A/N: I know it's been forever since I last updated and I'm so very sorry. I can't really blame anything or anyone but me and my damn muse :(

I was never good at doing the walk of shame, mainly because I was probably lacking experience, which would make me any better at that. Though, that probably was no goal one should ever aim for.

Having sent my driver my exact location and only spending a few minutes outside Carlos Manoso's place–or wherever we were–I offered an odd view, standing in full evening wear and expensive diamonds on the sidewalk of a residential area, waiting. Everyone seeing me could see that this was not quite as normal and I was a conquest right now, waiting to get picked up.

It didn't get any better when I realized that by the time I made it to the office, Cayden would sit at his desk and definitely know what I had been up to last night. Though he knew better than asking for details. Which I wouldn't give him, anyway.

While we drove through parts of Trenton, I wasn't sure I had ever been to, I decided on checking my phone updates, messages and things I needed to know about these past few hours. Which was nothing. No surprise there, really. But I had to admit I liked it better this way than finding out the world had turned on its axis and I needed to fix that as well as the whole Manoso situation. Though, I figured there wasn't much fixing I could do. It was done and I could only hope for a small miracle that he had really not gone through my purse and wouldn't have an edge and unneeded advantage over me. Because if he had got any sort of intel last night, I was beyond screwed.

It took about half an hour to make it to my office, being impressed when Cayden didn't even seem to blink an eye at my outfit. Good thing I always kept a spare at my office, in case I spilled something all over myself.

"The Mayor already called twice, stating he needs to speak to you," Cayden said in his form of a greeting. He knew I wasn't big into pleasantries, so he usually cut right to the chase. Perfect.

"Why?" I asked, annoyed. "He has spoken to me all night last night. What could he possibly need to speak about and hasn't mentioned last night?" I asked, going through the mail in his tray. "Unless it is about his stupid reelection campaign. But he has already mentioned that only a million times."

He just shrugged and got back to whatever it had been he done when I arrived. Pushing that call to the back of my mind, I walked into my office, pulling out a suit of one of my closets a moment later. I didn't keep any spare shoes here, so last night's heels would have to do. But seeing as my suit pants were long, they hid my outrageous and slightly glittery accessory.

Stepping out of my moments about ten minutes later, I dumped last night's purse on Cayden's desk.

"Get rid of the purse and all its contents. Replace the phone with a new one and get back to me once it's done," I ordered him and saw his brows move a fraction of an inch before he just nodded. I knew I was probably a tad too paranoid, assuming Manoso might have put trackers on me, anything in my purse or my phone, but one could never be too careful.

"How was the event last night?" he inquired while noting down my requests.

Shrugging, I finally said, "Nothing special. The same people at the same event, all believing they are more important than anyone else. Why do you ask?"

"Well…," Cayden started, but hesitated only seconds later. "There is… um… a video online."

"A video of what?" I wondered, trying to remember whether that wacky animal right activist who targeted upscale restaurants which dared to serve meat, got released from prison yet.

"The Trenton Daily posted a video of last night showing you and that DEA guy doing some rather impressive dance moves."

"The Trenton Daily? Don't they have any real news to report on? Has it come down to some charity event, and me dancing is actually news worthy?"

"Well, in all fairness, a lot of important and powerful people attended the event last night. And there has been some interesting feedback to the video as well."

"Feedback? As in what?" I asked, thinking a moment later about whether this could actually be helpful and spun into something that got people away from the whole drug-business thing? After all, public opinion was what made my restaurant entrepreneurship a success.

"People loved it."

"Loved what? The video?" I asked, confused.

"More along the lines of you two. They found you two a rather attractive match. I believe there's also some sort of petition."

"A match? A petition? For what?"

"To get you to….you know?" he offered, making weird gestures with his hands that were probably supposed to mean something to someone who wasn't me.

"Do people really have nothing better to do these days than get… invested in the life of other people who they don't even know personally? Also, they do know that is not how things usually work, don't they? You don't just sign a petition for two people to get together."

Little did they know it didn't take a petition, but alcohol seemed to work just fine.

Cayden just shrugged again. "I have to admit, though, I've never seen you handing over control. Even if it is just a dance," Cayden admitted, and I felt a need to roll my eyes.

