Eight

Tori slammed her chair back and stood, pacing over to the wall and staring at it. She let her anger build until it was at the breaking point, then she let it loose, slamming her hand back to see a baseball-sized dent in the wall that did little to release her fury.

"Low-down piece of shit… I can't believe she did that," she fumed, letting her head come to rest against the abused wall. "A whole week of killing myself for nothing!" She knew she didn't have to worry about anyone hearing her, as she was alone in the building. She'd sent the rest of the staff home early, hinting that she might have good news for them on Monday.

It had been going so well. Her last two drafts had gotten cautious praise from Jade, and she'd allowed herself to hope that she'd actually be able to pull this off. Everyone had left for Bayside, which was one of her own favorite spots.

She sat down on the edge of her desk. She felt like crying. Then she decided she was just too tired and too mad to do that. "Might as well get out of here." She rushed blindly out of the room, leaving her desk the way it was, covered with draft proposals and stacks of reports, not even looking back as she slammed the door.

For a while, she just drove around aimlessly, taking Highway 92 down past Half Moon Bay and on to Highway 1, driving along the coast as dusk dropped over the city. She turned to try and cross over the bridge. The sun setting in the west sent a wash of tropical orange light across the tall buildings, reflecting off the glass mirrored surface. The sky was layered with clouds, each layer taking on a different pastel shade, from burnished orange to pink to lavender as they spread across the horizon. She pulled off to a service road near the water and opened the top of her sporty convertible as the warm, damp, cool breeze blew in. The sunset painted its hues as she watched the dusk in the west, feeling a true feeling of isolation as the mountains obstructed the view of the city beyond while the last rays put stripes across the highway.

It smelled like rain, and the breeze was considerably cooler, brushing humid tendrils across her arm where it rested on the windowsill.

It was beautiful; now the tears came, and she let them roll down her face as a snatch of music blew by, rich with hip-hop beats. It reminded her of what she would be losing if she had to move back home.

She sat there until the sky darkened and the orange phosphor lights kicked on, bathing the highway in a surreal light and dimming the stars overhead. Then she reluctantly started her engine and pulled out into traffic, debating a moment, then choosing an exit a few minutes later and turning north, driving up the coast toward the famous bridge, and passing the San Francisco Zoo. She had gone there many times and ended up on Ocean Beach when she had once gone to a sunrise Easter service with a local church last year, and it held fond memories for her as the rising sun and the fresh spring air had brought new meaning to the holiday. She drove around another bend and headed for Lands End Lookout, a place she had grown fond of, and pulled into the lot. She walked out and stepped onto the rocks by the ocean, the wind rustling the trees in the evening air, and the ocean making soft hissing as it crashed onto the rocks on the shore. The onshore breeze brought a heavy salt tang to her nose as she found a weathered bench and dropped onto it.

It was so different here. She sighed and took in a deep breath of the thin air. She could see the soft white of the breakers over the barrier islands just offshore and the blinking lights of ships coming into the Embarcadero. A green and red path lined the navigation channel to her north, and right now, a cruise ship was making its stately way into the bay, riding across the waves like a well-lit castle.

This city had so many different kinds of people and attitudes. Kind of like New York... But New York City wasn't far enough away from her family. Here, if you don't like the culture… ride down the 101 for ten minutes. It was a mixture of Spanish, Mexican, American, and tech culture. She could drive an hour and be in farmland a little more south, and then you're in Hollywood. Go further north, and you were in an outdoor paradise. Beautiful vistas, awesome culture. It was so different—so much more open and accepting than the closed world she'd grown up in.

Her fingers played idly with the rough wood, rubbing large grains of sand between them as the salt air left a perceptibly dry feeling on her skin. She stared between her feet, leaning over and picking up a brown and white speckled shell, perfectly shaped, which sat in the palm of her hand, its gently ridged surface rippling under her fingertips.

