Just a quick update. Think you know where this story is going? Good luck, because even my muse is teasing me with breadcrumbs.

One In A Million You

A knock on the door interrupted Erin Strauss-Gideon from her typing. Pushing the glasses higher up the bridge of her nose, she straightened her pose.

"Come in," she ordered regally. The door opened and a man walked in. "It's about time you got here," she greeted and stood up. Her hands braced the top of the desk.

"I had some trouble with my car," Shaughnessy replied carefully. His hands fiddled with the Derby in his hands.

"When I request your presence, I mean for it to be right away," Erin snapped. "But I guess some things never change."

"With all due respect…" he began

Erin waved him off. "I don't want to hear excuses." Opening the bottom drawer, she pulled out a ledger. Uncapping her pen, she paused. "You do know why I requested you here, right?"

"I can only suspect," Shaughnessy hedged carefully.

Erin's eyes narrowed. "How much?"

Shaughnessy paused. "What do you mean?"

"I owe you one last cheque."

"My normal salary will do. Thank you."

"Don't be ridiculous. This is your last cheque; you should make it a good one. You could literally write your own ticket," Erin purred. "You can really hit me where it hurts."

Shaughnessy straightened up as much as his bad back would allow. "Are you trying to buy me off?" he asked smoothly.

Erin tilted her head slightly. "Not exactly. I would call it 'preserving my family'. So, name a figure."

"Honestly? Nothing."

Erin gave a short laugh. "You're kidding me! Every man has his price. It's just a matter of finding it and then writing the cheque."

"You don't have enough money." Shaughnessy took a few steps forward to look Erin in the eyes. "You can't keep me away from Aaron."

"I have. You are no longer working for me. And once I pay you off, you'll be gone forever."

"You think it's that easy?"

Erin's eyes narrowed. "I know it is."

"He isn't your toy to manipulate. He's a young man who deserves to be happy."

"He took away my happiness."

"He was fourteen, Erin. He was just a kid."

"It was his fault!"

Shaughnessy shook his head. "If it was anyone's fault, it was Jason's. He worked himself to death to provide for his family."

"He didn't care for us! He only cared for his son."

"And that is wrong?" Shaughnessy challenged. "You have done the same for your sons."

"It's different."

"You need to stop blaming Aaron for circumstances that were out of his control."

"Stop making excuses for him."

"What crime has he committed? Defying you? Letting you and your sons walk all over him? Not standing up to you? Tell me Erin, what has he done that has created such hostility in you toward a young man who just wants to live life and be happy?" the older man asked bluntly.

"I don't have to answer to you," Erin retorted.

Shaughnessy stepped closer to the desk. "Do you want to know what I think?" he asked rhetorically. "I think you're afraid."

"Of Aaron?" the woman snorted.

"You're afraid that you might like him and realize that he's not this conniving, manipulative bastard you made him out to be. You might find out that all of this time you've been wrong about him." Shaughnessy looked deep into Erin's blue eyes. "Then you'll have to make amends and say you're sorry."

"I will never say 'I'm sorry' to Aaron," the blonde spat.

"That is your loss, I suppose," the man sighed.

"Maybe if you had stopped trying to defend him and paid more attention to your job, you might still have one," she observed sarcastically.

"My job was to protect my charge. I made that promise to his mother and then his father. I don't break my promises."

"Even when your horse comes in last?"

"I never bet on the wrong horse. You can try to destroy that young man, but you'll never kill his spirit. He'll go off for a while and lick his wounds, but he'll come back stronger. You won't break him."

"Every man has a breaking point."

"Aaron is not every man. He is not Jason, he's not your ex-husband, and he isn't your sons. He has a light inside that won't be extinguished. He knows right from wrong. And what you've done to him is wrong."

"Don't preach to me!"

"He doesn't want to overthrow you or take away your position, he wants to just live his life. He's lost everything. Let him keep his dignity," Shaughnessy implored.

"I will….when I'm through with him."

"When will that happen?" the man asked.

"When I decide," Erin returned. "Now name your price."

Shaughnessy sighed heavily. He had tried to plead on behalf of the man who was like his son. But he had failed. He was going to have to admit defeat. Picking up a pen, he paused, and then jotted down a number in the oblong square on the cheque. Then he stood back.

Erin looked at the figure and blinked. "Are you serious?" she sputtered.

"You said to name a price. I calculate that that would have been my salary for the next five years."

"Okay." Erin signed the paper, ripped it off, and handed it to the man. "Now we are finished."

"For now."

"Oh, you will be when he finds out you made a deal with the devil. Then what will you have achieved?" Erin asked slyly, venom dripped from her words.

The older man stopped. She was right.

"I won, you old fool," Erin stated bluntly. She crossed her arms over her breasts. "I will always win when it comes to Aaron."

"You're not as smart as you think you are," Shaughnessy replied.

"From where I stand, I beg to differ."

Shaughnessy looked at the cheque in his hands. His freedom from Erin Strauss-Gideon's restraints. Placing the hat on his head, he tipped it slightly.

"Good day, ma'am."

Then he turned to leave. He closed the door quietly behind him.

The smile on Erin's face grew wider.

Taking a deep breath, Shaughnessy paused to gather his bearings. He wasn't as young as he used to be, and the run in with Erin had drained him. Thank goodness he had decided to drive instead of walk. Maybe he could stop for a drink or two at the pub on the way back to his sister's. A good scotch straight up sounded good right about now.

Straightening his clothes, he walked over to the elevator and pressed the down button. At least he would never have to get on this damn lift ever again. And if he never saw Erin again, it would be too soon. But he still had to watch out for Master Aaron. He had to protect the young man from himself. And he had a promise to keep for his old friend.

The elevator dinged. He looked up to see the doors open. But the box wasn't empty.

"Good evening," the man greeted and stepped off the elevator.

Quickly, Shaughnessy removed his hat and bowed - at least as much as his back would allow.

"Your Highness," he replied.

"Is Erin Strauss-Gideon in?"

"Yes sir, she is."

"Good. I thought maybe I had missed her. Good day."

"Good day, your Highness." Shaughnessy ambled onto the lift and pressed a button. What were the odds of running into himtoday? He wondered to himself. His shaky finger hit the button to close the doors.

A knock interrupted Erin thoughts. Spinning in her office chair, she glared at the heavy oak.

"Come in," she called out, her voice less than enthusiastic. She had finally gotten back to work after dealing with the last remaining tie to her deceased husband.

Slowly the door opened and a figure walked in.

"I suppose you weren't expecting me."

Jumping to her feet, Erin placed a hand over her heart. He was here. Finally.

"Have a seat, your Highness," she gestured toward the red leather wing backed chair.

"Don't mind if I do. Now answer a question: why did you do it?"

Erin poured whiskey from the decanter into two glasses. She handed one to her guest.

"Because, as I see it, we both have nothing to lose."

"Which is?"

"Princess Jennifer."

"Are you saying that you are all in?"

Erin sipped the strong brew carefully. "I'm always 'all in', Prince Will. As you will soon find out."