Perfect Match Author: PsychoBunny Rated: PG13 *cough* Yeah, I know it's been a while but as promised the next chapter is finally here! Yeah! And because it took a while this chapter is extra long and has a few surprises in store. *wink wink* I would love to thank my wonderful and loving editor, who without, this chapter would not have been possible. *kisses Crys's feet dutifully* ^^ Thanks to my beta nika too! You were lots of help babe! Thanks! Thanks to all you readers also for your encouragement and lovely reviews. So go now and read! Tell me what you think and review! Disclaimer: Don't own Sailormoon. All I have to my name is a couple of dollars and my cat. Chapter 5 Morning decidedly came far too early for Serena as she dragged herself from her warm haven to shower and dress. She was heading out to Lita's bakery again today to help out and possibly get some advice. Who would have thought that she would need pointers on how to ditch a guy? Sighing heavily, Serena grabbed her purse and keys and jogged out to her car. The past week since Sapphire's arrival had really thrown her for a loop. Between her car being repaired, helping out at the cafe, lunch dates with her girlfriends, and going out almost daily with Sapphire, Serena hadn't been able to sit down longer than two seconds but she wasn't complaining. In fact, she was happy for the distractions. Since the night she broke down in front of Sapphire, if she had too much free time on her hands, her mind would stray to thoughts of Diamond. He caused enough pain to last her a lifetime. Now, she needed to pick up with her life and move on. He was a thing of the past. Surprisingly enough, her mangled thoughts of self-pity wasn't the biggest problem. Her latest problem in the string of drama in her life was Sapphire. They'd always been quite close and had shared a peculiar friendship. But as of late, there had been subtle changes that she started to notice about his behavior. He sat closer to her than necessary; he made physical contact with her whenever possible. On several occasions, he made excuses in order to touch her hair. She didn't consider it or let it bother her too much. There was no harm in a little excess flirting, right? Just as long as he didn't get too "friendly" and cross the line then she was fine with this little game of his. Though a hectic week, one reverberating thought kept Serena's hopes high; Mina would be arriving in two days. Walking into Lita's bakery and cafe, Serena realized as long as she had that consolation, nothing could dampen her bright mood. "Well, well, look who's here..." �Oh please God! Nothing but that�� She mentally groaned. "You know, I was beginning to think you disappeared because I haven't seen you around in a while." He sounded oddly pleased and that smug look of his irritated her to no ends. "Darien, don't you have any kind of life besides pestering me?" Serena questioned hotly, planting her hands on her hips and turning to glare right at him. Openly, he let his gaze roam over her form clad in a pink sweater and blue jeans until his eyes meet her burning blue ones. He couldn't help but flash a charming smile at her attempt to be intimidating. She really was too cute for her own good. "Do you honestly think my whole existence revolves around teasing you?" Darien replied nonchalantly. He loved to get a rise out of her; call it a sadistic pleasure but he found it hard to resist that special aura around her that was so alluring. Serena's face burned bright red with embarrassment. Why did that imbecile always make her feel so na�ve and childish? She was a grown woman for God's sake! There was no reason to be embarrassed, especially by that buffoon. On the other hand, his lingering gaze, cocky grin and ignorant attitude were a hell of a good reason to be angry. She balled her fists to keep from strangling him as her initial embarrassment turned to irritation faster than a pregnant woman with mood swings. 'Shake it off, Serena. Just shake it off. You're better than him. Plus, you don't want to make a big scene...again. Mina's coming in TWO days. You can keep your sanity till then.' Serena kept repeating that mantra in her head like it was her last source of rationality. She watched him in disgust as he lazily leaned up against the front counter with his coffee cup and a lopsided smile. Oh, he thought he was so coy because he was handsome and had that damned cute dimple but she knew better. His "I'm damn hot and boyfriend material" disguise didn't fool her for one moment. "I don't know about you, Darien but it sure seems like it to me." She managed to answer his rhetorical question with a sickeningly sweet smile. Ha! Take that Mr. "I'm too sexy for my own