All Work & No Play.

She made lenghtly steps each one with anticipation as each vibrant move she made would be bringing her closer to his office, closer to the passive game of flirtation they'd play when they found themselves in the same environment. Of course she knew very well the dynamics, of their relationship if that was what they even had. One that would never be , much to her discontent. She was just his asisstance, a nameless, just one of the long line of women which flew in and out of his life just as some sort of ragging river.

Nevertheless, she never let those minnor details thwart her fantasies. At least in those her deepest desires were always met, and in each one he'd always be hers. Her imagionnings would sore in her mind as she thought of the endless possibilities of them crossing the line that would always work against them, straying away from the jeprodies that restraighned them in the confindments of his office...

She'd never managed to finish her theories before reaching the threshold of his offcie door. Looking from left to right before passing her fingertips against the engravements of his name tenderly, a smile crossing her lip stick painted lips as she straightened her atire. For the final time before entering, the depths of her temptations ; She'd shake herself out of the thoughts.

"Sakura Chang, what one earth have you done to yourself?" She sighed tentively, before tighting her fist to knock upon the door of oppertunities as she'd done many times before.

He opened the door, a growing grin etching his perfectlly chizeled features. That very grin, as harmless as anything in her world could be was the very same grin that had her running like a manic to her sit in therapist, pleaing her insanities.

"You called and I came running! " She joked lamely, as she walked further into his office.

"And don't you think for even a moment I don't appreciate it, Ms. Ch -"

"It's Sakura, I've told you that ?" She'd interrupt, asking somewhat of a rhetorical question.

"...Of course," He stated."Sakura, I'm sorry to be so short notice - I'm just so anxious, to get this thing started you know?" He finishes from a hurried declaration, his eyes glimmering before her as he glanced at her excitedly waiting for her responses.

"I know, this monopoly is quite a bussiness idea." Sakura answers raising a brow, her glances fixed on his as he watched her take a seat across from him sliding her thin lensed glances atop the bridge of her nose."But, you seem to me a man who always gets what he wants - this shouldn't be any time of exception, no?" She laughed seductively while raising a leg to cross.

He smiled the dark tint of his orbes watching carefully as small hints of her nicely shaped ivory legs appeared to him through the cut of her skirt. Many times he'd been skilful enough to fully capture the undefined beauty of her shapely curves, he'd stare in extreme wonderment before snapping out of his unforgiving intents and staying within the strict business versus pleasure theory he'd always been hearing...so unfair. His mind would sigh in somewhat of an alas, even though he knew he was never keen on following the damn rule anyway.

"True." He answered. " I have no doubts that with you working your magic. The end results will have me as a happy man, isn't that correct Ms.Chang?" He asked while chuckling softly, looking over the folder with all the requirements and agreances that went with the business monopoly.

She shuddered unapparantly at the sound of his voice. So, he called Ms. Chang rather than Sakura...for about the thousanth time - she couldn't care less. He could resite the entire phone book to her, reading each name out of text and it would have sounded like one of the most amazing things in the world.

"Yes," Sakura said, her voice recovering from a sudden crack.

______________________________________________________



"I don't like this idea, Bianca." Charity declared openly as they drove down Harmony's bright mainstreets. In now way did she want to be dragged to some dungy club, with God knows who lingering around. Kay and Bianca called her prude for always thinking that way but she didn't give a damn, it was how she felt. And in now way was she inclined to be hooked up with Bianca's boss! What were they thinking!?

"Well that's kinda too bad, ain't it girl?" Bianca giggled passing her glances towards the passengers door, to Charity as she watched her fend send of a murderous glare" You better keep those baby blues away from me, Charity. I'm doing you a favour here, you should be happy that I care about you enough to do this for you. and unselfish enough because..." Bianca hissed, passing Charity an equal glare.

"I know Bianca! He's really attractive, and I'm not going to be dissapointed." Charity hissed venomously, as she clenched her steering wheel in annoyance." Who said, I wasn't perfectlly happy as I am? I mean who said, I needed to be hooked up with some tacky club owner!"

Tacky!? Ooh this man was far from tacky!

Bianca's eyes narrowed as she turned to her ungreatful soon to be ex best - friend."Last time I'm doing your ass a favor, that's for damn sure!" She murmered turning away from her, a little pissed that Kay was indeed right that Charity wouldn't like being pairied up with her very attractive, very single boss. Bianca rolled her eyes vehemently as she pictured Kay laughing at her in the most obnoxious way of which she'd always hated with her boyfriend somewhere around Harmony.

