Why is this such a fast update? It's cause The original is written already go read it Tropical Storm by Melissa Good. The changes are minimal, it is updated, the setting has changed and the industry is slightly altered. This is a slow-burning love story... but not super slow. The original does not have spicy scenes. I will try to actually imagine a spicy scene for y'all but that's it. I know you love it and are intrigued by it. Hey LushCOltrane, welcome in. I hope to read your thoughts on some of my others too..I have been on a writing binge for the past 11 months its fantastic. but you know I also fade away too. I am changing jobs, so we will see how this affects my writing. I hope it doesn't because I will not be talking to people quite as much, so I won't be as emotionally exhausted. I'm excited. This is a transitional Job, I am currently waiting to hear about a Professorship... CRAZY! That would finally be what I had been working toward and I really hope I get that so put positive thoughts out there for me. it would be English and Communications... sometimes Creative writing. Yeah. right up my wheelhouse. anyway, I hope you enjoy this installment. I am working on chapter fourteen right now and it is hella long, and still no real tension. but I am realizing that I am adding a lot more development to the original characters so they are a bit different. okay okay Let me get back to 14 to finish.

Eleven

Jade pulled into the mall parking structure on Sunday afternoon and swung into a spot in the rear of the north end, where not many people parked. She didn't mind the walk, though it was worth it to her to avoid the crowds nearer to the stores. She locked the Volvo, then pocketed her keys and headed toward the San Francisco Centre. They decided to go to the large indoor mall because the rain hadn't stopped yet. The funny thing was, she hated shopping. She had no real idea why she answered Tori's mail the day before with an offer to meet her at this tourist trap because Tori had never been. It was a high-profile center, but she enjoyed a measure of anonymity when she wasn't in her official capacity. She was pretty inconspicuous as a billionaire. She stayed connected to her employees by dressing the way they did within her tastes.

As she walked around the white halls of the Centre, amidst the crowd, she wondered what the hell she was thinking of. Especially up here at the Centre, home of batty socialites, condo commandos, and the tech nerds from hell.

She sighed and dodged some strolling old people as she searched for Tori. She couldn't blame the woman; she just wanted to fit in. A trip to the mall wouldn't kill her. So she was determined to help her fit in, at least that Jade agreed with. It would be sensational enough that she picked an assistant after posting for less than twenty-four hours. Tori would be under some close scrutiny the first few weeks. Might as well make sure she felt confident in what she looked like, right? So she had a good reason for wanting to meet her here.

Jade padded through Nordstrom, the cacophony of mall music, the sounds of snobby women, and a dozen languages surrounding her. She glanced around, getting her bearings before she headed for the escalator to the first floor. They had decided to meet at the art installation that looked like a pair of Beats headphones. Once there, she had no problem finding her target. Tori was leaning against the railing, peering down at the fashion show below, and Jade took the time as she approached to study the other woman.

She'd chosen khaki shorts and a crisp white shirt and had her long hair pulled back in a loose braid, one part of which was hanging over her shoulder as she watched. She leaned forward on her elbows to see better, and the overhead light cascaded gently around her, highlighting the smooth lines of her face. She turned, perhaps sensing eyes on her, and her gaze met Jade's, an unconscious smile forming that crinkled the skin around her mouth and lent a glint to her hazel eyes.

No, Jade realized, surprised. That smile is for me… Well, she mused, better than the wary, suspicious look she'd gotten before.

"Hi."

Tori moved back from the railing and straightened her shirt with an automatic gesture. "Hi… listen, thank you for offering to help me do this. I can't believe you took the time out." Jade shrugged. "Normally, I couldn't, but since we posted quarterly reports yesterday, there's nothing scheduled this weekend." She gestured. "Shall we?"

"Well… Thanks." Tori seemed a bit nervous. "Um… do you shop here a lot? Some of the little stores seem really interesting. Did you know there was a Disney store here? I love Tinkerbell."

Jade chuckled. "No… actually, I haven't been up here since they put these art installations up." She paused. "I, um… I've been to the Disney store a few times, though."

They entered a small shop, looking at designer jeans and other trendy clothes that the gamers in her playroom wear. They were all casual hoodies and sneakers. Jade didn't really think they would have much problem finding something good. Jade just wanted to see her style.