good". Maybe Mina could help her gang up on him when she arrived. She'd just have to resist her urge to kiss...er, kill him until then. She briefly wondered if Sammy and her dad would be willing to pound Darien's sorry arse into the ground. "Don't flatter yourself, kid." He replied coolly with a knowing look in his eye. Oh, it was a very tempting. But did she really want to subject her dad and Sammy to being in Darien's presence? No, they didn't deserve that kind of torture. For now she'd have to use the only weapon of defense her dignity could muster up at the moment; immaturity. "You are such a jerk." She grumbled, rolling her eyes at him. Not the most intelligent of comebacks she knew but dang it! She was frustrated at the moment. She was in no mood to deal with the creep and his antics. "I knew that already but I also know something else that you may not realize." He put down his coffee cup and moved closer to her, a devilish smile playing on his lips and a glint in his deep blue eyes. Only an arm's length away, he leaned down towards her and breathed into her ear. "I know that you want me." Serena was so stunned by his outrageous statement and the wonderful smell of his aftershave that for a moment she was robbed of her ability to speak and think clearly. Ignoring the warm fluttering sensation in her chest, Serena shook herself from her daze and quickly regained her composure. Damn that man for messing with her fragile state of mind! Two could play at this game. "Oh, I didn't realize my secret was out. Well I guess I couldn't fool you now, could I?" Closing the small distance between them, she laid a small hand on his chest, her breath wafting against his face. She could tell he wasn't anticipating her sudden change of attitude by the way his body stiffened under her hand and his breathing hitched in his throat. It gave her an exhilarating feeling of feminine satisfaction by the simple fact that he, a self-proclaimed lady's man, could be so susceptible to the art of enticement. She kept her mind off the butterflies in her stomach by focusing on the plan of building up Darien's ego and bringing it crashing down. She spoke with a soft tone one might use with a lover, her eyes never wavering from his. "Oh, I want you alright...I want you...to go away!" "Uh, Serena..." Lita said both startled and interested at the scene of Serena and Darien practically plastered to each other. Oh, wait till she tells the girls about this one. Serena jumped back from Darien as if he was spreading some kind of deadly disease, her upturned face an odd shade of orangey-pink. It didn't take Darien long to recover when he took one look at her and gave a deep chuckle. "Don't mind us, Lita." He said unashamed, proud even. "Serena, over here, was just trying to seduce me." He jerked a thumb in Serena's direction and laughed outright as her jaw dropped and gaped open. "In your dreams!! I was NOT trying to seduce anybody, much less you. By any chance, would you believe that I was disoriented from medication and didn't realize who he was?" She pleaded with Lita, pulling the ol' 'puppy eyes' move on her. Unfortunately, Lita's doubtful face told her that there's no way she was going to buy that pitiful excuse. "He started it." She blamed in attempt to save face, waving an accusing finger at her partner in crime. "I resent that remark. I was just messing with you but you were the one who started the whole 'seductress' thing." Darien replied placidly, seemingly unfazed by her effort to pin the guilt on him. It wasn't his fault that Lita caught Serena hanging all over him. "Then you must be having a temporary memory lapse because you're the culprit here. You were the one trying to seduce me!" Serena self-righteously defended herself, crossing her arms over her stomach and feeling juvenile when she stuck out her tongue at Darien. "What?" Darien started. Lita bit her lip as she watched the two bicker, trying to contain her mirth. It was times like this that she was glad Serena was back; things were a lot more exciting with her around. Serena held up a hand as a motion to stop as Darien was in the middle of speaking. "You know I didn't come here for your insults. In fact, I came here to help out Lita and get her advice. So why don't you just go bug somebody else who has the time?" She spoke with conviction, determined to get Darien off her case. "Aww, Serena. But you know that you're my favorite person to bug and I don't think I could ever replace you." He was sarcastic in how he said it but he meant it. He'd never be able to replace her. "Gee, thanks. I feel so privileged." Serena rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat. Well, if she couldn't get him to leave her