Author's Note: Well, this has been a long time coming! Sorry for the wait, but since it isn't so popular, I thought I could take my time with it.

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"This came for you, Colin." Suzette paused in the midst of trying to clear some space in the clutter to hand over a thick, cream envelope.

Colin put down his fork, shifting uncomfortably in the small space and took it over. "Who sent it?" he asked.

"No idea. Cool gave it to me."

The cheque was much too much. More than he made in a week. The note was the height, in Colin's opinion, of arrogance. Partners had simply included the date, time and product for the 'next shoot'. As if there would ever be a 'next time'! But he put it quietly into his pocket and offered some vague explanation about a friend asking for money. Suzette didn't ask to see it, for which he was eternally grateful.

The next day he called Mario and said he was out sick.

He didn't mention that he was wasting precious change calling from a payphone a few minutes away from Napoly.

Mario grumbled but he gave up on a lost cause. "Be in tomorrow," was all he ordered, "Now get off-a my phone."

Colin obligingly ended the call and smiled grimly as he exited the booth. And now for business.

Business was in a posh new building with a doorman that looked richer than Colin and a receptionist that Colin got the immediate urge to photograph. If he had had his camera. If she hadn't looked very bored to have to deal with him.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked.

"Partners is doing that, now, is he?" Colin chuckled.

"If you have no appointment, Sir, then I am sorry. Mr. Partners cannot see you today." She smiled coldly and shuffled papers on her desk in a brisk manner.

"Look, I just need a minute," Colin said, sobering up when he realized she really wasn't going to let him in.

She looked at him from almond-shaped brown eyes. "What exactly is your business, Mr… er…"

"Just tell Partners that Colin wants to see him."

"I am afraid that is impossible. Mr. Partners is out."

Colin was very certain Mr. Partners was not out. He'd seen his car and if he wasn't mistaken, that was his coat. He stared at the expensive coat for a while, as if not believing the situation he was in. But he wasn't the sort to take things quietly. And he felt justified. The sooner he told Partners that his camera was off-limits, the better for the both of them. And since he didn't have the leisure to come back, he was determined to get his way.

"He said he'd be in today," he lied glibly, "Told me I was to tell you to call him."

She wavered. He could see that she wavered. And no wonder. Vendice loved appointments. But he never turned anyone away for not having one. He had once said he might lose good business that way.

'Never give an answer until you know what the goods are…'

"Go on," Colin urged, "Call him."

She actually reached for the phone before taking her hand back. "I am sorry," she said crisply, "I did tell you he was out."

The door to the office opened.

Colin looked up, hoping to see one of the people he remembered working in the office. But he was taken-aback when the redheaded vision stopped short at the sight of him, red-nailed hand rising to her throat in a gesture of shocked surprise, red mouth opened to laugh and exclaim.

"Colin! My dear, where have you been?"

She embraced him as if she were really glad to see him.

The receptionist opened her pretty mouth to protest and shut it again.

Colin was just as stunned. He pulled away with a frown, disgusted at her regal impudence. He was about to open his mouth and give her a few home truths but the receptionist's avid face stopped him. "I've been busy," he said stiffly.

"Still eloquent," Dido giggled, tapping his mouth with her finger, already too close and cuddling on his shoulder, "Aren't you pleased to see me?"

Colin would have liked to say no, he really would. But why provide sport for the office? The door to that inner sanctum was open and since a few of the others were beginning to poke their heads up to listen in, he bit down on the venom. "I'm always pleased to see an old..." he paused searching for the right word.

Dido raised her carefully plucked eyebrows in sheer horror. "Old?" she echoed.

Colin smiled slowly. "Friend," he completed, "Old friend."

"Yes, I can see you are." She let go of him. "I take it you want to see Vendice."

"Didn't come here for the atmosphere, did I?"

"Charming as always," she said lightly. Dido spun on one pointed heel and then swanned to the door. "I shall take you in. Vendice really should be careful of who he hires."

Colin grinned cheekily at the receptionist, who was turning white and red with embarrassment and horror. She wouldn't look at him, instead throwing herself furiously into her work as if she might be fired any moment. If he knew Vendice, she wouldn't be. Not with those eyes.

He clumped along behind Dido, tossing casual looks left and right. A few of the old workers were there, telephones ringing and typewriters clacking. He never had figured out what exactly they did. But they paused for moment to gape at the sight of Colin and Dido walking to Vendice's office together.

Colin looked away when he realized why.

"Darling?" Clearly Dido never knocked. A bad habit- Vendice hated to be interrupted at work. "Darling, you have a visitor." She beckoned Colin in with a flourish, like a magician at the end of a trick.

The older man was on the telephone.

