Author's Note: This is really more of an 'apology note,' actually... We're both really sorry that we haven't updated in so long. Unfortunately, we can't dedicate our lives to our writing, much as we would like to, and real life has a way of encroaching forcefully on you if you ignore it for too long. One of us was two days away from being homeless, three times in a row, in the past two months, and both of us are having financial issues. So, for those of you who have been waiting somewhat patiently for this chapter, thank you for continuing to read our series and please continue to be patient as it may take longer for updates while we are getting our lives in order... Thank you.

--Angel and Parsley--

REDUCED TO THIS

By Angel Sentier and Lady Parsley

Chapter Three

Teri overslept that morning. Of course, it was such a common occurrence that it didn't phase her much. But she was most disappointed by the fact that her rude alarm clock had awoken her from her favorite, and thankfully, recurring dream. In it, she could see a gloriously naked Danny Peer, passionately calling out her name as he was strapped, helplessly, to a large bed. She would slowly walk to him, unbind the oppressive shackles, and kiss every raw, red mark. Then, she would rescue him from whomever it was that had imprisoned him this way. But that damned alarm always woke her up just as it was getting really good.

She sleepily shuffled towards her spacious bathroom to take care of 'morning business,' as she called it. Noticing the red light of her answering machine blinking on her way down the hall, she punched the button and wandered into the restroom.

"Shit!" came a hushed voice. "Teri, it's Tessa. I've got to talk to you. I'll try Chloe. She'll wake up. Bye." The robotic machine voice told Teri that Tessa had called at 3:24am. I wasn't even home! she thought. The movie had been terrible, but the after party was indeed not to be missed.

"Oh, jeez! Wake up, Teri," Chloe's voice chided from the recording. "Things at the office are nuts! Ginger is fuming! I'm not sure what you did, but she's absolutely pissed and Danny, the boy-toy, looks like he was beat with a bat... the kind with wings and teeth. Plus, Tessa called at some ungodly hour this morning and wanted to talk about some problem she has. It's about a guy; big shocker there. I told her we'd meet at the Canard for lunch. Somehow, she's gotten a work release for a whole week! I didn't ask for details because it was 3:30 in the fucking morning... To re-cap: Get up and get to work; Ginger's a raging she-beast today; Danny's been hit with a small flying mammal; and we're having lunch with Tessa. Got all that? Bye."

Teri sighed. Chloe never did know what to say on an answering machine and so always tended to ramble on. Generally, she only realized when it was too late to do anything about it. Teri was used to it, but it drove Tessa nuts. She could just hear the other woman saying to the blond, "Minutes aren't free, Chloe! You are the reason I got rid of my cell phone!" and she smiled.

Since she hadn't washed her hair the night before, Teri hopped in the shower. Cold water, to make certain she woke up, otherwise she'd stay in the shower for a full fifteen minutes, sleeping standing up like a parrot. She washed her hair with Alterna shampoo, the one really nice luxury she allowed herself, being that she considered her long curly hair to be her best feature. Five minutes under the spray and she wrapped herself in a big fluffy purple towel, then untangled the mass by running her fingers through it. Teri never blow-dried her hair; when she attempted, it took over the world.

She picked out a pair of pants and a tunic top, slipped on her shoes, and was ready to head out the door when the phone rang. For a moment, she toyed with the idea of just letting it ring. It's probably Chloe telling me how late I am. I know how late I am. So I'll answer it to tell her how much later her phone call is making me. She giggled with glee as she picked it up.

"You're only making me laaaaaater!" trilled Teri with a big grin.

"I'm... sorry?" came an unexpected male voice.

She blinked. "Who is this?"

"Danny Peer? Lunch? Remember?"

"OHHHH!" It all came rushing back to her still-tired brain.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"Well... Being that you called my home number, I'm at home, Danny."

"Right, right," he said, sounding embarrassed. "I really meant to ask why you're not at work. I called your office and got an automatic mail box, same thing with your cell phone, and finally I tried this number. So..."