alone than she could at least do what she came here to do. "Hey Lita, think we could talk somewhere...privately." Serena glared at Darien who in turn held up his hands in defense and went back to his stool near the counter. "How bout we just talk behind the counter? I have to clean up a few things and you can help me out." Lita grabbed a mop and some rags while she spoke. "Here. Think you can mop up a little. I spilt some coffee earlier. I cleaned it up as best as I could but I didn't get all of it. Just clean around this spot." She pointed on the other side of her behind the counter. "Uh, ok." Serena begrudgingly began to mop the floor while keeping a suspicious eye on the dark headed fiend of a man seated near the counter, innocently reading a newspaper. "So? What's up?" Lita probed Serena friendlily. "Well, you see. I have this teeny little problem. Uh, you remember that guy I told you about that came down to visit me from New York?" Serena whispered in a hushed voice. "You mean that guy you've been hanging around with all week?" The statement piqued Lita's curiosity. "Yeah, that's him. Well, I think he's been getting a little too flirtatious, if you know what I mean." Lita understood exactly what Serena was insinuating. "Don't tell me he's seriously trying to go after you on the rebound?" Lita gawked in disbelief. Serena confirmed the affirmation with a simple nod. "But the strange thing is that we've gone out before and agreed that it didn't work out. So I don't know why he'd still want to pursue some kind of relationship besides friendship." Lita heaved in aggravation. "I swear men have to be the densest creatures God ever created." Serena couldn't help but laugh at Lita's twitching eyebrow, the helpless rag she'd been holding now crumpled in her clenched fist. "You're only saying that because your ex didn't even realize you'd been crushing on him 2 years until you actually told him." Serena managed to say through bouts of laughter. "Don't remind me." Lita winced at the painful memory. "If you ask me, I think you should tell him straight out that you don't want anything but a platonic relationship. It obviously didn't work out before. Why would the next time be any different?" Darien advised from behind the newspaper he was holding. So much for being subtle. "So be it for me to question the great prophet, but who invited you into this conversation?" Serena had the mind to rip that newspaper out of his hands and hit him repeatedly over the head with her mop. "I just thought you would want the advice of someone who's older and wiser than yourself." Darien suggested thoughtfully, setting down his paper in the process. "You have the older part right but as far as 'wiser', the jury's still out on that one. Plus, why would I want to take advice from you? It's not like you've been stuck in this kind of position before anyways." Serena shunned his comment with a toss of her hair over the shoulder. "Before Casanova over there rudely interrupts again, what do you think I should do? I really don't want to hurt his feelings but there isn't anything romantic between us. Or for my part there isn't anyways." Serena resumed her conversation with Lita. "I don't know, Serena. I agree with Darien. Tell him face to face that it didn't work out before and that you want to remain the best of friends. Hopefully, he'll understand." Lita's words seemed like something said in a 'Dr. Phil moment' but the meaning flew past Serena as all she heard was 'agree with Darien'. "Please tell me you're joking. I came here to get your advice, not his! Because he spoke first, his words have corrupted your opinion. Damn you, Darien! Damn you and your influential ways!" Serena berated; the smallest amount of edginess hidden in her tone. "I can't help it if I'm a bit persuasive." Darien triumphantly smirked, that cute dimple appearing once again. It grated Serena's nerves how easily he could get under her skin. "Sorry, Sere but it's the best idea I can think of. The point is to do whatever you feel is right. You don't have to take our suggestion but you can if you want." Lita informed encouragingly. "Thanks, Lita. I really do appreciate all your help. I just hope that I can build up enough courage to let him down tonight when we go out." Serena laughed nervously, playing out scenarios in her head of how Sapphire might take the news. "You're going out tonight with him?" Lita couldn't help the fact that she could be nosy. "Yeah. It's some kind of big business dinner or something like that. I don't really remember because I was half asleep during our conversation. You know I'm not a morning person." Serena scratched the back of her head and smiled innocently. Darien watched in silence