Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net -------------------------------------------------------------------- STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES -------------------------------------------------------------------- AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm still going to be writing the first version we all know and love (well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create this one! -------------------------------------------------------------------- Prologue - The Proposal -------------------------------------------------------------------- A young woman with blonde hair sat at her desk and drummed her fingers on the smooth tabletop. She sat, staring at the document fresh off the fax machine that sat in the corner of the room. Her assistant/best friend had given her the details of document sitting in her hands. A month with the famous Mr. Mills, the CEO of their rival company, Bourne and Chaucy, Inc. Raye stood across the table from her, "Rena, it can't be that bad. It's not like he wants to drag your name through the dirt. If he had, he would be proposing this in a more popular venue." Running her hands over the smoothly polished desk, Serena looked up at her with haunting eyes. She didn't want to tell Raye why she would normally forbid the thinking of an idea like the one she was proposing. After all, her best friends just didn't see him the way Serena did. He was the embodiment of all that she had ever looked for, minus that ruthless determination of his of course. "I...I just can't do it, Raye. You don't see it the way I do." She stood up and walked to the window. "Why does he want me anyway? I'm just a figurehead. The only one of Arden Blade's legitimate children who wouldn't let the bastard rot in his grave." Raye steadied her violet gaze on her best friend. Serena had been there for her through thick and thin, now it was Raye's turn to return the favor. "You know that if you don't do this, he will shut down this leg of operations." Handing the discarded fax back to Serena she said, "He deems you too precious to harm you." Gazing at the fax, Serena clenched her jaw. Mr. Mills was Serena's least favorite person in the world right now. He was so much like her father she could scream. Gazing back at the fax, she saw the letterhead proclaimed that this particular message was from the man himself and not his company. Before she even got past the letterhead, she muttered, "What does he plan to take over next, me?" Nudging Serena's shoulder, Raye said, "Keep reading." Sighing, Serena read, "Dear Miss Blade... blah, blah, blah... What?!" "What does it say?" Raye asked, her curiosity piqued. Trembling, Serena squeaked out, "He wants to get better acquainted with me in order to, and I quote, 'improve our personal, as well as business, relationship.' Is it just me, but this sounds like a come on." Serena gazed past the fax and out the window. That rotten bastard! Trying to contain her laughter, Raye merely nodded. This was going to be a little bit harder than he had obviously planned. It would suit him to find someone who would fight every single step of the way. It was about damn time. Large blue orbs fixed on Raye. "Do you really think I should do this? If anything, I might be able to convince him to give the company back, right?" Throwing an arm around Serena, and giving her a light squeeze, Raye sighed. "I hope so Rena. If not, you still get to spend a month with a handsome guy." Serena snorted. Even her best friend was starting to desert her. Fate must truly have a wicked sense of humor if it planned on sticking her and him together for a month and not have them kill each other. If he treated her the way he had treated Ilene and Kathleen, she would send Sammy after his ass. "I don't want to sound too much like a whiner, but I have to ask. Do I really have to do this?" Raye shook her head. "This is truly your decision. If you don't want to, I'm sure he'll only think of something else. It would only be a matter of time." Pausing a moment, she added, "That brother of mine is ruthless when he sets his sights on something." "Brother? He's your brother?" Serena returned her gaze to the window. She ran a hand through her hair and held her breath. "Is this the same brother I met ten years ago?" Seeing Raye nod, she added, "It's a small world after all. Your brother is the heartless bastard? I never would have pegged him for that role." Raye said, "Just because we happen to share the same mother doesn't mean anything. If you must know, he's lived with image of his father all of his life." Joining Serena at the window, she asked, "Please Rena, just give it a chance. He won't try to harm you, it's just that... You've caught his eye and sparked his interest. Just..." Holding a hand up, Serena said, "I'll do it." For her sister's sakes and everyone else's she'd do it. "I just promise not to like it." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Review, review, review! I'd like to continue editing this and hopefully soon the other chapters will come out! Send questions or comments to: silvermoonangel@yahoo.com