"Right, good thinking. Have you recovered from the bat incident?"

"I... don't think I follow."

"...Nevermind. Lunch, today, yes!" Reality punched the back of her head. "NO! God!" She groaned. "I can't... I'm supposed to meet Tessa and Chloe for lunch. You could come with us... but we're just going to listen to Tessa bitch about some guy she met at a bar. I don't really think that would interest you."

"Hmm... Tempting... but no."

"I might be able to blow it off, but..." She thought about the consequences of leaving Chloe alone with a bitching Tessa. "I probably shouldn't."

"No worries, maybe we could postpone our lunch until later today."

"Two lunches? Well, I'm hungry, but..."

"No, I mean, maybe say... seven tonight?"

"That doesn't sound like lunch. That sounds like dinner."

"Well, I guess that might be considered somewhat dinner-esque..."

She paused. "Danny, are you asking me out on a date?" Pause. "Again?"

"...Uh... Is that all right?"

"YES!" She silently counted to three to try and calm herself down. "Just as long as it's not a repeat of our last date."

"Oh, no, no! No work, I promise."

"Good. Then why don't you just meet me at my office as soon as you're let out of the cage, and we'll drive down to wherever we're going. Sound good?"

"Sure!" There was a pause, like he might be thinking of something else to say. "I can't wait."

"You're going to have to. Because five o'clock isn't here yet."

"If you don't get to work soon, it'll be five o'clock before you get here."

"Ha, ha. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Teri!"

She carefully replaced the receiver, gazed at it for a moment, then let loose with the Happy Dance of Joy, right in the middle of the hallway, as she squealed with delight. She slung her purse over her shoulder and actually skipped down the driveway to her car.

"Tee hee hee! I've got a date with a hoooooottie!" she sang.

"I think... even cuter," said Chloe with a somewhat far-away look on her face.

Teri raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, reeeeeeally?" She shook her head and speared another French fry. "I got to meet him, you know."

"So did I. He came to Ginger's office, remember?"

"Yeah, but I got to talk to him. Shake his hand, even."

"Oh. Go you."

She narrowed her eyes at the other woman. "Go me? That's your reaction? Come on, this is my revenge on you for ditching me! You're supposed to be jealous!"

"Sorry, sorry," said Chloe. "How about I take you out to dinner as my penance?"

Teri grinned. "Okay, then here's my revenge. I can't. I have a date!"

"Really? That's great!" said Chloe, smiling, apparently glad for her friend even if she was somewhat jaded about the male race at the moment. "With whom?"

She froze. Shit. Now I have to tell her. She shoved a bite of her hamburger in her mouth. "Dahmehl Ear," she mumbled as quickly as possible, hoping Chloe would just leave it at that.

No such luck. "What?"

"Dahmial Per."

"What?"

Teri swallowed hard. There would be no escaping this. "DANIEL PEER," she said, loudly.

Chloe's eyes bugged. "The TOY? Wind him up and insert him? You do realize he has no balls whatsoever, right?"

"No, no," Teri said. "He has balls, they're just kept in a mason jar on Ginger's desk. So, he's not ball-less... he's just testically challenged."

Chloe threw back her head and laughed. "Okay, I thought Tessa dating our waiter was funny, but you dating Ginger's Toy tops that by at least three notches!"

"Shut up! Danny's hot and funny and sweet and hot--"

"You already said hot."

"It bears repeating!"

"Okay, okay, I know. He used to be a model. I work with the guy, remember?"

Teri gobbled another fry. "Lucky bitch."

"But I thought you'd already attempted to date Danny before and it was a total failure."

"I'm not counting that as a date anymore. That was work. All we did was hang around the office and pass each other print outs and staplers. You know what we talked about? Staples and paper cuts. And how much of a bitch Ginger is. We talked more about Ginger than we did each other."

"And you want to try this again, why?"

"Have you seen the pants, Chloe?"

Chloe sighed. "Yes, I've seen the pants. To reiterate: I work with him!"

