Hi, everyone. I'm so sorry for the late update. Unfortunately the situation I mentioned a few weeks ago has taken a horrible turn for the worse that we never even expected. I won't burden you guys with the details. I tried writing and just ended up crying on my bed for hours until I couldn't cry no more. I really tried but at the same time, I didn't want to give you guys a bad chapter. Even now, I am not sure if it is as good as I wish. Thank you for your patience and continued support.

On a happier note, this story reached 200 reviews! That is amazing… thank you everyone.

Chapter 21

Lou looks over to the waves rolling over the beach, barely making a sound against the smooth surface of the glittering sand. The moon is reflecting on the water and lighting up the otherwise dark sky. The colder sea breeze of the night caresses her face gently and flows through her loose hair, sending a timid shiver down her shoulders and her arms.

She tugs the yellow cardigan closer around herself as she faces away from the wind.

On the other direction, the shimmering lights from the skyscrapers of South Beach radiate against the colorful neon lights from the smaller buildings closer to the water. Those flash in all sorts of colors, making the entire city look like a party. An awe-inspired smile tugs unto the sides of her mouth at the sound of the live band on the small stage, playing Salsa music accompanied by a couple of performers dressed in tropical attire dancing beautifully to the music.

This was their last night in Miami- a city that had seen her go through a myriad of emotions in the days spent there. Expectation and nervousness. Success and elation. Disappointment and hope. Yearning and fear. Pride and wonder.

She was leaving with some good memories, too.

And she was already looking forward to coming back next year.

But she was also leaving with a lot of questions- questions about herself, questions about Will…

After they had picked up the dress from the seamstress, they had gone back to the hotel to shower and go to dinner.

Will had continued to insist in a celebratory dinner and had brought her to a rooftop restaurant right off the beach.

She had to admit, he knew how to choose a place.

The restaurant was full even though it was Sunday night. She had expected most people would shy away from the party scene the night before they had to go back to work but the streets were as alive as any other day. On the way there, they'd had to make their way through the crowds. The sidewalks had been full of people strolling down the streets, dressed in bright colors, laughing and dancing. Music streamed from just about every bar and cars drove past them again and again in search of parking.

It seemed surreal, the way people lived here- so differently. She guessed it made sense for it to be so. It was probably the reason the city bustled with people- people looking for life and fun. It was a whole other country, also. As far as she knew it wasn't a Miami thing but a USA thing. She wouldn't know at all. But then again, she had never spent much time thinking about it at all.

Did other parts of the world differ in other ways? She imagined all of the big cities all over the globe and how they all could have different cultures and ways of life and it seemed impossible to assimilate all of it.

She would get a better idea of it the next day. They would go to New York City. Would it be just like Miami or would it be different?

And to think she had lived unaware of all the diversity that existed all over the world all this time. How had she? She figured living in a small town in Wales did that to you but she considered that even then, how had she never even been slightly curious to know anything else? She had been so content with it all… it seemed impossible to remember the person she had been and the person she was now.

The Lou who had been content to work at a café for years and date a boy who she liked well enough and who had no goals, no aspirations… she realized she was not that person anymore. She now knew what it was to feel passion- for your work, for the city you live in, for your dreams and the possibilities that tomorrow could bring…

Had it not been for Treena forcing them to move to London and for meeting Will, she might have spent her entire life that way… it was such a despairing thought, now that she looked back to those times.

They weren't bad times. She loved her family and she loved doing what she could for them. She didn't regret those years. And there was nothing wrong with a small and quiet village and a tranquil childhood. But it was scary to think that that might have been what her whole life may have once revolved around. To think it might have been all she ever knew…

"You look upset, what's the matter?" Will asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

She shook her head lightly.

"I was just thinking how much of the world I haven't seen and how naively happy I had been until recently with that reality" she replied. She supposed Will couldn't understand that. He was a man of the world. He had done so much, been everywhere.

"This is nothing, Lou" he said calmly. "And wait till you see New York tomorrow" he added.

"You know, I had been thinking of asking you about that… how did you come about calling me Lou as of late? What happened to 'Clark'?" she asked with a smile.

