Should it bother me that this is chapter four, and the plot still remains to be unvieled? Feedback please. You know the deal we made - and oh yeah, this one hasn't been proofed for typos.
Also, is it just me or did they remove the link to Les Yuex de le chat.
4 - Rendezvous
In Luka's study Gorgio listened carefully as his little brother told him what he'd need to know in order to run P.J.A in his place for the next few weeks. Gorgio's wife would take care of his holdings in Sicily for the amount of time he filled in for Luka. Inwardly he felt both pity and pride for his little brother, pity because he'd lost the one woman he loved, proud that he was about to take an impossible task head on. It was good that the brothers trusted each other again they all remembered a time when it wasn't so; a time in the not so distant past.
Six years ago Gorgio had called his brother nerveless because he refused to take a part in the family enterprise, Carlo similarly called him a dreamer when he started P.J.A. tech. But five years ago Luka's brothers finally saw his dream come true, and at last they had understood that it wasn't laziness or fear that stopped him from joining his brothers but vision and hope, and after all had been forgotten and mended, they had been introduced to Callie. She had been a major support beam in Luka's heart and his business, without her there Gorgio feared what might happen to him.
***
As the limo of Kenneth Irons pulled up in front of Sarah's apartment, Irons wondered if she would come this time. In the past she had never surrendered to his plans unless she was desperate, bitterly he remembered how he had so easily allowed her to use him as a means of getting to P.J.A. tech. Silently Ian slipped out of the limo to Sarah's door, after a few moments her door opened and she stepped out. Walking into the limo she got in to find that this wasn't the one he'd used when picking her up before, rather the seats in this one were far, far apart. Sarah found herself sitting next to Ian, and in the dim light she realized that a blanket covered Irons' lower body (He hasn't recovered yet has he?) the thought struck some surprise into Sarah. He'd never seemed quite human to her until now, and now she saw that he was as weak as any other man was. That despite all the smoke and mirrors, some part of him was still human.
Turning to Ian, Sarah tried to hush the disquieting thoughts for they had blanketed her rage at his treatment of her with pity. "Ian," Sarah paused, surprised that she'd called him by his first name. "Thank you for the roses, and the card. I appreciated the gesture." besides her Ian's heart nearly stopped though his expression remained neutral. He could not remember the last time anyone had said a 'thank you' to him and actually meant it; he could never remember anyone using both his first name and a gentle tone with him in the presence of his master. Across from the two, Irons eyebrows shot so high that they almost hit his hairline. It suddenly occurred to him that the hatred Sarah had always projected towards him had been softened where Ian was involved, but how could that be? Ian was his strong right arm, as close to a son as he had. Did Ian's emotions toward Sarah involve loyalty as well? For once Irons was deeply troubled, and for once the one person he'd always gone to with his thoughts was someone he was unsure of.
***
Even at the other end of the car Ian felt Kenneth's gaze fall on him. Briefly he looked up, a question in his eyes. The harshness of the stare that was focused on him forced his head back down. He had seen Kenneth angry with him before, but never with this air of dubious hostility. A few months ago he wouldn't have cared, he would have been to wrapped up in his own anger at Kenneth but things had changed in the last four months, Kenneth had become more and more dependant on him, more open with him. For once in his life he had felt as if he were more then just a tool to Irons and while his anger and hatred still existed it had diminished considerably. Besides him Sarah felt the exchange take place, and turning her eyes to the window she wondered just how much harm her innocent comment of thanks had done.
***
New Zealand
Onica Kohl cheeked her appearance making sure that every strand of her Raven black hair was held firmly in place once more before heading out of her office. Reaching the end of the hallway she heard the secretaries whispering and giggling as one of them exited the conference room; intrigued she paused before turning the corner to listen. "Did you see him Dana?"
"Oh yeah. Gorgeous blonde hair, lethal blue eyes, a physic to die for! If I weren't married I think I would've made a pass at him." The girls giggled again and Onica rolled her eyes. She recognized the voice that had spoken as belonging to the blonde secretary who worked reception, according to company scuttlebutt marriage vows did absolutely nothing to ease her predatory nature. "At this point I'm beginning to envy our new public relations person. Maybe she'll finally let on if she's human."
"Huh?" This was Karen, Onica's personal secretary, Onica found her a bit naive but fairly efficient.
"Yeah, she may be the Ice princess but any woman alive would notice him – at least if she were straight." Karen must have made some type of a face because the next thing Dana said was "Well yeah, I mean she didn't even look at Brad! I mean come on every woman in this building has probably eyed Brad at least once." Onica raised an eyebrow, while she realized that she was eavesdropping she was not at all flattered by what she heard. She knew she was called the Ice princess – around the office she was pure business, only smiling for the reporters and the bosses, not getting close to anyone she worked with. Yet Dana's presumptuousness was more then she could handle. After all, not all women went for the golden boy types. As she thought this a picture of a man with dark brown hair and grayish eyes surfaced. Fighting it back, as she did all links to her past she strode forward, making her presence known to the secretaries who feel silent immediately.
"Is the reporter from the Half Moon Chronicle here yet?" Even though she was addressing Karen it was Dana who she looked straight in the eye.
"Yes ma'am, he's in conference room two." Onica nodded curtly then strode forward to the room Karen had named. Behind her she heard the two women whispering, speculating on just how much she'd heard. As she opened the door she cleared her throat to alert the man who stood at the window that she'd arrived, when he turned around however shock kept her from making formal introductions, after half a minute or so however it was he who broke the silence.
"You?!"
