Thanks to everyone who is following this story. My tried and true reviewers, my silent readers, and my alerters and favoriters. Please, please keep letting me know your thoughts and opinions: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's the only way I know what you like and can get better. I do not own any of the established characters only Haydence and my plot (as always).

Haydence crossed the cold dim parking garage and climbed into the Spider. Lucas followed her a few seconds later. He refused to look at her.

She turned to him. "Lucas, whatever you think you know, you don't have the whole story."

"You had the chance to tell me your side of the story this morning. Whatever your side is, you obviously don't trust me enough to tell me the truth."

"It's a little more complicated than that, Lucas."

"The truth isn't complicated, Hayd. The truth is the truth."

Hayd actually threw her head back and laughed. The sound echoed against the concrete, "How old are you, Lucas? Two and a half?"

Lucas opened and closed his hands over the steering wheel. He restrained the urge to grab Haydence and shake the truth out of her. For the first time, he turned to look at her. "We have a job to do. I suggest that we do it."

"And then?" Her voice wavered. She feared his answer.

"I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me."

"Right. We've known each other less than forty-eight hours, and you expect me to tell you everything. Well, that's obvious. I mean I'm sure I know all your secrets." Haydence's sarcasm seethed.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Just don't start this 'holier than thou' routine. One thing I can't stand is a hypocrite."

"Well, you won't have to put up with me for much longer."

Hayd stared at the blank gray wall in front of her. Instead of getting angry and loud, the opposite seemed to happen. Her breathing stilled, and she shut down. Now she was hard, cold. A chill hung in her voice.

"Are you going to drive or do you want us to be late?"

Lucas let out an incredulous laugh, started the engine with a roar, and sped out of the parking place.

When they reached Durning's offices, Lucas parallel parked the Spider, got out circling the front, and opened the door for Hayd. Everything he did was clockwork. Everything was rehearsed – even the kiss he planted on Hayd's cheek. He thought he tasted salt, but he shook off that thought. He must have been mistaken. She obviously didn't care anything about him if she was going to give up as easily as she seemed to do. What did she have to cry about? He doubted any tears would be genuine anyway.

As Haydence walked into the building, Lucas strolled down to the coffee shop on the corner. With the wire he had attached to Hayd's dress, he could hear everything that was happening and speak to her as well. Back up was further up the road to make sure that Durning would not be spooked.

When Haydence walked through Durning's office door, she was all business and smiles. She had arrived at a quarter to two, but Durning made her wait a full half an hour before seeing her. The entire time she was forced to wait, Hayd remained the picture of poise.

Durning finally walked into the reception room and greeted Hayd with a gruff grunt. He was just as tall as Lucas but slightly older with blond hair and crystal blue eyes that were angry. "Where the hell is Philip? I don't like having two tailors working on the same suit. Besides, Phillip's done my last six suits."

She rose in one fluid movement and went to shake his hand. "I'm afraid that Philip is ill today, Mr. Durning. If you prefer, think of me as your seamstress instead of tailor."

Durning failed to extent his hand in return. "Hmmp! Are you any good?"

Haydence crossed her arms in front of her. "Mr. Durning, you have no idea what these hands are capable of. But am I capable of botching the flow a steel gray, middleweight, single-breasted suit by stitching too tightly? No. I'm not. So I think I'll leave that to Philip. Good day, sir."

Durning looked down to see he was wearing exactly what she had described. She had seen in a matter of seconds what he had tried to name all day. No wonder he had been feeling agitated. She was almost out the door when he realized that she was walking away from him.

"Wait, young lady."

Hayd kept walking. She could hear Lucas's hiss in her ear piece, "What the hell are you doing, Todd?" So, it was 'Todd' now. He couldn't even bare to say "Haydence" any more. That realization stabbed her heart. But this was not the time to respond to her heart.

"Wait!" Durning was livid. No tailor had ever behaved in this way towards him. Most were groveling idiots insecure about where their next job was coming from.

Hayd stopped but did not turn around.

"Come back. You can do the fitting."

Hayd grinned slightly before doing an about face and becoming serious again. She walked straight up to Durning and stopped.

"Mr. Durning, I'm honored to have your patronage. But, I won't be yelled at or disrespected in any shape, form, or fashion. I'm an artist. If you want a servant that you can bark orders to, you're looking in the wrong place. If you want someone who can work magic with a needle and thread, I'm your girl."

Durning tried to size Haydence up and then finally reached out his hand in invitation. Hayd replied by extending her own hand. But instead of shaking her hand, Durning brought her hand up to his lips and held it there.

"Forgive me, my dear. I didn't realize I was talking to one of the rarest creatures on the face of the earth."

"Sir?" Hayd looked slightly puzzled but confident at the same time.

"A lady with balls."

Haydence's smile beamed. "Your too kind, Mr. Durning. May I see the suit in question?"

"This way." Durning led her into his main office. The doors closed behind them.

Slipping off his tainted jacket and laying it across the leather sofa with disdain, Durning indicated to the portable clothes rack that sat beside the far wall. Haydence laid down her bag and selected the jacket in progress. Walking up to Durning who had moved in front of the full-length mirror, she slid the jacket over his arms.

He watched her with curiosity. Small talk was forgotten as Hayd fell into her well-known routine of marking and measuring. She actually forgot that he was in the room as she focused on the fabric of the suit. When Durning finally ventured to speak, Hayd was pulled out of her zone.

"Unusual name that, 'Haydence Todd'."

"Yes, sir. It is. Have to blame my parents for half of it."

"And your husband for the other?"

"Ex-husband, sir."

"Ah, that's right. You did divorce Gavin before you murdered him, didn't you?"

Stunned, Hayd stared at Durning in silence.

In her earpiece, Lucas yelled, "Haydence, get out of there!"