He was obviously taken aback by her question but answered quickly nonetheless.

"I might ask you the same. Since when did I go from being Will to 'boss'?" he asked in retort.

Now she was taken aback. She hadn't expected to be asked that at all. She swallowed remembering her thinking it was so flirty of her to call him that.

Well, she couldn't tell him that, obviously.

But at the time she had started it, he hadn't said anything and so she had continued it without much thought- thinking he hadn't even noticed it.

And now she couldn't come up with an answer that wouldn't embarrass her.

"I asked first" she finally replied defiantly but not as confidently as she would have liked.

She saw him pursue his lips and raise his chin, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I'll let you off the hook with my question if you let me off the hook with mine" he answered looking into her eyes still.

Even if his look was unnerving, she was too relieved at the prospect of not having to explain herself to press for an answer from his end.

"As you say… boss" she replied with a small smile and a raised eyebrow. She then proceeded to pick up her menu and pretend to be reading it. In reality, she was looking at him out of the corner of her eye to watch for his reaction.

She could see out of her peripheral view, how his eyes examined her face. She let him look, to let him think she wasn't noticing but his eyes on her were making her heart soar within her chest. It felt as if they were burning into her skin with a look so intense that she couldn't name- not without meeting his gaze and potentially letting him see the effect he was having on her.

She laid the menu flat on the table to let the light hit it so she could actually read it, and leaned forward to see it better.

"You're wearing the 'Queen Bee' necklace" he pointed out.

"Oh. Yes, I am" she replied, her hand automatically reaching for the pendants dangling on her chest.

"I'm glad you liked it" he said, no teasing left in his tone, looking back and forth between her and his menu.

"I did say it" she said looking up at him.

"If I remember correctly, the entirety of your response was a hug" he replied with his eyes fixed on the back page. "That's hardly saying anything" he added, a taunting smile tugging at his lips.

Was he teasing her or…?

She examined him for a few seconds trying to discern if his words were meant to be purely a jest or if he actually meant it.

"If I remember correctly… actions mean more than words" she replied with a small smile.

"So I see" he said briefly looking at her eyes for a moment with a knowing smile, then letting his eyes land on her pendant, then back to the menu.

She noticed his face and the stubble that had been growing along his jaw in the days he was away. Though she liked his clean-shaven look, she had to admit this wasn't a bad look either. To be truthful, she couldn't think of a single time she had seen him wear this or that that he hadn't looked heartbreakingly handsome.

"A picture will last you longer, Clark" he said seemingly serious without missing a beat.

She jumped in her seat, startled.

She hadn't realized but she had been staring.

A sudden heat rose to her cheeks and she searched for a comeback.

"Pfft! You wish! ….Is this why your secretaries always quit so soon? Are you as obnoxious to all of us?" she replied hardly knowing what she was saying, more aware of the sudden racing of her heart than of anything else- including how much he was enjoying unsettling her.

She had just said the first thing that had come to her mind but instantly wished she could take it back. She had indeed been wondering about that but realized that this wasn't the moment or the way to say it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that" she said after a few seconds of silence. It was easy to forget she was talking to her actual boss when they were so far away from the office.

"It's alright. I was actually wondering when you'd ask. You're the one to go the longest on the job without bringing it up" he said seriously.

"It's none of my business" she replied apologetically.

"I'm guessing you've heard the rumors around the office" he stated.

"I don't talk much with many people but… I have heard it here and there" she replied cautiously, glad he had kept the subject open to discussion.

"Heard what, exactly?" he asked, cocking his head sideways.

"Nothing specific, really. Just that they don't stay long" she said, now wondering what he could be referring to.

"You haven't spoken to Lana, then? Three desks down from you?" he said.

"Not more than a 'hello' here and there. I don't think she likes me very much" Lou replied, scrunching her nose.

"Consider yourself lucky" Will said cynically.

"What do people say?" Lou asked after deliberating whether to ask at all. But she was really curious now.

"You sure you want to hear?" he asked dubiously.

"I want to hear your version" Lou said sincerely.

If Will was surprised by her earnest answer, he didn't say.

