Erica and Brooke were sat across from each other at the table in their hotel room. Erica was irritated to see that Brooke was already taking notes.

"I thought we were supposed to be discussing this?" said Erica sharply; not liking being ignored.

"I was just writing the summary of our conversation with Marissa over dinner; old journalistic habit." said Brooke finally looking up from her note taking. "What do you want to discuss?"

"Well, what we are going to say… how we're going to win him over!"

Brooke looked down at her notes.

"I liked your idea for the name change, 'Joossen's Chandler store'. It still means tool shop in Europe… Chandler being a traditional name for a hardware store… It combines our company with his without too great an alteration… I think that will work."

"But are we going to bow to all his other demands? … I mean, is Chandler going to bow to his other demands?"

Brooke grinned at Erica's slip.

"You're getting drawn into this business meeting then?"

Erica leaned back in her chair.

"Well you know me; always up for a challenge."

Brooke raised her eyebrow at that.

"You didn't answer my question." pushed Erica. "Are you going to bow to the demands?"

"I think so. I'll certainly advise Adam that that's what needs to be done."

"And you're liking the power of being in charge." Erica observed.

"It's not been much of a stretch moving from running a successful magazine to running a company. There is actually less back stabbing involved. It's almost therapeutic by comparison."

"And you got Adam in the end…" said Erica giving her fr-enemy a smile. "I'm glad. You two fit."

"And I hear you'll be reeling Jack in yourself very soon." replied Brooke.

"Well we always were meant to be." said Erica, lounging further back in her chair with a smug grin on her face. "Jack never loved anyone the way he loves me!"

Brooke's return stare was amused rather than friendly.

"You're thirteenth marriage, isn't it? I think that will officially put you in the Guinness Book of Records."

Erica gave an unhappy cough in response to the gibe.

"Technically it will only be my seventh."

"Oh well… still congratulations just the same."

"And this marriage will last… Sorry Brooke there won't be any sloppy seconds for you this time."

"Cute." said Brooke. "But whatever happens between you and Jack… and I sincerely hope that this time it does work out between you… I think I'll stick with Adam thank you. We're happy and that is one place I never thought we'd be."

Erica's attitude slipped; the game of one-upmanship was over, she could see that.

"No, I really am glad for you both. I can see that you're in a good place."

Brooke nodded her thanks and then looked at her watch.

"Speaking of Adam, I'd better call him before it gets too late… and then we can go through this presentation properly."

"Of course." said Erica getting up. "I'll go see how Scott and Marissa are doing with the contract and I'll give you two a moment."

"Thank you." said Brooke. "You know, you have definitely mellowed in your… um… mature years."

"I will choose to take that as a compliment." said Erica with a sniff. "But don't you believe it! I still give as good as I get and I can still be stupidly stubborn sometimes… But I think I'm realising that I need to stop jumping to conclusions and deal with reality."

"You never know miracles can happen." said Brooke smiling as she dealt her last low blow as Erica headed for the door.

"Yes they do." quipped Erica, smiling right back. "Look at us! We are actually taking to each other and… wow… no one got slapped!"

With that she walked out the door.

Brooke shook her head. She would let Erica have the last word. In fact she was grinning. There was a familiar kind of warmth in the friction between. It was nice to know that some things never change.

But then Brooke shook herself out of old memories and checked her phone. She needed to talk to Adam.

…