Hey everyone, so sorry it's taken so long... My muses fled the coop a while back when trouble started in RL... they finally made an appearance today so I took as much advantage of it as I could and the result is part 5.

Author notes: This is a multichapter kind of thing... and for the first time I'm trying out the first person view when writing.

Rated R for safety reasons...

Disclaimer: If you recognize it then I don't own it. A few of the characters are though, such as Cat, Mia, Maria and Tina. Any resemblance between them and any living, dead or fictional characters is purely coincidental!

Comments are still the only food my muses accept so please... send any comments you have, good or bad.

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Cat

"So, spill missy", Maria said as she, Mia and Tina barged through my door the morning after the party. I gave them a surprised look.

"Spill about what?" I was genuinely confused. Maria stood in front of me, hands on hips, while Mia threw herself down on the sofa next to me nudging my leg and Tina sat down in the sofa chair with raised eyebrow.

"What the devil happened last night? We saw you talking to Kostan and then suddenly you dashed out. What happened? Did he say something?" Maria looked at me, curiosity gleaming in her eyes but also something else, something I couldn't place.

"I just wanted to leave", I replied. I had told them I'd gotten indecent proposals but maybe they didn't hear that.

"Come on, kitty Cat. We know you had a less than fun and we're sorry about that" Maria said, finally taking a seat on the couch next to me. Her hand patting mine.

"Well, I should have known better than to let you dress me like a hooker", I said. I know I sounded very sour and kind of angry but I didn't care. The humiliation I'd felt last night still too fresh in my mind. I saw the others look at each other, Mia looked almost embarrassed, Tina her stoic self and Maria with a half smile.

"You didn't look like a hooker", Mia protested.

"Certainly not", was Tina's reply.

"You looked hot and ready for a night on the town, not like a hooker", Maria replied with her usual smile.

"I looked like a hooker. Why else would the guys at that party think I was so easy?" I countered angrily. They eyed each other again and I got the funny feeling they shared a secret, which I of course knew they did, and that secret had something to do with what happened last night.

"What do you mean?" Maria asked. I gave her a look.

"Don't give me that innocent routine. I told you when I left I'd gotten indecent proposals. Why would I get those if they didn't think I looked like one who would appreciate that?" I eyed them all and noticed Mia shifting a little uncomfortably.

"Oh, right. Well, not all guys know how to talk to ladies", Mia offered awkwardly. My only reply was a raised eyebrow. Did she really think I'd by that?

"That wasn't the worst of it though. That Kostan guy that you seemed to think was the best thing since chocolate. He asked where my keeper was" now they really were uncomfortable. Mia wouldn't look at me, Tina had a blank look on her face which she only got when she had something to hide, and Maria… Well Mari was Maria. She smiled but there was something reserved in that smile that I'd never seen before.

"Your keeper? Really?" she said. I could see the wheels turning in her head as she looked at the others. They obviously knew what that had meant, and from what I could tell it probably didn't mean what I had thought. It was also very obvious they didn't want to tell me and were trying very hard to find a good explanation that I would buy.

"Yes, my keeper. What could he possibly have meant if he didn't try to ask who my sugar daddy was?" I asked, the anger suddenly giving way to curiosity.

"Well", Mia started only to be shushed by a look from Tina. Maria and Tina looked at each other and Maria nodded then turned to me. So, they had decided on some bull story. I wondered what it would be.

"You see sweetie. Kostan is not exactly from the states and apparently they have other words for things where he comes from… I think he meant if you were spoken for or not you know?" Maria explained. I thought about it. It sounded a little incredible but if he wasn't from around here it was very likely they might have other names for things where he came from. I didn't really believe it since he spoke English too well to be so much a foreigner that he would use foreign words like that but who knew. I decided to go along with it since that was very obviously the only explanation they were going to give me.

"Oh, well… that explains it. Actually it explains a lot. Why he was surprised that I got offended and why he apologised by driving me home", I said remembering the comfortable limo that had taken some of the edge off of the humiliation.

"He drove you home?!?" I could hear the shock and, was that jealousy? in Mia's voice when she turned to me. Maria and Tina looked at me and they both looked stunned.

"Well, not him personally. He had some driver take me home", I answered looking at their surprise a little amused and yet slightly hurt by their surprise.

"Still surprising. As far as we've ever heard Mr. Kostan has never apologised to anyone, let alone someone he only just met", Maria said, the surprise evident in her voice. I just stared at them. So, what was that supposed to mean? Why would he try to apologise to me?

Three days after that very strange party, just when I had finally decided to just forget all about it, they started to arrive. There was a knock on the door and a flower delivery guy stood there with one exquisite champagne coloured rose. The card that came with it simply said "J". I tried to figure out who it came from and why but couldn't come up with anything. The only one I knew whose name started with a J was Jace but she wouldn't send me flowers.