"It was a tango. The guy is supposed to lead," I justified, but it didn't seem to impress my assistant.

"Has never stopped you before."

This conversation was officially done. I didn't need my assistant to dig around my personal life to an extend where he could actually discover what had happened last night and then ask even more questions.

"Let me know when you get my new phone and got rid of everything inside my purse," I instructed once more and went back into my office, planning to search for some Advil or Aspirin for a soon emerging headache. Whether that was resulting from the alcohol last night or the entire situation, I didn't know yet and also wouldn't question. It didn't really matter anyway, did it?

Opening my email, I wasn't surprised to find the usual items. Mainly invites for some fancy shows, openings or charity events and, of course, as already threatened by the mayor, an invitation to his fundraiser. I didn't miss the ending of his more or less generic email that ended with him hoping to see me and Curtis at his event. Yes, sure, before that happened, hell would freeze over. I made it a habit to not mix my private life too much with my professional one and certainly would not be asking Curtis to show up. I myself actually didn't want to show up either, but I knew I needed to play nice with the mayor, seeing how much leeway I was granted with regard to my business. While he wasn't the only option, he was the easiest and cheapest.

I entered the date of the fundraiser into my schedule and realized that the event collided with a potential delivery from South America. While it wasn't a big deal as such, seeing as I most often was not found anywhere close to the drop-off locations, I made spot-visits which helped to keep people on their toes and that particular date had been intended for one.

Figuring that an hour or two should be enough time spent at an event that would most likely be as exciting as watching paint dry, I decided on not moving things around and keep to my schedule. The fundraiser had, after all, just one purpose: to get money for a reelection. So it shouldn't matter whether I stuck around for an hour or six.

Cayden surprised and impressed me equally when he dropped a brand-new phone on my desk about two hours after I had instructed him to do so.

"All your contacts have been transferred and your apps and calendar updated to what it was on the previous phone. Here's the manual as well as Pin number to access and I also got rid of everything else. After having wiped your phone off everything personal and reset it to factory default, I took the liberty of donating it to one of these organizations that collect old phones for whichever reasons."

I nodded at his explanation and actions and looked at my new phone, which seemed to look like an exact copy of my old one. Perfect. No need to try to get reacquainted.

"Also, Curtis as well as Manoso called."

"In regard to what?"

"Who?"

"Either?" I asked and felt my headache already return. Or maybe the headache had never left.

"Well, Curtis wondered what happened last night and wanted to make sure you were alright," Cayden debated. "What did happen last night?"

"For the millionth time, nothing happened," I replied, sounding slightly aggravated. "What did Manoso want?"

"He wanted to arrange another meeting."

I felt like groaning. Why did the men in my life make my life in general so damn complicated? One was the eye candy that wasn't useful for much more than looking pretty, while the other one was dangerously gorgeous and also was after me for money and honor. Why did men never seem to have similar problems which they needed to face?

"What does he need another meeting for? It isn't like he hasn't made it very well known that the DEA pays him a lot of money to finally catch me in the act and get me trialed and convicted."

"I don't know. It wasn't like he did let me say a whole lot. As a matter of fact, he only stated a time and place for you to show up."

"What?" I asked, confused. "He didn't even ask whether whatever date he suggested would work? Does he expect that I roll over and come running?"

"I wouldn't go as far and call it a suggestion on his part. Sounded rather like an order."

A moment later, Cayden handed me a piece of paper that had a date, time and rather well-known restaurant on it.

"He finished the call with the words that he is expecting you."

"Well, he can certainly wait until the end of the world for me to show up. We have nothing to discuss and also, I happen to have plans that night. So, I hope he is comfortable being stood up. Should he call again, tell him I don't respond well to be ordered around and if he wants a meeting, he should do what everyone else is doing and hope for me being available."

"I let him know when he calls back," Cayden noted down and left a moment later. I decided on hunting down some more painkillers. This day couldn't end soon enough. And I was already looking forward to my own bed as well as an extensive bubble bath. Nothing better to rid yourself of stress than soaking in a hot bath and plenty of bubbles to make you feel tranquil and take your mind off the fact that your life had taken a turn for a more complicated direction.