"What do you wear to the office?" Tori asked, looking at a dressed-down Jade in a navy sweatshirt and black jeans.

"I like a lot of different things, and I wear how I feel. I like pretty dresses and a lot of lace. Mostly I dress in black because it's just easier, and doesn't take up a lot of my brainpower to think about what I want to wear," Jade said. "It's all a matter of taste. We mostly do business casual in my office."

She moved over to a white blouse and some slacks. "Nice," Tori said, noting that Jade had picked her exact size.

"Wear what makes you comfortable, because we spend long hours there and sometimes we will fall into that playroom and code with all of them to meet certain deadlines."

Tori spotted a few other things like it and smiled. "How did you guess what size I am, Jade?"

Jade smiled briefly. "Let's just say… I have a three-dimensional spatial sense."

Tori looked at her. "You guessed, you mean."

Jade shrugged. "Was I right?"

The Latina glanced at the outfit. "Well, let me try this on just to check. You can never tell with these designers." She accepted a tag from the fitting room attendant and slipped inside a closet, hanging the outfit up and gazing at it.

Jade stared around the store as Tori checked herself out, then lounged against a nearby wall watching other people go by. "Hey," she heard to her right, and she shifted her eyes from the crowd to Tori. A dark brow lifted, and a look of approval crossed her

features. She nodded her appreciation. "What do you think?"

Tori walked forward, twitching at the fabric. "This is so much less stringent than dressing for my family," she stated. Jade smiled, showing even white teeth. "Welcome to Silicon Valley, Tor."

Tori smiled back. "Well, I get the idea. A few more, and… um, if you have other things to do, you don't have to hang around. I really appreciate you coming down here, Jade."

Jade glanced around and folded her arms. "Tell you the truth, I had to come up here anyway. I ordered some things at Nordstrom that I need to pick up, so…" she considered for a moment, "we should probably talk for a few minutes before tomorrow anyway. How about we finish up here, and grab some food at the food court, and we can sit and talk?"

Tori blinked. "Um… sure, that sounds fine." Probably wants to lay down the law and let me know that she won't take me telling her off lightly from now on.

"Good." Jade nodded briskly. "Come on then… Let's get the rest of your stuff picked out."

Tori looked at the menu, then glanced across the table at the dark-haired woman, who was peering up at the ceiling, observing a large stuffed cheetah perched over their heads. A rumble of thunder rolled around them, and she looked out of the windows to the rain. There was a slight reprieve in the rainfall outside at the moment, so it must have been the artificial thunder of one of the last remaining Rainforest Cafes left in the United States. When she saw the vintage spot, she wanted to try it. She had always wanted to go when she was a kid, and since Jade had never been inside the Rainforest Cafe, the women decided to go in.

It might not be such a great idea since the two women were too distracted to even talk for the past ten minutes. The ambiance of the restaurant filled with jungle animals coming out from foliage. Mist machines emitting fog and trickles of water made you feel like you are in a rainforest. Jade reached up and touched the cheetah's tail, and as if on cue, the animal let out a mechanical roar, causing the CEO to jerk her hand away startled, then scowl at it.

Tori bit her lip to keep from laughing. Blue eyes looked at her, and their owner said, "Oh, you think that's funny?" A note of amusement behind them.

Tori shook her head and throat. "Uh… no, no… I make it a point never to laugh at my boss." She dropped her eyes down to the menu, which was tempting her taste buds with a large selection of interesting items, but she sighed and forced her attention to the salads.

Jade had no such compunctions. She glanced up as a perky young woman came over and folded her hands on the table. "Do you like iced tea?" she inquired.

"And by iced tea, do you mean the gross unsweetened California iced tea, the sweet southern iced tea, or the alcoholic variety from New England?" Tori asked.

Jade smirked. "Well… any one of those."

Tori chuckled. "I'm partial to any and all varieties of East Coast iced tea."

Jade smirked, "Bring a pitcher of fresh-brewed southern sweet tea and an appetizer combo to start. Then come back in a few minutes when we should have decided by then." She waited for the girl to leave, then turned back to Tori. "I figured that would be safest to start. I've never eaten here, but I have heard good things about the food."