"You can't tell me you've never wondered what's inside those pants."

"A hot ass and a very big dick, I'm aware!"

"Then how can you ask me stupid questions like that? He has a brain, I spent four hours with him finding that out. I want to know about his naked, throbbing body! I keep having this fantasy about eating a hot fudge sundae off of his rock-hard abs and damn it, it's going to happen somewhere in this lifetime!"

She made a face. "Ew! Sticky and cold and a total waste of ice cream!"

"Oh, that's right, I forgot. Ben and Jerry are your therapists."

"That is a low blow, Teri."

"No, it's not. You're finally regaining your butt; that's something to be happy about! All Jason wanted was an assless clothes hanger. You know what it made you? Very disturbing to look at in jeans." She shook her head. "Absolutely no ass, whatsoever! Your legs went right into your waist!"

"Okay, I get it! Sheesh!" Chloe rolled her eyes. "Damn... You need this date."

"Well, I had a date last night, Mr. Hughes, but someone ditched me!"

"You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Nope."

Chloe glanced at the nearby window. "Not to change the subject from you brow-beating me or anything..."

"Suuuuuuuure..."

"...But Jeff's been out there for quite a while. Should we go check on them?"

"Why? You want to see them screwing in the back of Tessa's car?"

"Ew!"

Teri grinned, then leaned over to look out the window. "Okay, I checked. They're fine. He's hugging her or something. Perhaps he's biting her neck. She'll be one of the undead soon."

"That's impossible, it's daytime."

"Geek."

The theme from Titanic cut off whatever Chloe would have said in response. She sighed. "You know what that means."

Teri shuddered. "Yeah... Somewhere, an angel just ripped its wings off... and turned into Christopher Walken."

She rolled her eyes and picked up her purse. "If only that was all it meant. Call me when you get home. I want details!"

"Graphic ones?"

"Ew..." She paused. "Well... Yeah. Graphic ones. Get a measuring tape, if you have to."

"Will do. Oh, and I don't think I need to say this, but don't say anything in Ginger's earshot about who he's going out with tonight. No need to make the woman mistreat you both anymore than she usually does."

"Right," she said. "Big Ginger is watching you, I know."

She waved as Chloe took off for the parking lot. "See you later!"

Danny hesitated in front of Ginger's office door. He glanced at his watch which read 5:10pm. He sighed and knocked lightly.

"Come in, Peer."

He never knew how she could always tell it was him, but he never questioned it either. Questioning Ginger meant death, usually. He twisted the doorknob and entered the room, closing the door behind him.

Ginger was seated behind her desk, reading a few form papers from a manila packet. "I'm not going to be needing you for quite some time," she said without even looking up. Danny knew she wasn't talking about work. "Now, why are you bothering me?"

"It's after five," he said.

"I have a clock, Peer."

"I've made... dinner arrangements--"

"I'm not interested," she said, cutting him off.

Well, good, you're not invited, he thought, but of course he couldn't say it out loud. "I... I wouldn't think so. But I... I'd like to go now."

"What you want is irrelevant, Peer. We've already been over this."

"Right, but--"

"But what? You are mine. I pay you well enough to hand over your body and soul with no arguments."

"Until after five."

"No," she said, finally looking up and freezing him with her stare. "You are mine whenever I say you are. Understand?"

"Yes, Ginger." The hated response just popped out of his mouth. "But..."

She raised an eyebrow. "But?"

"I'm hungry. And... I'm not legally obligated to be here after five."

Ginger sighed, as though this was an enormous waste of time. "I don't have the time or the desire to deal with your petty arguments right now. So, I'll let you go. After you ask permission," she added when he turned to leave.

He turned back around and sighed. When he opened his mouth, she cut him off once again.

"No," she said. "Not ask. Beg... puppy."

The name turned his stomach painfully, but he knew exactly what she expected of him. He dropped down on all fours, very glad that the blinds of her office windows were drawn, and crawled over to the desk. Leaning down, he planted a wet, open-mouthed kiss to her designer pumps.