"Is that a promise!?" Charity hissed, as Bianca let out a high picthed huff to her statements muttering some hateful words as she turned away, letting silence reside beyond the music that played in the car.

"It's not like I don't appreciate this, Bi." Charity began softly cutting into the hush.

Bianca turned to her stubbornly."So, you'll give him a chance?" She pirked up her tone flashing her irresistable brown eyes at her pouting as a puppy would.

It's not like she had much of a choice whether or not she wanted to meet this guy, but, it wan't like she was going to enjoy this forced meeting no matter how attractive Bianca promised she was...Charity couldn't be interested, because she was already sort of kind of involved. Whatever the hell that should mean! As she continued to drive random throughts flew to her head... At moments like these she wished she had been honest about them a long time ago.

"Fine, Bianca. But I'm not staying for long, even shorter if I don't like this guy." Charity asserted as they pulled up to the crowd and the two story club's name shinnin in white neon.

She felt the heat brush against her as the doorman opened the door to the crowded dark room, filled with half if not all of Harmony's twenty - something's. All moving rhythmiclly to the fircelly bagging bass that boomed somewhere in the backdrop of the scenery.

Charity felt the tight grasp of Bianca's hand tugging on hers as they thread through the crowds in the dark. Her eyes widdened slightly to the sudden burst if light appearing to her from the sleek bar that stood ahead of them. Slowly with many signs of hesitance Charity spotted an open metallic stool, of which she could sit on. Her eyes shifted from left to right, cheking te atmosphere around. Her mind contimplating ways she could ditch this stupid blind date, and get out of the over crowded place.

"What will it be?" Bianca's voice cut into Charity's thoughts.

"Humm...I think I'll have a Jhonny Walker straight up no rocks." A voice cut in slidding himself into the seat near Charity. He smiled broadly at Bianca while leaning inwardly towards the bar.

"I wasn't talking to you, Doug!" Bianca rolled her eyes while turning her back to the man and taking someone else's order.

"So how's my favorite bartendress tonight?" Douglas asked, continuing his year lond quest to obtain the lovely Bianca Evan's telephone number. Each night that she'd work her shift he'd dismiss her emaculate repelling towards him and keep his mission alive, he'd have to wear her down sometime.

"Just fine," She sighed nonchalantly slidding a glass doen the table and leaning herself against the bar, falling face to face with the hadnspme man that sat infront her."Now, bounce Douglas I have allot of work to do tonight..." her voice trailled as a waitress caught her view, her noticable voice called ou to the girl as she approached the bar.

"What's up Bianca?" Candice questioned.

"Where's the Boss? He here yet?" She inquired raising her brow, as her eyes searhced the dark crowd for any sign of him.

"Yeah, actually he's in confrence right now. Why?"

Bianca smilled as her eyes met with Charity, who huffed childishly in a let's get this over with manner before turning away from the two."You'll see soon enough. Would you mind taking him out of his meeting for a few?"

"I don't know about that... I mean you know how he is - besides this is the meeting to end all meetings." Candice mummbelled in contimpaltion, fearing her and Bianca's job would be in grave danger if they dared to interrupt this meeting for something as minor as a hook up.

Bianca hushed at the wors pursing her lips slightly in thought, before Douglas cut in once more.

"What's this all about, you two?" The young man question he too arching his eye brow in a quizzical manner, looking for Candice to Bianca."Why do you want to talk to the boss!?" He questioned hysterically jelously becoming his cool casual demeanor.

What in the hell kind of name was ' The Boss' !? Charity thought, as a sardonic smirk crossed her lips. Fabulous she was being fixed up with a man who most likely didn't like to be called by his own goverment name, so this inane nick name was probably the most fashionable quick fix. By the looks of everything and the state if the conversation that buzzed ahead of her , this guy was probably some anal retentive loser who had nothing better to do than boss people around within his adolescant fantasy come true. Most importantly, as she sat on her bench stool the chill from the untouched metal chilling her exposed legs, she knew this man wasn't as favorable as she'd previously been discripted, because no man in his right mind would abide to this shear insanity!

Her train thought swirling incontinuously, as she rubbed her temples soothingly while she wondered if she should have turned down that drink the first time around. She stopped while turning to Douglas and smilling breezilly,

"Don't worry, I'm the one they want one she wants to suffer right now. Not you," She ended catching another tenders attention, as Douglas watched her.