Every day for over a week several exquisite champagne roses arrived, all with that mysterious card, until I finally stood there with a large bouquet. I still wondered who had sent them but by then I had started to look forward to them. They stirred my imagination and brightened my day. The next day a beautiful orchid arrived. The flowers were unlike any orchids I've ever seen. On the card it was handwritten "For an exotic flower amongst the roses, J". My eyes teared up. Whoever was sending these had definitely gotten my attention. After the harsh brush off I'd gotten from he-who-shall-not-be-named this was like balm to my heart.

I was still standing there, staring at the card, trying to understand what it meant, when the doorbell rang again. I opened the door, still holding that card in my hand, and froze. Out in the hallway stood Josef Kostan in a steel gray Armani suit and he was looking extremely handsome I might add. Confused, I could do nothing but stare at him, wondering why he was there.

"How about letting a man in, babe?" his voice woke me up and I stepped aside allowing him to walk past me in to my apartment. His eyes scanned my form and I suddenly became very aware of the fact that I was wearing a tank top and a pair of boxers, nothing more. Blushing, I quickly closed the door, managed to mumble an excuse and rushed into my bedroom to get dressed.

"No need on my account, doll" I heard him say on the other side of my closed bedroom door and I blushed even more. That was twice now that he had seen me in clothes that were less than decent. After having put on a pair of sweat pants I opened the door and found him standing on the other side, an amused smile on his lips.

"This is for you", he said holding out a box. I simply stared at it. On top of the box was a card that looked identical to the one I'd been staring at.

"You alright? You seem kind of spacy", he looked at me. I noticed a hint of concern in his eyes but it was so brief I must have imagined it. Blushing, again, I reached out for the box and took it from him.

"That colour looks good on you, babe" he said with a smirk before turning around and walking across my apartment to the couch where he took a seat. I followed him with my eyes as he walked. There was something surprisingly graceful in the way he moved. I had noticed it already at the party. When he raised an eyebrow at me I finally realised I was still holding the box so I looked down and opened the card. "Forgive me, J" was handwritten inside. He was J? My eyes darted back to him but he simply smiled at me. I opened the box and found a box of Lady Godiva.

"I hear women adore chocolate" he said, smiling at me. I simply stared back, too shocked to form a sentence.

"You?" was all I managed to get out. My voice sounded strange, almost choked. He continued to smile but I noticed the smile was getting a little strained. Probably because of my lack of manners. I shook my head to get a grip and then walked over to take a seat in a chair.

"You sent me all this?" I asked my eyes intent on his. He nodded his reply looking even more strained. Obviously this wasn't the response he'd expected when he arrived.

"But… why?" I asked, genuinely confused. Why would he send me all this? What was he apologising for?

"My apology for my manners when we last met" he said, sounding very polite and proper. I looked at him, surprised and then smiled.

"No need to apologise, you did that when you helped me get home", I said. He smiled again, this time it looked genuine and not amused like it had before. It made my heart jump a little, which surprised me even more.

"Besides, isn't it a bit overkill? I mean… what do you do to apologise when you've done something really bad if this is what you do for something like this?" I asked, winking at him.

"Let us hope you never have to find out, babe" he replied, winking back. I leaned back in my chair, smiling at him.

"Well, thank you anyway. I love my flowers", as I spoke I noticed he started to relax a little as if he'd been worried I wouldn't like them.

"You are most welcome, doll" he said with a half smile. Then suddenly he got up.

"Now, why don't you get yourself ready and I'll take you out on the town?" he said, holding out a hand to me.

"What?" once again I was confused. He sighed and looked a little impatient.

"Would you like to join me out on the town? I was thinking nice restaurant, maybe a nightclub" I stared at him, thinking about it. After a few seconds he started to withdraw his hand and I grabbed it. To hell with it. He wasn't half bad to look at and he had made me smile for the first time in months. Going out with him on the town might get interesting.

"Give me a while to get changed, ok?" I said as I let him help me up.

"Sure thing, babe" he smiled and seemed to relax a little.

"20 minutes enough? I've got reservations" he sat down and leaned back on the couch, looking very smug. Damn, he'd expected I'd say yes. I rushed in to my bedroom, muttering under my breath about arrogant assholes and could hear him chuckling in the other room. I got ready in a hurry and once I was done I stood there. Staring at myself in the mirror. What he saw in me that made him want my company I couldn't understand but… I needed some fun, and as annoying as he was at times he did seem to know how to have fun. I sighed. He confused me. One second I found him arrogant, annoying and many more things and the next I thought him charming, a real sweetheart. Shaking my head I decided I had done what I could to make myself look good and so I stepped out from the bedroom. I must admit, the slight hint of approval in his eyes made me feel good about myself.

"Beautiful, babe" he said and stood up. Gallantry he held out his arm to me. I smiled and took it, allowing him to lead me out of my apartment. As I locked the door I wondered silently what I'd gotten myself in to but when I turned and saw his smile I decided it didn't matter. It was about time I had some adventure in my life.

To be continued