Maybe she could find another job. If she did it quickly, she could say it was intentional, and by the time her parents figured out what had happened, it would be over with, and she would be settled into a new position. Who knew? Maybe she'd find something even better than what she'd had before. She knew the old owners would give her an excellent recommendation, and Suzie mentioned a recruiter—one she really liked.

All right. But first she had to get through Monday, and she held no illusions that Gothica would help them out in any way. They'd probably find the good squad again in the morning, making sure they didn't steal the pencils on the way out.

Remembering her friends' optimistic voices was a very lonely feeling. She hoped they would forgive her for raising their hopes and not being able to deliver what she'd promised herself she would. That final plan would have worked, too. Yes, there were cuts, fifty-one people in fact. But one hundred and seventy-two would have been kept, and been productive. She made sacrifices everywhere, including training and office furniture, benefits and perspective raises, the new phone system switch they'd been planning, and the subsidizing of the snack machines. It would have been tight, and not as comfortable as it had been, but…

But…

Tori threw a shell into the wind, watching as it dropped into the dark ocean beyond. All for nothing. She walked into the water's edge, letting the tide darken the toes of her shoes, and stared out at the uncaring Pacific ocean until a large fat raindrop struck her arm. With a sigh, she turned and made her way back to the convertible, the scent of petrichor rose around her as she reached her car. She got the top of her convertible placed back just in time, then she headed toward the bridge, wondering if she should cross toward Sausalito. But as she got on Highway 1, she spotted her gas gauge. A soft curse emerged as the red light winked at her implacably, and she looked around for the nearest exit.

"Damn."

She wouldn't even get to the 101; she had to get off at Presidio, and there was nothing there. It was dark, woodsy, and full of the unhoused. There wasn't even a gas station in walking distance. She headed down the ramp and prayed she would pass a gas station soon. She kept a light step and looked around as the quiet back streets on the verge of the city had to stop at the next light, and the engine sputtered. She glanced around, then headed through the light as it turned green, but it sputtered again, then died, and she wrestled the car over to the side of the road as she lost power steering.

"Just isn't my day," she sighed as she let her head rest against the wheel, listening to the rain drum down on the convertible's roof. Outside, dark forms ran to take cover in the woods, the tents that dotted the woods barely visible through the haze of the rain. To her right, the highway loomed, and she could hear cars rushing by, leaving the city proper to their suburban homes in the various islands that dotted the bay.

She considered where she was and knew there was no way that she could walk through the rain and toward the gas stations that clustered at the exits near the bridge entrance, as people tended to get stuck in traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. And walking there would probably not be the best choice for a young woman alone at night.

Another thing hit her; she had left the office with nothing but her phone. And she needed to get back to Buzz to get her things. She sighed, "Thank god for Apple Wallet." She dug out her phone, which was now at 15%, and she had forgotten her car charger. She groaned and made a quick try to Andre; he didn't answer. She tried a few other numbers, but her group of friends from work were three sheets to the wind and couldn't come get her. She couldn't grab a Lyft because the tracking software they used required too much battery power, and it was most likely that she would never make it until they got to her. She looked at the phone in disgust, then she realized a piece of paper was in her pocket. A piece of paper with a number written on it. Then she let it fall to the seat beside her. She drummed her fingers on the console, then leaned forward and peered through the rain to where several of the dark figures were standing, seemingly watching her.

Her eyes went to the piece of paper again, and she picked it up, "Well, that bitch owes me a phone call to the auto club at least," she muttered, then dialed the number. "I'll call her stooge and have him send over a couple of gallons of gas."

It rang four times, and she almost hung up before the ringing stopped and a crackle that indicated an open line. "Hello?" The quiet voice was almost unrecognizable, as there was a background sound of someone driving.

Tori hesitated, startled, and then cleared her throat. "Oh damn… didn't it just figure this was her blasted number?"

"Hey… um… Never mind." She hung up, unable to go through with asking for help from a woman she'd just told off an hour and a half ago.