"Uh…" Tori gave in and decided to just make it up with an extra hour of her bike ride tomorrow. "Yeah, it all looks good."

She settled happily on a spicy pasta dish and closed the menu, glancing across at Jade with a fading sense of trepidation. She felt comfortable in the jungle-themed restaurant; it was hard to believe she'd been intimidated by the enigmatic woman now that she had a chance to observe Jade at close range in a casual setting.

Her face was very interesting, Tori thought. It was almost always moving, with muscles shifting under her skin like she was constantly scanning her surroundings. Her hands moved a lot too, playing with the menu, with the silverware, and with the tiny drink table tents that announced specials. Tori wondered if Jade wasn't a little nervous or uncomfortable because she certainly was, but it was hard to tell. Maybe the woman just had ADHD and couldn't stay still.

Her hands had a few little scars on them, in addition to the swelling and bruising across her right knuckles, and she wasn't wearing any rings. They were fairly good-sized hands with long fingers and short black polished nails… as someone who used a keyboard all day, Tori could appreciate that, and in fact, unless she was going out, she wore hers short and completely bare.

Jade's wrists were thicker in proportion to her own, though as the CEO moved, she could see the shift of muscle just under her skin even in the low light. It was an impression of strength that intrigued the junior executive. As it was so at odds with the corporate mentality she'd been expecting. CEOs were usually pasty white men who sat in plush offices all day and smoked cigars. They weren't… well. They weren't Jade West.

"Excuse me?" Tori looked up, realizing Jade had spoken to her. "I'm sorry… I missed that?"

Jade cocked her head and regarded her. "What I said was, you can expect a few weeks where you'll need to settle in and get used to things."

"All right. I think I thought that would be the case… and besides, I need a week to put someone in my position. I was thinking of Ray, but this all happened so fast, I didn't have a chance to talk to him about anything."

Jade nodded. "Good, spend a day or two there clearing things up while I get paperwork done and a place for you to sit straightened out at the office. Mariela is going to kill me for dumping a new hire on her plate first thing on a Monday morning."

Tori wasn't sure what response was required for this information, so she just pursed her lips into a hesitant smile.

"Mariela is my secretary," Jade explained, seeing the expression.

"Oh," The hazel eyes examined the table, which was covered in a tropical shower material. "She's going to be upset, huh?"

"Just for a minute," the dark-haired woman replied. "Listen… are you sure you want to do this?"

The question had come out of the blue and caused Tori to jerk her head up and meet Jade's eyes. "I… I'm sure."

Jade exhaled. "This is a difficult job. You have to put up with a lot of stress and a lot of bullshit. I'm not an easy person to be around or get along with. I want you to know that upfront." Her voice was serious. "You… you're really nice, and I don't want you to come back at me two weeks from now saying this is too much for you."

Tori straightened and looked her in the eye, feeling herself wanting to rise to the challenge apparent in Jade's words. "How nice can I be if I called you a bitch?" she inquired, seeing that sudden, impish glint appear across from her and quickly disappear. "And I can hold my own, thanks. I come from a political family; you have to know how to defend yourself against the devious."

Jade studied her openly. "You hated what happened to your company. Why do you want to become part of my world? I absorb companies from time to time- do you understand that?" She shifted and played with a drink tent.

The Latina woman studied her back, "I like you."

Blue eyes widened, and both of her eyebrows rose. "Excuse me?"

Tori shrugged. "I like you, I think you're smart, and I think I can learn so much from you." She paused, shaking her head, and leaned forward on her chair. "Where I was, that was as high as I was going. I stopped learning things. It was like my job was maintaining the status quo. There were new ideas we attempted, but I didn't get to direct that, only provide the support and solutions. This is… something entirely different."

Jade propped her chin up on a fist and regarded her. "I see." Privately, she was a little surprised and a lot intrigued. Tori hadn't struck her as that ambitious, but you could never really tell with people. "Interesting."

"My turn," Tori took a sip of the sweet tea their server put down and blinked at the tray of appetizers. "Mm…" She picked up a piece of coconut chicken and nibbled it before she continued. "Why me?"

"Hmm?" Jade had taken a stuffed eggroll and was chewing it.