as the two continued their conversation. He found the bright smile on Serena's face particularly appealing. It seemed to illuminate her entire face. "Well, I better get going so I can be ready for tonight. See you guys later!" Serena hustled out of there before Lita assigned her a worse job, like scrubbing toilets. ********** Serena had just finished applying a dab of lip gloss when Sapphire rung the doorbell. She took the liberty to check herself in the mirror one last time, proudly approving of the image that smiled back at her. She was very proud of this particular dress. Mainly because it was one of her favorites off her latest fashion line-up. Sapphire knew in his own mind that Serena would look good in anything she wore. However, when she answered the door and he got his first glimpse of her, he was struck speechless. Her midnight blue form-fitting dress consisted of a V-neck with two straps that went over her shoulder and down her back to attach to her dress. The material of the dress seemed to overlap each other right in the point of her V-neck which ended at her knees, a small slit in front of her left thigh; the bottom half of the dress flowing around her form. Serena's hair was curled and pinned high on her head with small tendrils hanging down. Small accessories, such as a tennis bracelet, a single-diamond necklace and small diamond earrings, had been added to enhance the features of her dress. To top it off, she had kept her make-up to a minimal to give the maximum effect. Serena spun around once for Sapphire to get a good look and held out her hands. "Well, what do you think? I didn't over do it, did I?" She questioned a little anxious. "Of course not, you�re absolutely gorgeous and anybody that thinks different is crazy." Sapphire commented, taking her outstretched hands in his own and looking at her dress again. He dropped her hands and lifted one of his own to her head to twirl a blonde curl around his finger. A little uncomfortable, Serena brushed his hands away when he made a move to caress her cheek. Serena quickly grabbed her coat as he led her to his car by putting his hand on the small of her back. As soon as they got into the car, Serena asked a question that had been on her mind all day. "What kind of business dinner is it, anyways?" "Well, actually it's more a celebration dinner of a computer company that I had invested in. It had overwhelming success and the party is to honor the president of the company. All the big-investors and a lot of the big-named companies are going to be there." Sapphire explained while he drove. For some odd reason, Serena had a sudden feeling of dread. ********** Darien's mind was a jumbled mesh of incoherent thoughts, the main one being the fact that this was the last place he wanted to be tonight. As he stood there in his pin-stripped charcoal gray business suit, he mentally prepared himself for the inevitable encounters with the snooty part of society that he'd long ago forgotten. Many people assumed that it would be an honor to hold such an elaborate celebration for the success of a company you'd worked so hard to achieve. In truth, though, Darien knew the real purpose behind the night's so-called "honor". The whole party was an inventive set-up in order to show off Darien Shields and his computer company as valuable assets to the "upper class" of both society and businessmen with the hopes that it would prompt Darien into their good graces. At least, that's what the chairmen of his board were hoping. Darien didn't like the idea of being used as some sort of advertisement and had rather rely on the efficiency of the company itself to do the job. However, Darien had an inkling that this party would prove to be a good start for him to make a name for himself in the business world. At least when you had a party in your name, some people actually knew who you were. It was a sad but evident truth. Sending up a silent prayer of mercy and plastering an artificial smile on his face, Darien strode into the decorated ballroom of the plaza with his head held high. No sooner had he entered, Darien was bombarded with greetings from fellow clients and businessmen, engaged into casual conversation about insignificant things. He always despised this part the most about these kind of parties. There are always two simple rules to follow in order to get ahead in the game, look pretty and suck up. Friendly small talk and an overflow of compliments were a must for any big business tycoons to find favor with you. Excusing himself from chatting with a prominent prospector, Darien made his way over to the head chairman of his board, searching for some peace of mind. He approached a platinum blonde haired man