The rain drummed harder, and she almost missed the sound of her phone buzzing silently on her lap. Surprised, she glanced down at it and saw it was her. She had 13% battery; she really needed her help so she answered. "Hello?"

"Ms. Vega?" Jade's voice was more familiar now and held a cool questioning tone. "Is there something you wanted?"

"Well, at least she isn't cussing me out…" Tori thought. "This is kind of stupid, and I… well, I didn't think this was your phone. I was just looking for someone to make a call for me. I don't have a Triple A account, and I need someone to bring me a couple of gallons of gas so I can get back to the office."

"Oh.." Jade seemed to consider this. "Where are you? Drop me a pin."

Tori looked down and did as she was asked.

Jade gasped, "That's not a great area to run out of gas," the CEO commented.

"I know," Tori answered. "It's pretty creepy right now." She paused. "Thank you for not hanging up on me… though we might get cut off cause my phone is dying."

Another long silence. "Until I process my worklist on Monday, you're still an employee of mine. You used my company cell phone. Something happens to you now, and you've got grounds for a pretty big lawsuit."

Tori was at a loss for words. "Why would you assume I'd do that?"

A pause. "You assume the worst of me. I figure I should return the compliment," Jade replied. "Hold on, I'm getting the number."

Tori was too tired to be angry. "All right. Well, thank you for making the call for me," she answered softly. A motion caught her eye, and she glanced out of the windshield, which was fogging a little from her breath.

"Uh…" The group of shadowy forms had switched doorways and were now just opposite her. "Maybe you better call the police instead."

"Why?" Jade's voice sharpened.

"Oh my god!" Tori ducked as the bat hit the window next to her, scattering glass over her body. Hands reached and grabbed her, and the cell phone was torn from her grasp. She twisted, hearing curses, and grasped as fingers gripped her upper arm dragging her toward the shattered window. Her shirt ripped, and she felt the rain against the bare skin of her chest, then cruel fingers grabbed her bra strap and yanked it.

A hand entangled itself in her hair and pulled sharply, and she was forced to let go of the steering wheel. Water was now pelting in through the open window, and she could smell the dirt and alcohol and old stale garlic.

The roar of the rain grew louder, and she fought against the hands, her body scraping over broken glass as flashes of lightning suddenly lit up the scene. She heard a crunch, then a scream, and one grip loosened. She twisted hard against the other and heard an odd cracking noise, then the hands were gone, and she was panting in terror, curling up in a ball in the front seat and covering her head with her arms.

Then light hit her closed eyes, and she heard the latch click on her passenger side door. A gust of wind and rain blew in as it opened, and she huddled down further in the seat, biting her lip hard and tasting blood inside her mouth.

A hand on her arm, gentle, not grasping. "Hey."

Tori felt a shock course through her, and she lifted her head, opening her eyes to see big blue ones gazing back at her, outlined in the light of a powerful hand lamp. "It… it's you."

Jade blinked and removed her hand. "Yes, it is."

"Where…" Tori glanced around fearfully, searching for her attackers. "Where did they…"

"They're gone," Jade replied quietly. "Guess they thought I was the cavalry or something asinine like that."

The Latina let out a shuddering breath. "Oh my god," she slowly uncurled and picked up a piece of the shattered window, then let it drop. "Perfect end to a perfect day," she murmured softly, exhausted. "But thank you… for coming along and scaring them off."

Jade flexed a hand out of Tori's line of sight, wincing at the soreness. "No problem." She glanced up at the weather then at the slumped form across from her. Part of her knew she would just walk away and let this woman who hated her handle her own problems. She sighed, bowing to the other part of her which wouldn't hear anything of it. She was a gentle woman. "All right… come on over and get in my car. I'll call the cops." She waited for Tori to open her mouth to protest, then put a hand up when she did. "Look, I'll just wait for them to get here then I'll be out of your hair. I know I'm not your favorite person right now."