Cute, very cute. He thought gratifyingly, as he somewhat clued into what was going on, his eyebrows suddenly forrowing."Wait, a minute who are you?"

"Look, just tell him it's very important -" With conviction Bianca spoke, her mind and mouth winding out into her scheme.

"But ..."

"Don't worry I've got everything covered." The shimmer of michivousness shimmered profusely in her dark brown eyes, as she grabbed the half full bottle of Jhonny Walker and poruing the dark brown substance into the iced down glass, and handing it to Douglas as she watched Candice leave wait full in her steps, as she muttered her dissaproval.

"Doug, this is Charity - Charity this is Doug." Bianca said in refrence of one of Douglas' questions."She's the woman I wanted to set him up with - remember ?"

"Well it's nice to finally put a face to the name, Charity." He welcomed." And I can vouche, being a friend and a personal adviser to the man himself...he's not as good as me, but he could do."

Charity laughed."I'll trust you with that."

"He only wishes." Bianca chimmed in, scowling at the man who smiled at her.

"Oh don't get mad, Sweetie," Douglas said returning his attention to her."You know I'm saving all of this for you."

"Again, he only wishes."

_______________________________________________

"I'm sorry, Sakura - this should only be a minute." he assured while arising from his seat and walking past her.

"It's alright, Mr. Lopez - Fitzgerald. I'll be right here," She responded smoothly, before deflating in her pleasures as the door shut.

At the sound, Miguel's eyes layed upon Candice's as they walked in two down the lavished hallway. She remained silent staying vauge in her intentions for the interruptions, yet shifting the conversation to other important things...like her paycheck for instance and the strange change of wheather Harmony seemed to be going through, and how her grand - mother always said -

"That's all well and good, Candice. But you still haven't answered my question..." He spoke crossing his arms.

Candice cursed silently hoping Bianca's plan was good enough to get them both out of the trouble she knew they'd both be facing real soon as her stalling abilities ran on low. She turned away from the conningly attractive dark haired man as she began to walk once more, leading him to the bar where a grinning Bianca awaited her eyes growing with excitement.

Bianca Evans.He should of known she had some hand in this, as his glances searched the crowd as was expected Douglas was nearby whispering something to Bianca as he approached the bar, the light haired brunette gone from his sight and his presence as she was no where to be seen.

"Hi Boss!" Ms. Evans chirped, as Miguel approached the bar with a not so pleasant ore about him.

"Hi," He began."Now what's going on around here, I know you knew I was busy so could you please tell me what's was so important that you could just - "

Maybe it was the liquor, she intook heavilly but through the loud music she couldn't help but hear the uncanny resemblance in this said 'Boss' voice. Her back remained turned as she tried to be unoticable, incase the familarity in his tone could work against her; But misfortune as it would she couldn't diminish the sound of her friends voice, as she ran down some sort of introduction to the meeting. Before things could make themselves more starnge then they'd already become Charity turned her chair around to face the man as Bianca's voice ceased.

Bianca winced slightly, while interrupting hsi mid sentence. Knowing she was risking allot trying to convince her employer, that him meeting the woman that would change his life, was more important that him planning something that would give him more money than he could ever fanthom.

His dark eyes pierced into her as she spoke, awaiting some kind of rhym to her neverending crased rhymn.

"... Now, with all that said. I'd very much like you to meet one of my closest friends, Charity Standish."

It seems as if both thier eyes widdened in shear disbelief, momentarilly hidden by their own casualties. Their eyes remained locked upon eachother their gazes as if revealing the unkown to everyone that stood around before Miguel saved them both out of the obvious as he spoke.

"Nice to meet you." He stated in the state of sincerity, as they both shook on the declaration.

Charity smirked slightly."Likewise, you have quite a place here." She commented as Miguel grinned equally.

"I'm glad you think so." He replied softly, as Bianca cut into the great conversation grinning chastly at her sucess that she'd orchastrated, before Miguel's warning glances advised her to keep working.

Douglas eyed his friend with his new potential closely as he watched Miguel lean over to Charity's ear range and breath a few words to her. She nodded slowly before turning to look at him, as he left. He conveyed the actions but before he could even word out his thoughts she too was gone.

_________________________________________________

Charity walked past the steamy crowds, and beyond the erie chill of the abandoned darkness. Her lurking lead her towards a dimly lighted hallway, with many observations she stepped inside walking down the corridor letting the drapped scenery of accolades all encircling Miguel for his successes as the youngest male hier of the Lopez - Fitzgerald fortune. As well as, conventional magazine covers, buzzing with updates on the rivalry between the two families through Nicholas Foxworth Crane and Miguel Lopez - Fitzgerald.