dressed in a black suit. With a tap on the shoulder, he finally captured his friend's attention. "Artemis, may I have a word with you?" "Of course Darien, what's the matter?" Artemis questioned, a knowing look in his pale blue eyes. "Please, tell me some good news." Darien practically begged. "Well, if you're talking about the party then I'm guessing it will last well into the night. I also heard that an oil man from the South was very interested in investing in your company and wanted to speak to you personally. And there's a rumor that an old acquaintance of yours is going to make a guest appearance tonight." Artemis ticked off each item one by one, organized like always. "Really? An old acquaintance of mine? Who?" Confusion began to seep into the back of Darien's mind as he waited impatiently for his friend to answer the question. "I don't really know exactly who it is. It was just a rumor. I wouldn't worry too much about it." Artemis shrugged it off, flashing idle smiles and waves at people who passed him by. "Is it necessary for me to degrade myself by mingling like this?" Darien gritted through his teeth, maintaining a believable but bitter smile for show as people glanced at him and waved. "Darien, my friend, when are you going to learn? It's impossible in this world to get somewhere without kissing some ass. So I suggest you pucker up and get going." Artemis laughed in sympathy, patting Darien's back and giving him a nudge forward. Darien mumbled a curse under his breath, stalking his way into the awaiting crowd of socialites. He was chatting briefly to a young entrepreneur about business when something red happened to catch his eye. Letting his eyes skim the room, Darien observed a promiscuous brunette on the arm of an older man that had to be twice her age. She paraded herself shamelessly in a low cut, short length and very revealing red dress that left nothing to the imagination. Darien acknowledged her appearance and something in his memory clicked. Somehow, from somewhere, he knew her but he couldn't place her face. The woman spotted Darien ogling her from where he stood. Smiling deviously, she decided to have a little fun and fairly dragged the man that accompanied her over in Darien's direction. "My, and who might this handsome gentleman be? My sweet, why don't you introduce us?" She purred in a sing-song voice. "Of course. This is a friend of mine, Darien Shields. Darien, I would like you to meet my girlfriend, Ann Evans." said the older gentleman, whom Darien knew to be a very wealthy man with a lot of connections. A spark lit both Darien and Ann's eyes as simultaneously, they remembered each other from the past and it was a clash of epic proportions. "I should have known. Only Darien could still be so sinfully handsome after so many years. I must say, Darien, you haven't changed a bit. Except maybe a few minor details..." Looking at him through lowered lashes, Ann let the sentence trail off, licking her lips and knowing he understood her double meaning. "Ah, so you two already know each other." The man cheered in surprise and glee, oblivious to the malevolent waves that lay beneath the surface. "You could say that." Darien hid his malicious sneer as Ann bent over to pull down her dress, succeeding in flashing him more of her cleavage and somehow getting her dress to ride up even farther than before. Ann Evans hadn't changed one bit. Her blatant show of seduction and the way she threw herself on any man that paid her attention had always been more grotesque than attractive. She made a point to flaunt her sensuality and she wasn't one to be shy about it either. Except now Darien wasn't as hormonal and naive as he used to be; making him adequately less susceptible to her attempts to allure him. His eyes became hard and cold at the thought, his lips thinning into a tight line. Unfortunately, he knew Ann and all her tricks far too well. They had a very abrupt fling about 6 years ago, which ended with him accusing her of being a whore after he caught her cheating. She cajoled him into believing that it was all a misunderstanding. A few days later, Darien's bank account had been robbed of $2.5 million and Ann was no where to be found. As Ann winked and released a husky laugh, Darien had had quite enough. "If you two will please excuse me, I have more important matters that need attending to." Darien walked right past Ann without so much as a nod. ********** Serena walked through the entrance of the ballroom on the arm of Sapphire as they made a late arrival. The cause of the long 45 minute drive to the hotel was mainly traffic. Still, Serena was quite surprised that the business dinner was held so far away. Glancing around at some of the