"Don't," Tori put a hand on her arm. "Please don't call the police." She raked shaking fingers through her damp hair. "I have a friend who can fix the car. I don't want reports and all that." Not where her mother could hear about them. And she knew she had lots of friends in the police department who kept their eyes open for things like that.

Jade studied the tan fingers curled around her wrist, then lifted her eyes to Tori's face in mild puzzlement. "All right." she gazed at the shaken woman. "You need to get those cuts taken care of, though."

Tori gazed down at her arms tiredly. "I'll take care of them." she self-consciously tugged the shreds of her shirt around her and looked up at Jade. "I guess I just need those couple of gallons of gas."

The dark-haired woman stared pensively at her for a moment, then gave her head a little negative shake. "I have a better plan," she announced. "I'll get your car towed wherever you want it, and I'll drive you home."

"I can't ask you to do that," the blonde replied softly. "But thank you for offering."

"You're not asking, and I'm not offering," Jade answered. "You need it done, and I'm insisting." She pulled her cell phone out from her back pocket and dialed a contact. "Bill?" she queried when a voice answered. "I need a pickup and tow. It's Jade."

A long pause. "No, not me this time. I'll drop you a pin. An electric blue spyder ragtop." another pause. "Hang on." she glanced at Tori. "Where do you want it?"

Tori debated then surrendered and gave her address, which Jade repeated into the phone carefully. "Tarp the driver's side window, it's broken," she added then hung up.

"Okay, let's go."

A sigh. "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"

"I usually don't, so no," Jade told her crisply. "Come on." She eased out of the passenger side and waited for Tori to gingerly emerge from the driver's side door, grabbing her now dead phone from the floor of her car. She winced as the rain hit her and gasped as she put weight on her left leg. "Ow…"

Jade sighed and walked over to her Volvo, which was parked haphazardly facing the Spyder, its lights illuminating the scene. She opened the door and guided Tori inside, then shut it carefully behind her and walked around to the other side to get in.

Tori was huddled against the door, her arms wrapped around her, a shell-shocked look on her pale face. She plucked at the torn pieces of her shirt aimlessly.

"Here," Jade reached behind her and pulled out a dark blue sweatshirt, which she handed to the shivering woman. "Put that on. The seats are heated; you'll be warm in no time."

The Latina stared at the shirt. "No... it's okay." She moved back a little. "Look, pretend you don't hate my guts for about another forty-five minutes, and this'll be over, all right?" Jade snapped, her temper frayed at the edges from the stress of the situation.

Light brown eyes gazed back at her. "I don't," Tori said quietly.

"You don't what?" Jade asked gruffly.

"Hate you."

Numbly, Tori pulled the sweatshirt over her head and settled it around her. It had the word "Navy" embroidered across it in gold and was lightly scented with Jade's perfume. That heady scent that had captured her on that first day. It was strangely comforting. And there it was, that feeling of safety all over again.

Jade started the car in silence and pulled away from the curb, turning back toward the 101 and away from the Golden Gate Bridge toward Palo Alto.

Tori walked into her office slowly, still feeling like she was in a daze. She'd remembered as they pulled onto the hallway that all her things were still here, so Jade had driven her to the office without comment.

Now the dark-haired woman entered behind her, and Tori noticed for the first time that she certainly wasn't in one of her power suits or goth regalia. Water-stained jeans and Converse with a sleeveless hoodie painted a very different picture than the one she always drew in her mind.

She looked so young, for one thing, and Tori suddenly realized the CEO was around her own age. Her pale skin seemed to glow, and the pitiless fluorescents revealed nicely toned muscles in her arms and shoulders, which rippled softly as she moved around the office.

Jade's eyes stopped as she reached the desk, and she studied the piles of scrap paper strewn forlornly across it. A look of regret crossed her face, and she lifted her gaze to meet Tori's interested eyes. "I know you did a lot of work on this," she murmured.

