Rey pulled the goodie basket closer to herself as she walked up to the front door of Mr. Solo's house the next morning. All the bravado she had felt last night seemed to leech away with her body heat on this cold December morning. She stood before the imposing front door and hesitated. From its aged brick facade to the ornate lintels over the window, his house oozed all the elegance and refinement only old money could purchase. Beyond that, the knowledge that he was here, waiting for her even, set her heart aflutter.

Now or never! she told herself. With a deep breath, she raised her hand and lifted the brass knocker. At first, she heard nothing, and then the sound of footsteps drawing near. The door opened to reveal Benjamin, dressed in dark jeans with a forest green, cable knit sweater. He was even freshly showered by the looks of it. Rey felt herself getting a little weak-kneed at his nearness.

"Hi!" she squeaked out breathlessly. "I'm Rey. Rey Johnson."

"Bazine's assistant," Ben said, sticking out his hand, "pleasure to meet you. I'm Benjamin Solo, but Ben will do."

Rey automatically reached out her hand to shake his, momentarily forgetting the unbalanced load she carried. The basket lurched to the side and they both reached out hastily to right it, but too late to save her latte. It fell to the ground with a splatter.

She closed her eyes in mortification; his leather shoes...oh heavens.

"...shoes," she heard, coming back to herself.

"They're just shoes. Don't worry, Rey. I can clean them," he comforted. "It looked like you were going to bolt for a minute there."

"I am so, so sorry, Mr. Solo. I don't know what came over me, and I can pay for them to be cleaned if you like. Those look like Italian leather! Ohmygoodness."

Rey could feel herself beginning to ramble, but Miss Mouse had no 'off' button. "This was a wonderful first impression to make, and I haven't even walked through the door yet. Ms. Netal is going to kill me when she finds out," she groaned.

"Hey, Rey? It's alright. If you would like to come in, I can go change my shoes and this will stay our little secret," Ben offered. "No need for Bazine to know. They're just shoes."

He offered her a smile, and that's when she noticed his dimples. Give me strength, she prayed as she accepted his invitation and followed him inside.

Standing in his foyer, Rey's sense of professionalism finally returned; most likely because Ben had left for a moment to change his shoes. She eyed the high ceilings, dark woodwork, and hardwood floors. Classic lines, she noted. She set the goodies and her satchel on the hall table and retrieved her measuring tape and notebook. Bazine would want room measurements and notes of the existing furniture layout to create design boards.

She was in the middle of the library, pencil between her teeth, turned away and wrangling a measuring tape when Ben returned. Rey hadn't heard him approach so she startled when he said, "Hard at it already?"

She squeaked, stood too quickly, and stumbled over her own feet, but thankfully didn't fall this time.

"I've been meaning to have that rug removed. You're not the first person to get caught unawares," he said, graciously offering her a way to save face.

"Oh, well thank you. I'm not usually so clumsy, it's just you—r collection... it's distracting. So many wonderful books and pieces of art." Rey looked around the room for a scapegoat. "Is that a first edition?" she asked, gesturing to a red, leather-bound book.

"Yes," Ben said, smiling. "My grandfather bought it for my grandmother; a copy of Dickens 'A Christmas Carol.' It was her most prized possession. Grammy Padme would read this to me every December. Not this copy, of course, that'd damage it. I think…, no I'm sure, it was my favorite part of Christmas."

Rey was entranced listening to him share his precious childhood memory with her. It was obvious that he loved his Grandmother dearly.

"Will she be celebrating with you this year?"

"No," he answered quietly. "She passed away a few years ago. But I still carve out the time to read the book each year. Maybe someday I'll have children of my own to read it to." He gave her another gentle smile. "Would you like to hold it?" he asked.

Rey accepted, gladly, and found herself soon delighting over the story's original illustrations. She was intrigued by the idea of a Dickensian themed Christmas party. Maybe she could broach the idea to Ms. Netal, especially since it held such a special place in Ben's memories. It'd be perfect!

The doorbell rang, interrupting the quiet, and Ben excused himself to go answer it. Presently, Rey heard the murmur of voices and the distinct staccato of heels on hardwood. Ben and Bazine walked into the library together. She nodded at Rey when she caught sight of her, but otherwise ignored her assistant in favor of her boyfriend.

"Did you get the breakfast basket I sent this morning?" Bazine asked all smiles.

"I did, yes," Ben responded. "Rey was kind enough to bring them when she came."

"Good. Shall we have breakfast then?" she asked, pressing herself up against him.

Rey scoffed internally at the display, "As if he were on the menu instead of the croissants!" She kept her face neutral as she followed the pair out of the library and into the dining room. Here, the dark wood had been accented with splashes of midnight blue and gold. Thick velvet curtains hung from the windows while a Renoir took center stage on the wall.

