Chapter 21

Minny arrived at the staff meeting early her so she and her new assistant could avoid to a room full of appalled stares. Most of her fellow employees were not happy with her choice of assistants and thought she had lost her mind. Why they all felt the need or the ability to tell her this she had no idea. Had everyone forgotten she was the Vice President for Pete's sake? That might be her fault for always blurring the relationship lies between her position in the company hierarchy and theirs. She hated to pull rank but she was about to do it to make everyone shut up.

Byakuya watched her intently when she stood to begin the meeting. He was the one person who had not said anything, and he was the one person who had the right to venture an opinion and second guess her choice. His hand squeezed hers briefly because he could tell she was nervous.

"Good morning everyone. Before we get down to business, there's something of a more personal as well as professional nature that I would like to address first. I would like to remind you all that I am the Vice President of Shinigami Corporation. I would just like to inform you that the next one of you or your subordinates who dares to utter a word or even give me a sidelong glance about my choice of assistants will be fired on the spot. Do I make myself clear?" she asked pointedly, giving each person at the table a sharp glance. She smiled at Tesra who gave her a charming grin. "Well? Do you understand?" she demanded when she was greeted with a stony silence.

"Yes, Madam Vice President," they replied in an unharmonious cacophony. Some replied in a very grudging, stubborn manner.

"Just because you have an opinion, does not mean I care to actually hear it," she said, looking directly at a few of the bullheaded subordinates including Ichigo. His reaction had been something akin to Kensei's just more vocal because he didn't have to live with her.

Byakuya stood up to begin the business part of the meeting, patting her on the shoulder once she took her seat.

Minny was glad Tesra was there to take notes because she could barely listen. She heard Byakuya say something about a new company they were taking on called Arrancar Industries that would be the producer and supplier of the headstones, statues, urns, things like that. She had never heard of that company before and made a mental note to research it. Her meeting with the owner and CEO would take place tomorrow. Well, she was already married so she could not marry the boss of the new account like she had the last one. The thought made her smile when a picture of her gorgeous husband formed in her mind. And their baby, their precious little boy, Mashashi. She leaned back in her chair with a contented sigh.

The reclusive millionaire who owns Arrancar Industries keeps his identity hidden. His company suddenly appeared about three years ago from nowhere. He had bought a factory that had closed down in a town that was dying because its main employer of the town's residents was gone. What a hero! He saved the town by the reopening the factory. He loves motorcycles, fast cars, and even faster women. The latter are forced to sign contracts of confidentiality before they could even meet him. Why would women want to date a man with a gag order forced upon them? He must really be something special.

"That is really weird," Minny muttered to herself as she scanned the company's website.

"What are you doing, sweetheart?" Kensei asked, walking behind her to rub her shoulders.

Oh, how she loved him and those wonderful hands. "I'm checking out our new account. I'll be meeting with the owner tomorrow. Sounds like a really weird guy," she said, continuing to read.

"Well, be careful. He seems to be quite eccentric," he commented after reading the bio on the mysterious owner.

"Just because he's a little odd doesn't mean he's crazy. He did a great thing for that town." Why was she defending a stranger?

"Yeah, I think it does mean he's barking mad in this guy's case," he rejoined in a grouchy manner.

Kensei had been grumpy since she hired Tesra and was still trying to adjust to that. Now, one more worry had been added to his already full plate. For his wife to be intelligent and business savvy, she could still be infuriatingly naïve when it came to men. Although it may be less obliviousness and more of a skewed sense of normalcy due to the abnormal and totally messed up relationship she had endured from her brother growing up. If she had not already killed the bastard he certainly would have. He looked down at his lovely wife who looked so sweet and innocent as her big brown eyed widened while she was reading something from the computer screen. He could not protect her in the past because he was not there, but he could protect her now and would do so with everything within him. She had been so fearful of telling him about her past and what she had done, afraid that he would reject her and despise her. It had awakened within him a need to guard her from any more harm. He knew he could be jealous, possessive, and downright insane about it sometimes but he was crazy about her and that's what drove him. For some reason, he felt anxious about this enigmatic new person who was about to enter their lives. He would have to think of a reason to stop by her office tomorrow. What emergency could he make up to go crashing in right in the middle of her meeting?

Minny nervously smoothed down her straight black skirt for the fifth time. Her whole body was trembling she was so nervous. She felt unprepared and caught off guard. She knew nothing about this man and did not like that. It also irritated her that he was thirty minutes late for their meeting. She tugged at the collar of her stiff Victorian style shirt that buttoned all the way up to her neck. Kensei had insisted she wear something ultra modest so she had acquiesced because the poor man was already on pins and needles as it was. So she wore the knee length skirt and white virginal blouse with ruffles that buttoned up high on her neck. Now she regretted it because she felt like she was choking. With a huff, she stalked out of her office with her fists by her sides.