Tori perched on the edge of her desk and riffled through the papers. "I almost wish I hadn't. I felt like I was coming so close." She let the paper fall and looked up. "Why?"

Jade sat down on the chair next to her and let her forearms rest on her thighs. "It's complicated," she replied quietly.

"Well, uncomplicate it for me," Tori asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"A lot of things... just wouldn't fall into place, and I needed numbers," she sifted. "It was the last thing I threw out." She reached out and nudged the papers on the table. "One last set of reports came in, and I just couldn't do it."

Tori circled her desk and sat in her chair, pushing the sleeves of the navy sweatshirt up her arms. "So we just become numbers," she commented softly. "I don't think I understand that very well."

Jade shrugged. "It's what we all are."

"Mm… no… not you," Tori said. "You own the company."

"But I am beholden to the board of investors," Jade answered. "If it's any consolation, I'm very sorry."

Tori looked at her pensively. She no longer appeared to be the icy-cold practical executive. This was a person. One that under other circumstances...

"Me too," she replied. "I'll probably end up going home. I'll really miss a lot of things here."

The dark-haired woman looked up. "There are other jobs out there. We might even have something you might like."

Tori shook her head. "No." She took in Jade's puzzled expression. "It's complicated." She played with a pencil on her desk, turning it over and over. "You know, it's really too bad, Ms. West… because in another place… another time… I think you and I might have been friends." She glanced up regretfully, and was captured by the blue eyes that unexpectedly swallowed her whole.

But it only lasted an instant, and then Jade was sighing and standing up. "Maybe," she said. She ran a hand through her hair. "But right now, we should get you home," the CEO stated. "I have to run back to the office and finalize things."

Tori played with her pencil, biting on the eraser for a moment before looking up at the other woman. "Can I come look at your numbers?"

It was outrageous. It was out of the question, completely ridiculous and beyond the bounds of good business sense. She was exhausted, they both were drenched. Tori was injured, it was late. It was insanity to even consider.

"Okay," Jade wasn't sure if the voice was even hers. What in the hell did she think she was doing? Then she thought about it. Well, what could it hurt? The woman is sharp and I tried, and maybe a fresh set of eyes… "I got some first aid stuff there for your cuts."

Tori settled back into the leather seat, refusing to think about what she was doing. That left her mind free to watch the rain lash against the windshield during the drive across town to West Trek as she listened to the soft music Jade had chosen.

Her cuts hurt, but they weren't that bad. And her knee seemed only to be twisted. It wasn't giving her much trouble while she was sitting, though she suspected she'd be limping for a few days. Okay, so she'd survived a carjacking. Her eyes slid sideways, studying the sharp profile of her erstwhile savior… thanks to Jade West's timely interruption.

The other woman shifted her grip on the wheel, glancing right as she changed lanes, and Tori noticed an ugly bruise that covered her knuckles. One was scraped, and the stain of dried blood was visible in the low light from the dashboard. "What happened to your hand?"

Jade glanced down, then returned her eyes to the road. "I banged it into something," she answered absently.

Tori looked down at her own hand, bruised from her earlier impact with the wall, and raised an eyebrow at the similar markings. Hmmm. She supposed she should be in shock, still. And maybe she was, but she could feel her natural optimism resurfacing, and she was a little surprised at how comfortable she felt being here with the enigmatic woman.

She was running on pure adrenaline, though, and she knew it. And she hoped she would be home in her own bed when everything came crashing down on top of her. She'd only slept a few hours the previous night, working on the report, and the long hours were beginning to wear on her.

Another look at Jade's profile made her wonder if the other woman wasn't having the same problem. There were shadows under her eyes that the dim light revealed. And she was blinking a lot, which was something Tori did when she was very tired.

"Guess you've been burning the midnight oil over this thing too, huh?" she said, breaking the silence.

Blue eyes flickered to her face. "It's been a long week, yes." Jade guided the Volvo into the parking lot of the corporate headquarters, parking it by the electric plugs and plugging her SUV into the grid to charge before heading inside, waving at the security guard as she entered. "Just me, Jim."

