her.

"It is not! … Fine!" she said resigning herself and I barely had a moment to smile smugly at her before I could register her speedy spoon coming right at me and shoving a spoonful of it inside my mouth.

I almost coughed from the shock but then tasted it.

It wasn't half bad even if a little something like what you'd imagine a four-year-old to order.

"Well then?" she asked with an 'I told you so' expression gracing her face.

"It's disgustingly sweet" I said after I had swallowed it and cleaned off the bits that in her violence hadn't quite made it inside my mouth.

"Ha! Right! You just can't admit to being wrong, can you?" she asked. "Good luck with your sad mint with chocolate chip" she said with a teasing laugh.

"You know, I fail to see how this is supposed to help me with my work dilemma" I said, the thought of it never truly leaving my mind.

"Actually, I had an idea as we walked here" she said as she moved around her melting ice cream. "So the problem is the buzz might die down before you can make any more improvements right?" she asked.

"Right" I said.

"So I was thinking, you have a firm full of accountants… what about paternity leave?" she asked as if she had discovered the wheel.

"Clark, I'm trying to make more money, not lose it?" I felt as if I had to remind her obviously. I can't believe I had almost gotten excited when she had said she'd had an idea.

"I know, just stay with me" she said excitedly. So I decided to amuse her by hearing her out. "Any other ideas you've had would take too long but what if you put them into practice and let them increase the company value and once it's up by the 40% you announce to add into the benefits paternity leave for employees who have been with the company for a year or more. That's rare in America and will call a lot of attention towards your company that you are being so forward-thinking and allowing fathers to spend time with their new bundles of joy" she finished with some exaggerated cheesiness for effect then looked at me with her eyes and mouth wide open in excitement. "That in itself may not help in revenue either per say but it will increase employee morale and that can improve their efficiency in the work place" she added after a few seconds without an answer from me.

I narrowed my eyes at her. I was cautious about this idea but it did make some sense. I would need to look more into it and make concrete calculations but Clark may have just saved my arse.

At least having a plan of some sort already gave me some hope and I had to admit myself relieved that I had hired her instead of the others.

So while she was too busy examining my face for a response I stole her cup and took another spoonful before she could scream: "Will!" and try to reach across the table to get it back.

A/N: Thank you everybody for reading! And please let me know what you thought about the chapter (: Chapter 11 coming soon!