He held up a finger and continued to talk. Words and phrases gushed out and Colin sniggered. Clearly a prospective client because Vendice always talked too much when it was a prospective client. He turned on the full force of his aggressive charisma, then. Colin had heard him at it a few times. Hell, he'd seen him at it a few times! That poor woman with the sewing business- she'd been so winded by the avalanche of verbs she'd given up and let Vendice have things all his own way.

Dido clicked her tongue in annoyance and shrugged her shoulders. "I have an appointment," she announced- very loudly, "And I can't stop. But I am having a little party this weekend. Why don't you come? And, er, tell poor Suzette that I am so sorry to hear about her divorce. It must be awful for her."

So saying, Dido left.

Leaving a very bad taste in Colin's mouth.

Vendice put down the phone and just stared for a moment. Sat back in his chair and stared.

Colin cleared his throat and took out the envelope. "What is this?" he demanded.

Vendice came upright very suddenly, snatching open the envelope and taking out both note and cheque. "I agree," he said, glancing over them, "Name your price."

"What?"

Vendice took up pen and blank cheque and waited. "Name your price," he repeated.

"No!"

The pen was put down. "You're working for free? I won't complain, but it seems… irresponsible."

"I am not working for you!"

"Ah." Vendice jerked lightly to his feet and came around the desk. "I thought you would enjoy this one." He waved the note at the youth. "Good money. Good publicity. Lots of people will be very interested."

"My camera isn't for sale, Vendice," Colin snarled, "I told you that before."

Vendice just smiled. One of those quick, knowing smiles. "Then why come here to tell me again?" he asked reasonably, "A waste of time, Colin. Unless you have terms to discuss?"

"I came because you keep trying this. So I'm trying to end this now, right. No more photo shoots."

The door was still open. Vendice didn't like his staff getting inquisitive. So he got up and shut it, stalking around the younger man on the way there and back. On the way back, he brushed passed. He wasn't mistaken; Colin did shift away instantly.

"Do you know what I think?" he asked, "I think you need this."

"I do?"

"You haven't worked with a camera since you stopped working with me. And with your exhibition postponed to summer, you might want to start snapping pictures again."

"Ex… you're mad."

"'Orribly true, son, but not the point." For just an instant, Vendice let his accent slip.

Colin knew that trick. It was always deliberate. Vendice never did it unless he was being ironic. "You're going to get me an exhibition after all of this?" he stressed.

"I've already postponed it from autumn," Vendice explained, "It looks bad to keep things hanging like that. Lots of people are very interested."

Lots of people interested. This was the second time Colin had heard that line. And he didn't like it. It sounded vague, it sounded showy, and unfortunately with Vendice it could just be true. One never knew. Vendice always promised all sorts of things at the start.

"I don't believe you," Colin chuckled, laughing because it was such an incredibly surreal conversation. "You tried to get the blacks all kicked out of Napoly so's you could build your damned housing complex, I tried to stop you any way I could, and you still want to pay for an exhibition for me." Another thought occurred to him- "What's your game?"

Vendice threw up his hands in protest of his innocence. "No game," he insisted, "I just know talent when I see it."

"Talent. Me."

Vendice didn't say anything to that. He just flicked up the glimmer of a smile and leaned comfortably back against his desk.

Colin remembered that desk. Vendice had leaned against it just like when… he wasn't going to think of it. He wasn't! Those heady, heavy days of summer were over and, with them, whatever madness the heat had conjured up. He wasn't going to have anything to do with Vendice Partners- which was exactly what he had come to say- and he wasn't going to be seduced by any alluring thoughts of anything at all.

"I'm not interested," he heard himself say.

"That's a mistake," he heard Vendice reply.

"You can take your deals and choke on 'em," he heard himself say.

"I was hoping you would have moved beyond this," he heard Vendice say.

And then he came back to himself.

Vendice silently held out the first cheque. "Thursday morning," he invited, "Try that first and then walk out."

Colin looked at the cheque. The money would be nice, but… "I don't think so."

"Tell you what," Vendice sighed, pushing the cheque at him, "Take the money. Think about the offer and if you find you have a few minutes free on Thursday morning- say eleven- come to the studio."

"If I don't?"

"Fair enough. I won't wait."

"If I come, an' I'm not saying I will," Colin warned, "It'll be only once."

"It's a deal," Vendice grinned.

And just like that, Colin knew he had fallen into the trap. Straight in. Vendice hadn't even talked at him and he'd given in. He stiffened up and stuffed the cheque angrily into his pocket. "I won't be there," he snapped, "So get another guy."

He left without a backward glance, striding away and slamming the door behind him without bothering how it looked.

Vendice smiled in the rare silence and leaned back in his chair. "Oh, Colin," he laughed, "You have no idea what you're up against, son."