The man waved back and tucked himself back into his guard station, out of the rain. Jade waited for Tori to join her, then led the way into the building, swiping her badge at the entrance in a smooth, graceful motion.

Tori tipped her head back as they entered the main playroom. It was large and housed different brainstorming clusters throughout. The warehouse building was spread out wide. "Whoa," she hugged the sweatshirt to her, glad for its warmth as the cold air flowed around them. "This is… um… it's…"

"Pretentious?" Jade commented wryly as she keyed the elevator. "It's supposed to be." She held the door for her companion then let it close and punched in for her floor, flipping her key card in when the elevator beeped a complaint. "Lesser mortals are supposed to stand in awe and envy of the playroom. It's supposed to be a place for musing, but if you don't work here you wish you did."

Tori leaned against the wall and stifled a yawn. "Be careful, Ms. West," she warned. "I might get the idea that you have a sense of humor if you keep that up."

Jade looked at her, then slowly, the faintest hint of a grin twitched her lips. "Sorry," she denied the charge. "We make you leave that as a deposit when you are issued your badge." She held up the item, then gestured for Tori to precede her out of the elevator as they reached their destination.

Jade's office was dimly lit by her 21-inch monitor and the small desk lamp she usually worked by at night. Her screensaver was on, jungle animals prowling across the dark surface with soft sounds. As they approached the desk, a macaw cried softly, and Jade reached over and gave the trackball a spin, bringing up the worksheet she'd been looking at before she'd left earlier.

"Take a look," she offered. "I'll get some band-aids. You want some coffee?"

Tori perched on the edge of Jade's very comfortable leather desk chair and looked around. "Is this how the other half lives, huh?" she murmured, then turned her attention to the dark-haired woman. "Um... where are you going to get coffee at this hour?"

Jade looked at her. "The kitchen. Yes or no?"

The Latina's brow lifted. "You have a kitchen in here? Let me guess … it comes with a microprocessor that cooks things for you, right?" She saw Jade's lips twitch again and smiled to herself. "Okay … okay… sure. I'd love some coffee."

"Cream and sugar?"

Tori sighed. "If I am being good, I should say no and no, but…"

Jade snorted softly and disappeared.

The Latina turned her attention to the monitor but before she did, she looked around, taking in the huge office with wondering eyes. The desk was smooth wood, its surface covered with reports much like her own had been. The carpet was thick and dark burgundy, and there was a long, low-slung couch to the right. The entire back wall was glass, offering a view over the bay to the ocean, now showing brilliant flashes of lightning and thick swaths of rain. The office smelled of wood polish and wool from the carpet, with a faint hint of the perfume Jade wore — the same scent that lingered on the shirt wrapped around her body.

Tori decided she liked it.

Jade came back a moment later, bearing two steaming cups and a small kit tucked under her arm. She put one of the cups down in front of Tori and perched on the edge of her desk, tucking one leg up under her and leaning forward to point at the monitor. "That's the problem right there," she said, tracing a column. "Watch what happens when I plug in your scenario." She did so, and the numbers changed. "I can't have that," she added, pointing at the last field.

Tori took a sip of the coffee, then peered into the cup. "Mmm," she murmured. "What's this?"

"Café con leche," Jade answered absently.

"Yeah, that's obvious… but what roast?" Tori asked, enjoying the memories the taste brought back from her time in Puerto Rico.

"Oh… Colombian roast," Jade replied.

"Hell," Tori laughed, "This is taking me back to my time in Puerto Rico."

They spent an hour going over the various approaches, and Tori gained a much better understanding of what Jade was trying to accomplish. "Oh God, you have to show all this as an expense?" she pointed at her section. "But you can't show any of this as profit because it's past date?"

"Right," Jade sighed, sipping on the edge of her cup.

"That's just not fair…" Tori mumbled, shaking her head.