Her low giggle raised the hairs along his arms, and he looked up at her. "Please, Ginger," he said. "I beg you. Please, let me go."

She lifted the foot he had so carefully kissed and ran it along the inside of his left thigh, effectively cleaning it off. She continued to run it along his body and when the foot had reached his chest, she pushed hard, landing him on his backside.

"You disgust me," she said, wrinkling her nose disdainfully at him. "Look at yourself. You used to be something. Now, you've been reduced to this... You're nothing. You can't even piss without my permission. And you're always going to be nothing. Because I own you, Peer, and I'm never going to let you forget it!" She turned her attention back to the papers on her desk as though the pride she'd just demolished and the man it belonged to were of no consequence. "Now, get out of my sight before I change my mind."

He knew she'd do it, too, so he scrambled to his feet and made for the door. Before he opened it, he turned back halfway and quietly muttered what he knew she wanted to hear. "Thank you, Ginger."

When he walked into her office, the look on Danny's face could only be described as defeated. Teri immediately set aside the paperwork she'd been going over and stood up from her desk.

"What happened?" she asked. "You've got the look of a child who's just been told that the prize pet pig he had raised from infancy was being served to him as bacon!"

He could only shake his head, averting his eyes. "It's... nothing," he said finally, though that statement only seemed to crumple his expression even more. "It's just... you know... Ginger." He seemed unable to say anything more about it.

"Ah," said Teri. "I understand."

As they walked out to the parking lot together and his mood didn't seem to be improving, however, she couldn't help herself. She reached out her hand and grasped the closest one of his.

"Don't worry," she said as she gave his hand a light squeeze. "Soon, you'll come to your senses and work for me or some other lucky PR rep, or you'll get promoted. Then, a house will fall on Ginger, and the world will be a better place."

A low smile spread across his face and he glanced quickly at Teri. "Who'll get the ruby slippers?"

"Ehh..." She shrugged. "I'm not much for shoes. That's more Chloe's thing. I'm more of the..." She paused, thinking. "I'm not sure. But I'm not shoes."

Danny opened his mouth, as if he was going to comment, but at that moment their elevator came to a slow stop in the parking garage level and the doors slid open.

"Who drives?" she asked. "Or should we meet there?"

He hesitated. "I... really don't know where we should go, so would you like to drive? That way, you can pick the place."

"But you're the one who's paying," she pointed out.

"I know..." he said. "I'm treating you, so you get to choose where you want to eat."

She shrugged again and opened the passenger side door of her green Saturn. "You might regret saying that after you see what I order, but all right."

"Ginger pays me so well, I'm not worried." The mention of his boss seemed to vaporize any good mood he might have been building up and his small smile fell from his face.

He slid into the passenger seat and hit the automatic unlock button. Teri was almost disappointed that she didn't get to see his magnificent arms stretch out over the driver's side to unlock her door manuallyDamn modern technology! She seated herself behind the wheel, buckled the seat belt, and in doing so caught sight of Danny's crestfallen expression.

She sighed. "Okay, if you're going to continue to be depressed, I'm going to slip Thorazine into your food."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Be nervous, or happy, or chatty, or whatever. But not depressed or sorry. I'm not! Hell, I'm the luckiest woman on the planet!"

"Why?"

"Why!" She rolled her eyes in defiance against his modesty. "I'm on a date with Daniel Peer! The hottest ex-male-model currently working in advertising and public relations! What's not to be hyped about?" She smiled as she turned the key in the ignition. "And that's not even the best part."

Danny blushed to the tips of his ears at her accolade. "What's the best part?"

Teri slid her sunglasses off the top of her head and settled them down on the end of her nose, staring at him over the top. "The best part is, you asked me first." She threw the car into reverse and pulled out of the overly cramped office parking. "What you need is self esteem. And carbs. Lots of carbs." In Teri's mind, those two things together meant only one thing. Italian.

To be continued...