But before they could answer, the waiter came by asking what they would like to drink. Lou worried the interruption would mean the end of the conversation. And the truth was, she had been wondering for a while, and especially lately with the attention he had been giving her, his underhanded flirting and Miriam's worries.

She didn't dare name what had been developing between herself and Will but it terrified her and confused her to no end.

Her feelings didn't seem to be completely unreciprocated though, did they? Unless she was fooling herself and seeing what she wanted to see.

But what if she was falling for the young successful business man, just as the others had? Had he toyed with all of their emotions, making them fall for him just for fun, not ever intending to catch them?

She felt so stupid every time that little string of hope told her otherwise- that somehow she was different. That she couldn't be misinterpreting things so wrongly.

And then the guilt would pang, reminding her she was still with Patrick and even thinking those thoughts was wrong.

But why was he worried about whether she had spoken to Lana or not? Did Lana know something incriminating or that he would rather keep quiet? Or was she spreading lies?

"What would Lana tell me if I asked the same question?" Lou asked seriously.

She felt herself breathe in, and hold it there, waiting for his response.

His eyebrows showed frustration and how little he enjoyed the subject.

She held her breath, hoping he would answer honestly. To know the truth might help her figure out the very confusing situation she found herself in and answer more than one question.

At his hesitation, she almost wanted to take back her question but decided against it. She might not summon up the courage again.

"She would tell you that I led on and broke her best friend's heart" he said as he crunched his eyebrows together and looking Lou straight on, as if he were watching for her reaction closely.

She tried to hold back the shock and hurt she felt at those words… were they true? Is that what he was doing to her at this very moment?

Lou tried to process the words. Well, had he done it? Or was it a rumour spread by Lana without any true foundation? Was there a perfectly reasonable explanation for what happened? She didn't dare ask. But he hadn't denied it, either. Perhaps she should just let him continue and allow him to elaborate if he wished to. She didn't want him to know she was considering the veracity of the claim, in case it was false.

Her heart beat hard inside her chest, screaming how dare she doubt it being a lie at all? Her feelings for Will were already forming many different scenarios in which he came out without fault in all of it and reprimanding her for considering the matter at all.

"Won't you ask me if I did?" he asked her visibly upset.

"I'm sure it was a misunderstanding" Lou replied, giving him the benefit of the doubt. She wasn't sure what to make of Will. He was puzzling at best and she felt she wasn't anywhere near to putting the pieces together. But she just had this feeling in her gut that said to trust him and she couldn't ignore it.

"What makes you so sure?" he asked her more gently now.

Lou didn't know what to reply. She wasn't sure- not at all. Will was a good boss and even a good friend to her at times but she couldn't say the same for his romantic relationships.

For all she knew, he could be horrible. He didn't seem particularly attached to his current girlfriend of months who she hardly heard him spoke about or to, and who presumably waited at home for him to arrive at any hour of the night.

That didn't award him any prizes in the love department.

And then, the way he was being with her… it was wrong, as much as she secretly enjoyed it. He wasn't hers to have. And he shouldn't make her feel the things she was feeling if he couldn't reciprocate and deliver on those feelings he was invoking.

But was it his fault? Or had she allowed herself to develop feelings for a man who wasn't free when she herself was attached to another? It was a blurry line and she couldn't differentiate where one's blame started and the other's finished.

"Like I said, it depends on who you ask" he added finally.

"I'm asking you, Will" she replied, without hesitation. But what if he only confirmed it? What would she do then?

Perhaps knowing the worst of him wouldn't be bad thing. It could even help her dispose of the emotions she was having difficulty dealing with. It might be a blessing in disguise after all.

If she despised him, then…

"If you ask me… I'll answer 'yes'" he said looking away. His answer staggered her. She had in her heart wanted and expected him to explain the entire situation and how the entire office staff judged him unjustly.

She wanted to jump across the table and demand the truth… the real story in which he had been the victim of lies misunderstandings…

But he was admitting to it all.

And he wasn't that kind of man at all… he wasn't the kind of man to let others stomp on him and ruin his reputation. He was a smart man, one who didn't let others take advantage of him. He was the kind of man who stood up for himself and demanded to be recognized for what he was. It was one of the reasons she admired and looked up to him.