"I know. But it's the law," Jade agreed wearily.

"What happens if you don't make that number?" Tori asked, pointing at the last field.

Jade peered at the screen, blinking. "Well… we don't show consistent growth… and the stockholders go ballistic. That means we have to show austerity measures, and that usually means a minimum level layoff."

Tori thought about that. "How many people is that?"

"Between five to seven hundred," Jade replied quietly.

"Just like that?" Tori's eyes widened in disbelief.

Jade nodded.

Tori absorbed that. "So I guess my piddly 230 people are sacrificed for the greater good," she commented softly as she looked up at Jade. "Nothing Personal, right?"

Jade's lips tensed, and she looked down. "Usually, yes," she admitted. "You don't like to waste resources, but…" She shrugged. "Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do."

Tori studied the screen, flipping through the twelve different scenarios Jade had been working with. All but one included her solution. She let her hand rest on Jade's knee, searching the other woman's face intently. "I didn't understand," she stated quietly. "And I still don't — not really — but thanks for trying."

Jade glanced at her watch. "11:30. I've got to update this before midnight." She stared at the screen. "Damn. I just wish I could…" She traced a column with one finger. "Find some way to put a plus there."

"Mm." Tori examined the fields. "Like you can with that Live sim group... Because they are full of DLCs and bring in tons of revenue to offset their expenses."

Jade froze, only her pale blue eyes darting across the wide screen… "Shit…" she whispered. "Your people can do internet support… Can they support the building of a website?"

Tori stared at her. "Uh… Of course..." she said, furrowing her brows. "That's all we really do: expand and maintain Buzz… but what…?" She yelped and moved out of the way hurriedly as Jade dove into her seat, her fingers racing across the keyboard in a rattle of keys.

"Son of a motherfucking bitch…" The executive cursed softly as she searched her files and attached the numbers from the government contacts, including the IRS website management, to Buzz's profitability.

Tori watched her, confused. "Excuse me, but what are you doing?"

Jade pointed at the last field. "I got my number."

The Latina studied the sheet. "But that's got our stuff in it."

"Uh huh," Jade agreed. "It sure does."

"How did you do that?" Tori asked, transfixed by the smile that transformed the CEO's face. And it only grew broader.

"I made 50 percent of your staff a profit center and awarded them two major government support contracts."

"Really?" came the surprised reply. "Can you do that?"

"Just did…" Jade grinned and sobered. "You'll still have to make those cuts." She made several rapid-fire keystrokes then hit the transmit key. "It's done."

Tori blinked. "But everyone else gets to stay?"

Jade nodded. "I have your list of people to transition. I think it's here…" She said, looking at them and sending them through to Cat.

"I'm not on it," The Latina said very quietly.

Jade paused and looked at the other woman. "What?"

Tori exhaled. "I cost twice as much as one of them," she stated. "I needed to make the cut."

"One of you is worth a lot more than two of them," Jade groaned. She heard the words come out of her mouth and couldn't call them back. She found herself looking into a pair of surprised brown eyes for what seemed like far too long a time. Then the sound of her phone startled her, she almost knocked it off the desk as she answered it. "Yeah?"

"Just got the update Jade, How did you make this fit?" Robbie said.

"Just some creative relocating," Jade answered.

"Now tell me you are finally gonna take a break…" Robbie said.

"I need an adjustment Robbie… I'm going to ask Cat for a head. Also, we need 51 six and sixes for the Buzz layoffs."

"Give me that…" Jade heard on the other end. "Why do you insist on making me work weekends? I am out drinking right now." It was Cat.

"Well… I should be out drinking right now," Jade answered.

"I can see to the 51 six and sixes, but what do you need a head for, and under whose ORGID?"

"Mine," Jade replied quietly. "I've been forty-eight hours without sleep on this one, Kitten. I can't keep doing this. It's killing me. I need a damn assistant."