"Dammit! Doesn't anyone know how to get somewhere on time?" she griped to herself, going to the elevator. Punctuality had always been a high priority of hers because she knew the value of people's time especially hers. She planned on waiting downstairs so should give this secretive and tardy hermit a piece of her mind.

A deafening roar filled the colonnade as she pushed open the glass front doors of the building. A motorcycle appeared to her right, rushing at her full speed. Minny was frozen in astonishment and alarm as the rider slid sideways to stop within a few feet of her. The wind rushed by her blowing her hair into her face so that she couldn't see. She pushed her hair out of her face to glower at the reckless man swinging his long leg over the blue and white crotch rocket as he dismounted. He towered above her wearing a white leather jacket with light blue accents and white leather riding pants. The helmet he wore was white with a sky blue colored panther on it with its lips pulled back baring its fangs as if it were hissing or growling. Minny stared at her gaping reflection in the mirrored shield of the helmet. There was no way on hell or earth she could have ever been prepared for what happened next. The rider removed the helmet and there stood her ex-husband. His hair was longer but still blue and those teal eyes were unmistakable.

"Hello, darling. You're absolutely beautiful. Did you miss me?" he inquired, giving her one of his prize winning grins.

Minny swallowed hard, willing her heart to start beating again. Why do all of these blasts from the past keep returning to her as business associates? Gin was bad enough, but this! Fate was a real bitch. Letting go of her professionalism, she pulled back an released a closed fist punch that knocked him back into his motorcycle.

"Damn! You've gotten a lot stronger," he commented with a smile as he rubbed his aching jaw.

"You have no idea," she snarled, spinning on her heel. Someone else would have to take this account. She refused.

"Sorry I'm late," he yelled, running after her as she entered the building.

Gasps could be heard as they passed by. Some people dropped things, one woman even fainted. Minny was glad his sudden return was effecting everyone adversely and not just her. She was too angry right now to faint or to even talk to him. A million questions ran through her head but she would have to wait to ask them.

"You're gorgeous. How have you been?" Grimmjow asked casually getting on the elevator with her.

"Are you serious? Are you really serious?" she demanded cynically, staring at him. She shook her head and turned away. "Don't try to be nice to me after what you did."

"You divorced me remember," he said calmly, daring to smile at her.

Minny slapped him soundly across the face in an attempt to slap the smile right off him. It did not work. Her lips pressed into a white line of pure wrath as he grinned at her, his sky blue eyes sparkling with amusement. "Still an asshole after all these years," she grumbled.

"Oh, baby, I lo-"

"You say it and I swear to God I'll kill you right here in this elevator."

The rest of the ride up was silent. Minny kept her back turned to him. She was surprised she did not feel like crying. Unadulterated fury and needling aggravation was all she felt. Another storm of varied reactions met them as they walked toward Kuchiki's office.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Ichigo bellowed across the office. Apparently everyone was forgetting their professionalism today considering who had arrived.

"Oh, holy hell it's true!" Kensei shouted when he arrived on the scene seconds later. Word travels way too fast in this place.

"Kuchiki!" Minny screamed barreling into his office.

"Oh, shit! What is he doing here?" Byakuya yelled.

Yep, everyone had lost their minds. Unbridled shock and nasty curse words were the order for the day. Grimmjow Jaegerjacques had reentered their lives and everyone was angry about it.

"Get out Jaegerjacques! I'm killing the deal," Byakuya announced, pulling Minny to him as if to guard her from the sinister beast in the room.

"Just who do you belong to, Minny?" Grimmjow asked, staring at the two people. He knew she was married but the picture he had found was a different man. "I know you're married and have a child. This isn't the man I saw you with in your picture on the company site."

"You're a stalker now?" she inquired, holding on to the man the man she viewed as a father figure.

"No. Rule number three of business. Know your enemy or ally. I was researching. Just like you did, I'm sure," he said, quickly turning his attention back to Kuchiki. "You can't kill this deal."

"I can and I am. No contracts have been made yet," he rejoined, hugging Minny tightly. Her under reaction frightened him more than if she had been panic stricken and terrified.

"No, I mean you can't kill it because it's too important to my employees. It's critical to the survival of my town that I make this deal. I can't let these people down," he said with a sincerity that tugged at Minny's heart.

"Byakuya, I –" Minny stared up at him.

"Yeah. I know. You want to make the deal. I understand," he responded, letting her go.

It wasn't about Grimmjow - it was about the survival of a whole lot of people and their way of life. Minny could not let some hate filled personal grudge toward him get in the way of that. Her husband was going to be upset, but she had to do it. She turned to her boss who was looking at her with obvious concern on his face.

"One promise. Do this for me or I will quit," she threatened as she stared into his dark slate colored eyes. After he nodded she proceeded to tell him, "No more new accounts. You create a position for someone to deal with new accounts only. I want that person to be Hanatoro Yamada. He's worked with me long enough that he knows what he's doing."

"All right, Minny. I'll work on that right now," he answered.

Who is the real boss around here? Grimmjow had a broad grin of satisfaction on his face. Some things never change. Especially not his Minny.