Could that even happen to him? Wasn't it more likely that he was indeed at fault if he was admitting it? She didn't want to believe it. It hurt too much to think of the implications, of what it meant for him and for her.

"I'm sure there's more to it than that" Lou replied, begging for the whole story, so she could find some way to justify why her situation was different, why she was so sure she was different to him.

"Lou… I'm sorry to disappoint you" he stated, meeting her eyes with shame in his.

"No…" she started. "I know you aren't like that" she added desperately.

"But I am, Lou. And if you look deep inside your heart… you know it's true" he said calmly.

She stayed staring at him, at his green eyes that didn't blink or look away and begged with her eyes for him to deny what he had implied… that even with her he was toying.

"Come, let's dance and forget about this sour subject. It doesn't matter. Just stay clear of falling in love with me and your heart will remain intact" he said jokingly as he stood up and offered her his hand.

But his joke wasn't funny at all… not to her.

But how could she say anything else, ask anything else? So she dropped it for the moment, realizing she would need to think about this further when she was on her own and she could organize the thoughts and feelings that were swirling madly inside her.

"I can't dance this" she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"It doesn't matter, I do" he said still reaching out for her.

"It matters to me! You're going to look great and I'll look ridiculous! Thanks very much, but no" she said crossing her arms and sitting back on the straw chair.

"What I mean is, if you just follow my lead, then you don't need to know" he clarified, obviously amused with her.

The truth was… she wanted to dance with him. As confused as her feelings were, with him standing above her, his hand stretched out towards her, it was all she wanted to do.

"Can we dance towards that darkish corner?" she asked still sitting.

He looked over to where she was gesturing and looked somewhat annoyed.

"We don't need to. You're going to be great, Queen Bee" he said with a wink and looking down at the necklace he had given her, hanging from her neck.

She couldn't help but smile.

"Dark corner or no" she pressed on still smiling.

He rolled his eyes and gestured with his head for her to move as he turned around and began walking towards the lonely corner of the dance floor near the entrance to the kitchen.

She began to follow him looking down at her feet. What was she doing? She listened to the music and even though the rhythm was catchy and promised fun, she had no idea how she would move to it.

She looked to the professional dancers to see if she could catch their movements but it was useless. They moved so fast and in synch that you couldn't tell where one movement started and where the next began or what pattern they could be following at all.

And with them for people to compare them to, there was no way she could look half decent while doing the dance Will promised would be easy.

Before she realized, he had grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.

The scent of his perfume hit her like a shockwave, turning off all of her defenses.

She saw his Adam's apple move up and down as he swallowed, her face mere inches from his chest.

How did she continually get herself into these situations when she meant to avoid them?

"The dance symbolizes a chase- the man chasing the woman and the woman teasing him that she will let him catch her right before she steps out of his reach. So when I step forward like this, your opposite foot will step back, as if you won't let me catch you. Then I'll step back at your rejection and you'll be the one to step forward again, teasing me as if saying: wait, I do want you. When I try to meet you then, you step back again as if you didn't mean it. And then we are back to step one again. Get it?" he asked her as he held her in position- one hand holding hers up and one on the small of her waist.

She wouldn't look no more into his explanation of the dance- her beating heart couldn't take it and her mind couldn't begin to process all the possible implications in it.

He demonstrated by stepping forward with his left foot and she tried to step back. Then he went back to the starting position and took a step back with his right. She tried to step forward with him, though a little out of synch. And then back to the starting position again.

"…1,2,3… 5,6,7…" he said slowly under his breath as they continued to move in the steps. "Do you feel yourself move to the beat, yet?" he asked smiling.

She had to admit, it did feel right somehow… the way they were moving along to the sounds of the unfamiliar exotic instruments.

"Yes, it's not so bad" she said relieved she felt herself getting the hang of it. Her body, however, unused to the movements, felt somewhat awkward trying to follow him.

"Now, one thing to remember is, try to keep your torso without much movement. Let your hips do the movement as you step, and maybe even your shoulders a bit, and try to keep your elbows at the same elevation" he instructed quietly close to her ear as he moved with her.