"Fucking finally!" Cat said on her end. "We have had that Job allocation open for years." The sound of nightlife could be heard in the background. But Cat could be heard tapping on her phone. "Hang on… let me send it to your worklist."

"Sure," Jade said, playing with her pen.

"Done," Cat said. "On your worklist, Jadey, now I'm gonna go drink some more. You should come out."

Jade closed her eyes wearily. "Raincheck?" She said and sighed. "Night."

Jade hung up but she kept her eyes closed.

"Forty-eight hours?" Tori finally said in disbelief.

The dark-haired woman nodded. "Yep, that's how the other half lives," She replied with a rueful look.

"That's insane!" That isn't a Job, that's a sentence," The Latina spluttered.

Jade shook her head with a smile. "I'd do anything to keep my baby afloat."

"I don't know how you survived this long without an assistant."

Jade shrugged then opened her eyes and gazed at the brunette regretfully. "You ready to go home, Ms. Vega?" she asked quietly. "We can negotiate your headcount on Monday. I'm sure I can squeeze you back in there," she paused. "If you want to stay, that is."

Tori was perched on the edge of the desk, deep in thought. "I don't know," she replied honestly. "I have to think about it."

"I understand," Jade said as she pushed herself to her feet.

"Ms. West?"

"Mm?"

"What is a six and six?" Tori asked, curiously.

"Oh." Jade stretched a kink out of her neck. "Severance packages for your people." She sighed. "Six months' salary and six months' extension on health benefits." Her eyes searched Tori's shocked face. "Should make Monday a little easier for you." She stepped around the desk and started out the door.

"Come on… let's get out of here."

Tori was in a daze as she followed the taller woman out. Six months' salary? If she decided not to stay, it would give her half a year to find something… and six months of health benefits would cover her until she did. Her parents would never have to know until she was all settled in a new place.

Her eyes studied the cloth-covered back of the woman walking before her. She wondered how she had gone from how she'd felt about Jade West before the sunset, to how she felt now. It felt like the night had lasted half a lifetime, to allow her to experience so much in such a short span. She'd gone from despair to anger to terror… from frustrated hatred to grudging admiration all in one evening.

Did she want to remain in charge of Buzz Media? She'd been doing it for two years, and was just starting to get comfortable. The routine was becoming regular, almost… boring.

She suspected life would never be boring around Jade West. And suddenly she knew that's exactly where she wanted to be.

She didn't even stop to wonder why.

"So," she trotted after the CEO, catching up to her as they reached the door. "What exactly are these other contracts?"

"Oh," Jade pushed the door open. "You'll be supporting the IRS."

Tori stopped dead. "You're joking."

Pale blue eyes regarded her. "Can't be. I don't have a sense of humor, remember?" came her deadpan reply. "Goodnight, Jim," she said waving at the security guard and led the way to the charging station. "Ms. Vega…" she said holding the door to the Volvo open.

The Latina stepped next to her and peered up. "Could you please call me Tori?" she asked with a shy smile. "You sound like the librarian at my college when you call me by my last name…"

"Was she hot?" Jade asked with a smirk.

"Incredibly," Tori responded with a chuckle.

"Well… we can't have that, can we?" Jade said, her expression softened momentarily and a quick smile transformed her face. "But I thought only your friends called you that."

Tori rubbed her jaw. "Well, friends and people who save my life. You know…" She felt herself blushing a little. "I have to make an exception for that sort of thing."

"Alright," The executive agreed softly. "But only if you call me Jade."

Tori smiled. "Deal." She climbed up into the comfort of the leather seat and waited for Jade to join her on the driver's side.

"So," she folded her hands in her lap. "What does your assistant do?"

Jade shot her a quick glance as she shifted and started to pull out into the rain. "I don't really know. I never had one that lasted more than three days."

"Oh," Tori sniffed reflectively, then buckled the safety belt around her securely and settled back, folding her arms over her chest and glancing sideways.

She found Jade looking back at her. They drove into the night.