A shrug. "A hundred and ten thousand people to choose from, why me?"

The dark-haired woman stopped eating and flashed her a smile. "I like you." A hint of humor appeared. "Not one of the other hundred and ten thousand would have had the guts to call me a bitch or tell me to go to hell."

"Oh." Tori blushed. "I wasn't aware that was a positive trait."

"To me it is," the black-clad woman advised her. "I think you've got potential, and you aren't dragging around a lot of baggage I have to get rid of before you'll be useful," Jade continued in a reflective tone. "Besides, you're probably good with people, which is something I'm lousy at." She took another bite of the eggroll. "If we're going to work well together, I need you to be able to talk to me about your concerns and not just kiss my ass."

"I'm not always good with people," Tori replied quietly.

"Weren't you?" Jade said, surprised.

"And you're not always bad with them," The Latina continued, smiling a little at the momentary break in her new boss' composure. "But I know what you mean. I do get along with people most of the time. I like working out problems and finding different solutions without going head-to-head… the best part of having to join competitive Debate teams my entire life."

"I just do what I need to do and don't worry about feelings," Jade said. "It's why this happened so fast. I didn't see a reason to wait when I already knew I wanted you on my team."

"You also enjoy cracking heads… I see."

Jade laughed and looked at her bruised knuckles. "Nah, I must have banged it on your car."

Tori looked at her, a hint of a smile playing around her lips. "I had to pay for the screaming Spyder model too… It makes a great car alarm; love the option that makes it scream 'Jesus Christ' in agony."

Jade held her blank look for a moment, then surrendered, relaxing into a chuckle that took five years off her age. "You caught me out."

Tori laughed. "To be honest, I didn't even realize what must have happened until I thought about it last night. I was so shook…" She shook her head and took another chicken wing, dipping it into a small dish of blue cheese dressing. "It was kind of like living in an action film. Here I am trapped in my car, and Captain America shows up and beats up the bad guys…" She looked up and found pale blue eyes staring at her. "What?"

Jade leaned forward. "Don't call me that. I've known far too many people in my life who are real heroes." She leaned back in her seat, her voice dipping down, a sign of some long-held grief that Tori could not take her eyes off of. "They just never wanted any witnesses, so they disappeared."

Tori gazed at her. "Well… you might know many of them, but I only know one." Her chin lifted in stubborn insistence. "But I won't mention it if it bothers you that much." The dim lighting made it hard to tell, but the blond woman thought it was possible her new boss was blushing… just a little.

The waitress arrived, much to their relief. The air was becoming stifling with something more. A tension that neither woman could say was bad… but it was uncomfortable. Tori felt a thrill that she had never felt just being here and making Jade react like that. It was a pleasure that embarrassed her.

It was that admiration, like the one she felt for someone she really wanted to get to know. An actress, or something like that. Jade felt like a star to her, and she didn't want to come off as fawning. She cleared her throat and looked at the waitress. "Can I have the spicy pasta?"

Jade cleared her throat and gave her order of a salmon steak, and Tori froze, thinking she was about to look like a pig in front of the healthy eater in front of her. Pasta? What was she carb-loading? Then watched as Jade didn't agonize in picking the most starchy foods to accompany it. Not a care about what she was ordering at all. Instantly she wanted to be just like her.

When the waitress left, Tori searched for something to distract her from this giddy admiration that was seriously not cool. "So tell me about those contracts. I'd at least like to give the group a heads-up about what we would be building for the IRS."

Jade seemed relieved at the change in subject. "Oh… right… Well, it's the website…" She went on to explain that this was to improve the customer-facing side of the website, to make tax laws more accessible, and to streamline e-filing.

They continued discussing details until dinner arrived, and then talk slowed down as they paid attention to their food.

Tori enjoyed her pasta and watched as her companion meticulously ate her food. There was no wasted movement on the other side of the table, and she was lost in observation.

"That smells great," she said.

Jade looked up from her plate and swallowed her mouthful. "It is… It's honey-glazed and covered in brown sugar." She cut a generous piece and placed it on Tori's plate. "Try it."