He caught himself into a stare, when his attentions met her in the hallway. Despite himself he couldn't help but acknowledge the time he'd thought had been forever since they were last together, yet even so he'd never let his words mention what his head didn't want to grasp.

She turned to the sound of footsteps heard around her in the interrupted silence, noticing the familiar stature in the shadows.

"This is it," Charity spoke up as the apperations came closer towards her."This is your big dark secret?"

"I guess you could say that." Miguel responded vaugely as they began to walk further in the small passegeway."So, this is what we've come to hasn't it ? We have to get set up by Bianca to see eachother every now and then?" He inquired refrencing to the fact that they haven't seen or heard of eachother in days.

"I don't see anything wrong with you. You could have called just as much as I could but you didn't, so don't expect any sympathy from me Mr. Lopez - Fitzgerald." Charity snickered playfully as she passed ahead of him, suddenly pausing at the feel of him stopping the movements she made while turning her towards him once more.

"Didn't I tell you it was Miguel?" He joked as well, their gestures as if one moving them closer towards one another.

"Yes, I know; But you should now by now just because you tell me doesn't mean I'll do." She grinned looking him in the eyes once more, the curve of her lips widdened as she continued." You know before awhile ago I had every attention of leaving this blind date." Charity declared as they walked further into the rooms burrows.

"And now?" Miguel asked , both stopped once more.

Now closer than ever and deeper into the hallway, they'd found themselves in a small lounge the fadded gleam of light becoming the room.

She made her answers hesitant trying to see the unalloyed look of torture in his eyes, obtained by the awkward suspence of the moment. Yet after a few moments of waiting in vain, she spoke up once more."And now, I'm wondering why you're such a mystery." Her stature shrugged as she glanced at him deeply"Why I had to go through all of this just to find out where you work?" She laughed wryly shifting their conversation while taking a step away from him.

Miguel sighed while frustratingly running his hands through the dark shades of raven."Charity, we've already talk about this..."His voice began boldly while pausing wordlessly.

"Yeah, I know that. That still doesn't mean I'd understand all of this, I must be insane for saying this..." Charity atmitted candidly as her eyes strayed away from his momentarily." But in the past few months you've managed to make me want to know you, needless to say it becomes real difficult when you wont even entrust me with that."

Miguel didn't reply to her statements, and the silence between them resided once more between the now deepened nearness. His appearance hinting him wanting to have some sort of answer to her array of questions, althought being fiercely dominated by his will to keep these things to him self she knew they weren't getting anywhere.

"Fine," Charity sighed in dismay."I'll back off, besides it really isn't any of my business." She spoke getting nothing but his endless wordless expressions, the same silence she endeared few moments before unsettled her scarecely as she stood across from him.

He grinned simply diluting the awkward tension between them as he easily slid her closer inwards towards him. Charity's intentions were ment to argue on the gesture but his soft words colided with her debating as he spoke.

"You want to get to know me?" Miguel asked a slight chuckle in the suave requiescence in his voice.

"Don't flatter yourself." Charity hissed in a delicate manner, ignoring the look of warmth his eyes exhuded.

With precision he breaught her closer easily montioning to kiss her, only to have her pull away the small of her lip curving in somewhat of a jagged smile. "We've just met..." Charity whispered jokingly within a playfull gasp acting surprised, as if her words were truths.

"We're getting better aquainted," He cut in, a michevious glint crossing his hazel orbes, while slidding her closer resting soft kisses upon her simpers escaping their features, as the kisses heightened.

"I - have to go." She breathed suddenly between his kiss that moved from the smoth suppleness of her lips to the distant hollow of her neck, she shuddered slightly at the feel of his fingertips roaming around her barely exposed leg.

"You just got here." Miguel whispered tempredly, as he kissed her once more.

Paloma Lopez - Fitzgerald bit her lip profusely as she roamed down the hallway, the grwoing curiousity in her eyes growing with each step she made in the darkened solitude. Despite all the oppertunities she'd gotten being to the multifasitent young woman she was, Paloma seemed to jump at the chance to work with her older brother during her winter break from college. She saw it only fitting concidering she was the muturity and sanity out of the two...someone needed to make sure both were being properly maintained. Only heaven knows no one else really bothered.