She tried to follow his instructions but it felt somewhat odd. Her body wasn't used to the stance and it was taking all her focus to do it all simultaneously.

Before she knew it, he had spun her in one direction and back in the other and she was back in starting position and his body pushing her to do the steps again.

She looked up at him and he was smiling widely.

"What was that for? I can hardly manage the steps as it is without you spinning me around!" she asked startled.

"Are you enjoying it?" he asked, his voice an octave deeper than usual, and successfully ignoring her question.

But before she could think to answer he had twisted their connecting arms some way and spun her again and did something else she couldn't follow and she started laughing unintentionally.

Her blood was pumping through her veins fast and something about the music was taking over and exhilarating her… or perhaps it was the fact she was dancing with Will, only inches away from his captivating smile, her hands in his, his breath mixing in with hers.

Or all of it, together. She didn't know.

She could only imagine how she must appear. She only wished Will was right and he was doing a good enough job for the both of them.

But he was right. She was enjoying it. And for the moment being, she would let that be the only thought allowed in her mind.

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

The walk to the hotel had been somewhat quiet with Lou's mind still being a muddled mess. Her mind couldn't reconcile with her heart. The first told her she had been mistaken in the kind of man Will was while the second screamed passionately that he was not that man, at least not anymore.

Then a third voice laughed and asked her why was she struggling with the answer? It didn't matter. Why would he leave Alicia- long legs and perfect hair- for little old her?

"Did you not enjoy yourself?" Will asked her, bringing her out of her thoughts. She seemed to be retreating there more and more often when in his company.

Her heart jumped at the question. She didn't want him to know what she was feeling. And if she didn't want to let on, she had better gather her wits about her soon.

So she laughed and thought of what remark she could make that would make him forget about her pensive nature lately.

"Well, it wasn't no dinner on a yacht overlooking the city but… as far as celebration dinners go it wasn't the worst I've had" she replied with a small smile recalling to the lie he had fed to the store clerk to get the dress done by tonight.

"Oh, Clark. Do you not know me at all? The day I do propose to a girl… it's going to be much better than that" he replied instantly.

"Of course, I forgot. I'm sure that wouldn't be flashy enough for Alicia, I suppose" she responded.

He looked at her confused for a second before replying, all teasing gone from his voice then.

"What I meant was, the day I propose, to whomever it might be… it will be much more personal, special" he said looking ahead with his eyebrows coming together in focus.

She hated herself for noticing how he neither denied nor confirmed it being Alicia, and for her silly hopes grasping at the words like a lifeline.

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

It wasn't her first time in such a big city. She had been living in London for quite some time and spent quite a few days in Miami. But there was something about New York- something about the energy felt warmly familiar but altogether different and new.

The meeting had gone well the day before. She still marveled at his way with words and people and the way he could win over people so easily. Had he done that with her, just like he did with everyone else?

The dinner with the possible buyer wasn't until the day next and so Will had volunteered to show her the sights.

They had seen most of all the major New York landmarks, except for the Statue of Liberty which apparently was impossible to get into without reserving months in advance.

She had been disappointed but Will had assured her the next time they were back in New York, he'd make sure to make proper arrangements for her to see it.

She had thought he had been joking but he looked properly serious, as if he was just as upset for her. She crushed her hopes before they read more into it than what was there, as she often did lately.

But the moment had continued to feed that flame in her heart that no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't put out.

They had bought tickets to a Broadway show- The Lion King- and she had even bought a dress for it.

She had been finishing applying her lipstick when his urgent knocks resounded through her room.

She rushed to open, hoping she hadn't made them late.

The first thing she observed was he wasn't dressed for the theater.

And he had his suitcases with him.

And he was out of breath.

And his chin was quivering.

"Will, what's the matter?" she asked desperately.

"My dad, he's had a heart attack" he said confused, as if he was trying to make himself believe it. "I'm so sorry, Lou" he shook his head. "I won't be able to take you to the show after all" he lamented.

.

.

.

A/N: Wow! This is officially my longest story to date! I can't believe a little idea that kept bugging me and begged to be written down turned out to be what it is today. Thank you all!