Tori hesitated only a moment. Everything Jade was saying was a big dietary no. There is so much sugar in that, but she really did want to try it. So she took it and placed it in her mouth. The moan elicited from her lips brought a smile to Jade's face. "That is sooo good." She nudged a bit of the chicken from her pasta onto her companion's dish. "Fair is fair."

Jade chuckled and took it in her mouth. "Wow…" Jade said, taking a sip of her tea. "You like your stuff spicy, huh?" she chewed the offering.

"God yes, I'm Latina." The darker woman agreed. "I like flavor. And San Francisco is such a great food city."

"This is true." Jade agreed.

"Do you like Thai food?" Tori asked.

Jade nodded. "Pineapple and curry… what's not to like." She turned back to her salmon and began to cut again. "There's a really great place just outside of downtown. They make really good chicken curry. I also prefer going into Chinatown for Chinese food if possible. I'm a bit of a food snob; it is the only thing I don't mind squandering my fortune on."

"I…" Tori stopped herself from saying, "I'd love to explore that with you." What was she thinking? This was her new boss, who certainly had better things to do than roam around San Francisco finding restaurants for her. "Thanks for the info; I'll look for it."

"Sure." Jade smiled at her. "How did it go with your car window?"

Again, a master at changing the topic, Tori went on a tangent about what Manny had said. "Oh… Manny found this when he was cleaning the gas up… is it yours?" she held up a wood grain-cased pen, one of those really expensive ones.

Jade blinked. "I didn't even realize I'd lost that." she reached over and claimed it. "Thanks." she looked up as the waitress returned. "Hey.. can I get a large cappuccino, and…" she looked over at Tori. She watched Tori's eyes following a dessert tray pass by, and she looked back at the waitress. "Tori… share a cheesecake with me?"

Tori's eyes widened. She really was pushing it today. "I really shouldn't."

Jade watched her as if assessing her and making her assessment of her food. Jade raised her brows. "Shouldn't? Or couldn't?"

Tori sighed. "Okay…" she capitulated, giving Jade a shrug. "I guess I'll just put in some extra time at the gym." And how had the mildly unnerving Jade West known she was into cheesecake? She decided to try another slightly more personal question though. "What do you do to stay in shape?"

"I run a lot, and I do martial arts, and I'm young with the metabolism of the gods," Jade answered.

Tori chuckled, and Jade paused her movements, loving that sound. She felt off-balance. "You're kinda funny," Tori said.

Jade bit her lip and searched for anything else to say. "Are you ready for tomorrow? Did HR send over all the packets and forms for all the people you are transitioning?"

Tori watched as the server put down an enormous piece of cheesecake covered in chocolate, two bananas equally doused in chocolate flanked it. She sucked in a breath. "Oooh…" then realized Jade had asked her a question. "Uh… yes… I got a ton of mail from them, including a three-page instruction list from someone named Cat, who said something really funny like I was the new duckling."

She waited for Jade to pick up one of the two forks the server offered, then picked up her own and tried a bite. "Wow… I could get to like that way too much."

"Duckling, huh…" Jade murmured as she worked a chunk off and nibbled it. "Cat is our director of HR. She'll help you get everything straightened out." Jade took another bite, enjoying the smooth, rich taste. "She has a unique sense of humor."

Is that a company requirement? Tori wondered but didn't reply.

They finished up and sauntered through the shop in the front of the restaurant. It was filled with rainforest-inspired merchandise ranging from T-shirts to tiny rubber geckos and Oh my god! Beanie babies! In the shape of toucans and monkeys. Tori fingered a tiny beanie iguana in an interesting shade of greenish-blue, then put it down with a sigh. "I have enough stuff on my desk."

Jade, who had been examining the large cockatoo overhead, turned but didn't say anything. They walked out and through the mostly closed mall. The stores were shut uptight, and the only sound was the thin strain of music playing softly in the background.

It was Sunday, so everything closed early.

"Where are you parked?" Jade asked Tori.

"Around by the food court," Tori answered, as she pushed the door open and held it. The thick, moist air hit her, carrying a heavy scent of rain. "Well thank you, Jade. I really appreciate your help."

The darkness outside hid most of the woman's expression. "My car's back at the parking garage. If you want, I can give you a ride to your car so that you don't get soaked. And don't worry about it. I had to come here anyway."

