The following afternoon Steffy is sitting in her office working when a knock at the door disturbs her train of thought. She looked up as Bill enters.
"I hoped to catch you at home, I wasn't expecting you to be back at work so quickly." He said as he closed the door and walked over to her.
Steffy smiled, "I had more visitors when I was at home than what I usually get when I'm at work, so I figured I might as well keep my routine, besides, being back at work fits with the line." At Bills puzzled look she adds, "I'm a Pheonix remember, and we don't allow ourselves to be broken, well, not completely anyway. So, voila! Here I am, raring to go."
Bill shook his head, "How are you really, after everything at the show?"
"Better than I expected, relieved, a bit sad, and filled with trepidation at what I've started with the new line. Will it sink? Will it swim? Everything is up in the air at the moment, and it's both terrifying and kind of exhilarating," she said.
"Well, Eye on Fashion is doing its part, and from what I have read and heard, it seems you and your new line are a major hit. You seem to have hit a real nerve with a lot of people out there, especially the general public, the emails Eye on Fashion have been getting already are running over ninety six percent in your favour. Which reminds me, how did it go with Liam, and has Brooke or Hope tried to contact you yet? And when they do, I want you to call me, I want to be there for you to back you up."
Steffy sighed and filled him in on everything that happened yesterday morning, including Marius turning up to stop her beating Hope until she begged for mercy.
Bill frowned in disappointment. "Why is that dressmaker hanging around you? Wasn't he with you the night before as well when he helped you out to the car? He's not trying to make a move on you, is he?"
Steffy looked at Bill in surprise. "Please tell me you're not jealous of Marius."
"Of course, I am," Bill snaps, "I love you; I've always loved you, we fit Steffy, you're the only woman who has ever accepted me for who I am. We could be happy together, if you just gave us a chance."
Steffy shook her head as Bill reaches out to her.
"Bill, you don't love me." As Bill starts to protest, she holds up her hand and continues.
"What you love is the thought of being accepted, of finally having a woman who knows exactly who you are and is fine with it. I think you've searched for that woman your entire life, and now you think you see it in me. That's not love Bill, it's loneliness. Love is something much deeper, and far more profound. It's not only about acceptance, it's about caring for someone beyond yourself, what they think, what makes them happy, rejoicing in your heart when they laugh or smile. It's waiting all day for a single touch, or a look, that can make your toes curl and your heart beat quicker. It's respect and empathy. It's a feeling of completeness that you get from no-one else. And no, it's not all sunshine and roses, it can be tough, and sometimes it can be brutal. But it can also be gentle, and compassionate, or wild and turbulent. And when it happens to you, when you genuinely feel it, you'll know."
She grasped Bills hands in hers and smiled gently, "I know you love me Bill, you're just not "in love" with me."
Bill took his hands away and sighed in disappointment at Steffi's words, even though a small part of him registered that there might actually, be a grain of truth in them.
"Alright, we'll let it go then, but I'm always going to be here fore you, I want you to know that." He said grudgingly. "And just so you know, Marius's father and brother are arriving some time today, so don't be surprised if the new boy wonder is in a bit of a funk. From what I hear, there's a bit of tension between those brothers."
Steffi's eyes opened wide, "Well I knew who his father was and I would have expected it there, but I haven't heard much about his twin brother. When I think of how close Pheobe and I were, I just can't imagine what could have happened to cause a break between them?"
"No idea," said Bill with a bit of a laugh, "but from most reports it always seems to end up in a brawl between them sooner or later if they spend to much time together. I'm having them over for a business lunch at Deacons tomorrow, just to discuss a couple of propositions Antonio might be interested in while he's here."
"Deacons?" said Steffy in surprise, "I thought you hated Hopes father?"
"I'll admit, he's not my favourite person, but he has done me a favour recently, and when I arranged the meeting Antonio said he wanted to drop by and have a look at the business, apparently, he's the one that loaned Deacon the money to buy it. I'm taking Wyatt and Liam along; it'll do them good to get some experience with a man like Antonio Veron and his son Sebastion."
Steffy frowned, "I could have sworn I heard Marius call him A.J. once?"
Bill smiled, "Probably some kind of insult between the two if my sources are correct. His full name is Sebastion, Antonio, Veron."
"Hmmm, I wonder what that's about then?" said Steffy intrigued.
"You're welcome to join us if you'd like?" Bill said hopefully.
Steffy shook her head, "no way, I've enough problems without getting mixed up in some kind of family feud. That's all yours Bill, I wish you luck."
A knock at the door silenced them both, Steffy smiled in welcome as Marius poked his head in. "Do you have a moment, Steffy? Zende needs you to sign off on these adjustments to Chloe's dress, as I had a spare minute, I thought I'd do both of us a favour and bring them to you."
He looked over at Bill as Steffy beckoned him in. "Bill, it's been a while, how are you?"
Bill raised an eyebrow. "Speak of the devil, we were just talking about you, or your father and brother to be more precise."
At Marius's uncomfortable frowning look Bill said, "nothing untoward, I was just telling Steffy how I was having dinner with them tomorrow night at Deacons, and she mentioned that you call Sebastion, A.J. we were both a little confused about the name change, that's all."
Marius shrugged indifferently. "It stands for several things, depending on how much he's aggravating me at any given time. Sometimes he's a little Antonio Junior, at other times he's an Absolute Jerk, but mostly it just stands for Annoying Jackass. When you meet him, I'm sure everything will become much clearer to you. As you Americans would say - he's a tool!"
He looked at Steffy who was standing with her mouth open at the explanation, she immediately looked back down at the adjustments required to the design before nodding and signing off on them.
Marius smiled and reached over for the approved design, his fingers briefly touching Steffi's. "Thank you, I'll give these to Zende right away, he's chomping at the bit to see this one finished."
Steffy smiled, a faint blush tinging her cheeks at the inadvertent touch.
After Marius left Bill, who'd been watching the whole innocent meeting - and had noticed a definite undercurrent of "something" else - turned to her. "The dressmaker? You've got to be kidding me? Liam I could sort of understand if I pushed myself, but the Italian?"
"What I do, or who I do it with is none of your business, Bill, and if you must know there is absolutely nothing going on between Marius and myself. He is a friend, one that has gracious enough to help me through some very difficult times, that's all." Steffy snapped.
Bill shook his head, "You keep telling yourself that Steffy, you forget, I know you. You mightn't want me, but I can see definite interest in your eyes when you look at him, let's just see how long your pleas of friends only holds up."
He walked to the door and right before leaving turned back to her, "and you think I'm deluded?" Steffy could still see him shaking his head as the door closed behind him.
She sat back down for a moment, her mind wandering, Could I really be falling for Marius? I can't be, I hardly know him, besides, it's far too soon after Finn, surely? But, a good old-fashioned case of lust, now that was a real possibility, he's just so, so . . . male! Okay tart, mind out of the gutter, or you'll be thinking of that gorgeous man for the rest of the day!
She looked up as a strange man stormed into her office, her secretary, Sandra right behind him trying to grab a hold of his arm. "I'm sorry Mizz Forrester, he just barged straight past me."
The man strode to Steffi's desk and handed her a document folder. As soon as her hands closed around it, he let go of it and smiled at her. "Steffy Forrester, you've just been served!" Then he turned around and left.
Steffy stared at the document for a moment before turning back to her secretary. "Sandra could you call our lawyer, tell him we need to meet immediately."
Sandra nodded, "Right away Mizz Forrester." She rushed out of Steffi's office leaving her sitting there, a slight smile on her face.
"And still, the drama continues," she said quietly.