During the time, Miguel had expected her to be working as his waitress. Paloma skillfully managed to explore the non - stop wonders of the place. Searching every place she could trying to find something that would tend toher intrests.

"Holly sh..." She gasped loudly dropping the silver platted tray she balanced with glases laying upon them, causing the couple to fuse apart, reavealing their identities."Miguel," Paloma managed to word out catching her breath from the fright she'd obtained. "Why am I not surprised." She stated flatly, as her glances turned from Miguel to the woman that stood a step away from him, her faced reddening with every instant they stood in the same vasinity.

"Charity, this is my baby sister Paloma," He began facing the delicately formed woman, before turning to Paloma.

"As you can see, Charity I'm practiclly twenty and the refrence to baby hardly stand for me anymore." She stated assertively in a lie correcting her brother as she smiled at Charity.

"Hi," Charity finally spoke beyond her embaracement." I'm sorry we startled you..." She ended, her voice in a questionable state.

"It's alright, I thought this place was abandoned - not a place where my brother could run game." Paloma replied while flashing a sardonic smile towards her brother.

"Would you go away please," Miguel snarled in the customary big brother tone as Paloma gestured to pick up the things that had fallen."I'll take care of that, just go." He rushed, as she stood.

"Alright I'm going, I'm going. See you later Charity," Paloma sighed turning on her heal and walking way, swearing she'd quit if she couldn't hold the fact that she worked at a trendy night club above the heads of everyone she knew.

"I'm sorry about that..." He breezed smilling.

"No, it's alright. She's cute actually," She stated watching the youn girl leave, before facing Miguel once more." Like I said, I have to be going...unlike you I have a job to get to tomorow morning."

"I guess it's too late, to ask you to stay then."

She nodded grasping the sides of her coat while stepping into him once more.

"When am I going to see you again?" He questioned stairing at her shamelessly, Charity broke the gaze not replying his needful questions but gracing him with a suttle graze on the lips. She smirked as if in response, stepping away from the tight embrace he gave her.

"Night." She said, dissaprearing from his sights.

He couldn't say he despised the costant wonder she'd send him through whenever they where together but he couldn't very well deny that the wait didn't drive him insane.

__________________________________

After recovering for the Charity Standish effect, his previous arrangements returned to him when he returned to his office to find it empty with no lovely Sakura Chang in sight. He shrugged figuring she'd grown tired of the extended wait and went back to her offices.

Where'd she go, the thought maintained to escape his breath as he effortlessly searched the room.

"I sent her away," A voice responded to the the thought turning the revolvable chair around to face an astonished Miguel. "We have allot to catch up on. Don't you think, Papi" Yiezmien said a smirk marring her lips, as she leaned back in the chair.

"No we don't, Yiezmien. Why are you here?" Miguel spoke approaching the desk.

" I heard this was the place to be, little did I know..." She responded her voice trailing as her eyes met with Miguel's. " I saw your new friend - I wonder does she know everything ? You know each and every last sorid detail of our past , I'm sure she'd be entertained." She stated pursing her lips flirtatously as she wandered around his desk analytically, picking up the mesh folder containing the monopoly dealings.

Swiftly he snapped the folder out of her hands, forcing the dark haired woman to face him once more a dairing look in her features. "I've already told her." Miguel declared quickly just as soon managing to kick the woman out of his office, cutting their tender reunion short.

Yiezmien faced the door as it shut abruptly in her face. She sighed at Miguel's tiresome efforts to brush her out of his life like a speckle of dust on the floor, and a slight touch of dissaproval came upon her as she knew this wasn't warm welcome she'd assume to happen but that was okay, that wasn't what she was here for...far from it.

Closing Thoughts - This isn't some sort of spoiler or a hint into the rest of the story, (unfortunately for y'all lol) but I will say this chapter is the beggining of many things all of which you'll read about soon enough. Anywayz I do have some explanations in order...

~Yea, you weren't reading wrong the L.F's are now indeed rich, but No... they weren't always that way, and Yes I will tell you about their rise from nothin' to somethin' later.

~ I'm guessing you've already clued into the Miguel/ Yiezmien connection and trust what her intentions are to the story might be very unexpected - hopefully ; ).

~ No, I'm not sure if you'll see Miss Paloma more in the story.

~And A business Monopoly as defined by my Canadian history book is the ability to control a business with no competitors! Wicked huh?!

~ I hope you liked this, and like always reviews are always much much appreciated by a certained MahoganyMiss, Latz. Thanks for the support!