The couple sat down to enjoy pastries and coffee at the large antique dining table, while Rey took out her trusty measuring tape and began to take the dimensions of the room and the sitting room it opened into.

"Do you have any ideas what kind of theme you'd like for the event, Benjamin?" Bazine queried. She grabbed a pastry and began to eat quietly while setting out her day planner.

Ben's gaze, meanwhile, had wandered to Rey, and he smiled to himself when he caught her running into a globe, nearly knocking it over. She was a bit clutzy, but in a cute way, he thought. Better watch yourself, Ben. With a gentle shake off his head, he looked back to Bazine and found her already staring at him, one eyebrow raised in a question.

Oh boy. Ben cleared his throat awkwardly and squirmed internally.

"I'm sorry, Baz. Could you repeat that?"

"Of course, dear. I asked if you had any preferences for an event theme."

"I don't have any. I trust you to make the evening unforgettable for our guests. You know me well and I'm sure I'll like anything you choose."

Bazine preened under his praise, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and made a few notes in her planner. "Okay, how about the guest count. How many people are you expecting?"

"I'm not sure. My assistant, Mitaka, is compiling the list of donors. You can ask for him to email it to you."

Ben's gaze drifted again to Rey as he spoke. She was perched, rather precariously he thought, upon a chair now, trying to get a full panorama of the sitting room.

"Rey, would you like to join us for breakfast? There's plenty of food and time for taking the necessary measurements," she offered. "Don't you agree, Sweetheart?"

Bazine barely concealed her irritation. "Of course. Rey, do join us. Croissant?" she asked. Without turning around, she proffered the basket sideways toward her assistant.

Rey stuck her pencil into her bun and approached the table. She took a roll, saying, "Thank you, but I really should keep working. There's a lot to do yet," and scurried back to work like the good little ant she was.


Back at the office, Bazine and Rey had settled at their respective desks and begun to work on the party. Bazine's corner office was large with two walls of windows, through which the sun-streaked cheerily. A sleek glass-topped desk for her boss dominated the room, while Rey's smaller version was tucked to the side. They had shared a space since Ms. Netal promoted her and got tired of trying to communicate via intercom. This way, should she need anything, big or inconsequential, Rey was always present to fetch it.

Rey had to keep her desk fairly tidy but had been allowed to have a single plant and one photo on it. She'd chosen a picture of herself with Kay & Rose on vacation in sunny Florida. It was relaxing to remember the warmth of the sun soaking into her skin and the sounds of the waves as they languidly kissed the shore. It was her favorite vacation, to date.

She was currently working on the guestlist Mr. Solo's assistant had sent over when her curiosity finally got the best of her.

"How did you two meet?" she asked, spinning in her chair to face her boss.

"We met at a dinner party my friend was throwing," Bazine smiled at the memory, leaning forward on her elbows. "I'd seen his picture in the paper, of course, announcing his return to Boston after a summer spent abroad. I knew he was single, and I was attracted to his lifestyle. I asked her to invite him, and he came."

"Was it love at first sight then?"

"No, I wouldn't call it that," Bazine demurred, shuffling some papers. "More like a meeting of the minds. We were attracted to each other, and we possessed similar tastes. Before my business grew so busy, we used to travel together on his trips. We saw Europe together, you know." Bazine returned her attention to her computer.

"Can I ask, do you even love him?"

Bazine's eyebrows raised at the impertinence of the question. "Normally I wouldn't talk about my personal life with you, but since I'm hoping this party will end up doubling as my engagement party, I suppose I can humor you. Yes, I love him… in my own way. He's handsome, worldly-wise, I admire his lifestyle and work ethic. Our social status is similar enough that I won't lose any relationships by marrying. He's wealthy enough so I'm not afraid he's after my money, yet I won't have to work unless I want to. We are perfectly compatible."

"That's… nice for you," Rey said looking away. "Do you- so you think he's going to propose soon?" She pretended to be uninterested in the answer, though her heart started to race and she held her breath. Bazine's answer could shatter her daydreams.

"I do. It's time to make it official. Just between us girls," she leaned in, "I added Ben's name to a local upscale jewelers mailing list. I think that should get him moving," Bazine smirked.

"Isn't that a little calculated?" Rey dared to say. She was rather aghast at the lengths to which her boss had gone to secure Ben's interest and hold it afterward. What she'd described sounded nothing like love, and more like a game of chess. Winner takes all, I guess.

"It was incredibly calculated. That's how you get ahead in life. Sitting on your laurels will never get you where you want to be. Now make sure to find me an ice sculpture and start printing out those photos you took."

"Yes ma'am,' Rey replied, getting back to work. Message received, Dragon Lady.


########################

A/N: Hi-di Ho, Neighbors! I've not forgotten my Xmas story :) I hope you are loving to hate Bazine as much as I am ;p

All my grateful appreciation to Angela, most bestest of beta's, for her help!