Tori followed Jade to the parking structure, grateful not to have to leave the enigmatic woman just yet. Moving shadows surrounded them—cleaners and workmen, and other darker figures. The parking lot was large and mostly empty, and she noticed several small groups of what looked like teenagers. She could see lit cigarettes and hear low laughter coming from them. Eyes watched as they crossed the gray surface, and Tori unconsciously moved a little closer to Jade.

"Kinda creepy out here."

Jade glanced down. "Just act like you own the place. I guarantee none of these kids will come near you," she advised.

Tori watched as the group they were approaching eyed Jade, then trudged a little out of her way. "I'll keep that in mind," she murmured, feeling quite safe.

"Hey, where you been?" Andre said from the doorway as Tori finished carrying her packages. "Oh, you did your shopping trip? Thank god. Who did you get to go with you?"

Tori sat down on her desk chair and folded her arms across her chest. "Well… it was interesting. I got lots of stuff, as you can see, and… um… it was interesting."

Andre folded his arms. "Interesting… your new boss offers to come over and help you shop for clothes… and you call this interesting? I call it… intriguing." The dreadlocked head chuckled. "So… what's she like? When she's not firing people or restructuring companies?"

"Um…" Tori exhaled. "It's kind of hard to explain. I mean, she's really…" She described a box with her hands. "She's very closed… Kind of remote… but then once in a while she just kinda opens up a little bit—enough for you to tell there's a human being in there, and not a microprocessor."

"Mm-hmm." Andre digested this. "So you two spent all this time shopping?"

Tori's lips quirked. "No. Not exactly. We had dinner at the Rainforest." She avoided Andre's widening eyes. "She wanted to go over next week, and what to expect, and things like that."

"Did you have fun?"

Tori thought about that. "It was… Col, it was really, really weird, because half of the time it was very strained, because we don't know each other, and she's my boss, and it's just weird, but the other half of the time, it was…" she struggled to explain. "It was almost like we did know each other. We really clicked. It was…"

"Like friends who've just met? Remember that muppet movie song?"

A pause. "Yeah… kinda," Tori admitted. "I've never had that happen to me before. But I think we're going to be okay."

"You like her." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, I do," Tori stated positively.

"Incredible." Andre shook his head. "I saw Ray over at Safeway. We were getting deli meats together and I was telling him about your going to work for her. He was in total shock. There are so many people that say she is just the nastiest person they've ever met."

Tori shrugged. "I think she can be… I can see she's got a dark streak in there. Remember I told you about that goon, and how he practically dissolved when she yelled at him? And I remember how she was when we first met in my office. There wasn't much to like. She was pretty cold."

Andre rubbed her head. "But you like her?"

It did sound strange, Tori realized. "I don't know. Yeah. I mean, she could have fired my butt several times, right? I was pretty nasty. I told her to go to hell and all of that, and she could have just axed me right then and there, locked me out, and had security take me out of the building, the whole nine yards. But she didn't. In fact, tonight, I kind of got the feeling that she respected me for it."

"Oh… now you got me all twisted," her friend warned. "You need to watch out for her, Tori? She could turn on you quick as a whistle." He sighed. "I don't know Tor, these are pretty uncharted waters you're sailing into here. I hope you know what you're doing."

I hope I do, too, Tori sighed inwardly. "I can't really explain it. Maybe if I'd taken time to really think about what was happening, I would have chosen to stay where I was…but maybe not. I just thought this would be such a unique opportunity—you know?"

"Unique," Andre slung an arm across her shoulders. "Well, that's an understatement, but if you have a problem, I talked with Jacob at my office and he says he'd take you on in an instant, okay?"

Tori smiled and leaned against him affectionately. "Thanks, Dre… I really appreciate that." She exhaled. "Hey… wanna see what I got?"

"Um… nah…" Andre said, backing up. "I'm good."

"Aww come on Dre, you don't want a fashion show?"

"Girl don't start nothing you know you don't want to finish." Tori laughed.

"Since I won't bore you. Thanks for not judging me for liking her," she said, hugging him.

"Nah, Tor, I trust your judgment, but I have to see it for myself," he said, hugging her back.

"That's fair."