other guest, Serena's eyes went wide as she recognized them as either famous or rich and immediately became alarmed. As a natural reaction to fear and intimidation, she squeezed Sapphire's arm for some sort of comfort. He turned to her with a soothing smile, putting his hand on hers and squeezing back in reassurance. "It's ok, honey. There's nothing to be scared of." He offered her a hushed voice that one would use to calm a small child. "What if somebody recognizes me?" Serena felt her legs quaking beneath her, holding her up with the most fragile of support. She wasn't worried so much about being recognized than she was about being remembered because of Diamond's affair. What if they make snide remarks about it? "And what if they do? I doubt that they would say much about it. Though they can be rude; they do have manners. But if anybody does say anything, I'll set them straight." Sapphire patted her hand lovingly, kissing her on the cheek at the same time. She didn't like the idea of socializing with these people again but as long as this party was important to Sapphire, Serena could endure. They were strolling along the side wall when Sapphire stopped to trade formalities with acquaintances. Being polite and gracious, Serena made friendly with a couple of the gentlemen that surrounded her and Sapphire, even managing to get some to laugh at her silly jokes. They were all very courteous and two actually out right flirted with her which didn't set well with Sapphire. He got a little jealous with all the attention Serena was getting and on several occasions he put his hand around her waist possessively. Call it feministic pride but Serena found it thrilling to be the center of attention of a bunch of handsome males. Unfortunately, another issue called for her attention. With the most sophisticated poise she could conduct, Serena excused herself from the horde of men to go to the ladies room. She giggled lightly to herself when they all groaned in disappointment. She playfully shot back that she would hurry as quickly as she could and walked off. ********** Darien was minding his own business when Artemis approached him with an urgent situation. "Darien, there's a man over there who wants to talk to you. He says it's important." Artemis' voice wavered the tiniest bit. "Where is he?" Darien asked both confused and intrigued. "He's right there." Artemis pointed in the direction of a man with salt and pepper hair that had his back to Darien. "Alright. Thank you." Darien accepted the unspoken invitation with a good dose of uncertainty and caution. It was a mystery to him but even from behind, the man appeared to be vaguely familiar. With a measure of confidence in his step, Darien neared the man who was so ready to speak with him. Then as if time itself had stood still, the gentleman slowly turned around to face him and Darien paled at the sight, his mouth going dry. It couldn't be. There was no feasible way, no possible explanation for why he would be here. "Hello Son." William Shields was as serious and straightforward as always. Course, he had never been the one to beat around the bush. He looked every bit the rich, high-class attorney that he was, dressed in an Armani suit with his salt and pepper hair carefully slicked back. However, the thing that was most disturbing to Darien was that he was a mirror image of his father. Regaining his composure from the shock quickly, Darien's eyes became ice cold, his lips twisting in a cruel smile, his voice dripping with venom. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?" His voice came out in a hoarse whisper that threatened the man it was directed to. "I wanted to talk to you about all this." He waved his hand implying the party and Darien's business success. "What's it to you?" Darien snapped, a muscle in his jaw began to twitch. "Well, if you really want to know, I came to make amends with my son." William's tone was apologetic but his eyes were deceiving. "After over a decade of no kind of contact with him, you now plan for some kind of compensation? I know you better than that, father. What are you really here for?" Darien's voice was mocking and full of hatred, his body almost to the point of shaking with anger. "So spiteful Darien, you remind me a lot of myself when I was your age. I just thought it would look better for both you and me if we weren't estranged. After all, what kind of business will you get if your clients know you are alienated from your parents?" His eyes narrowed dangerously. It was crystal clear to Darien what he wanted. It wouldn't look good for his parents' reputation if their "estranged" son had great business success without them and their support. By making amends, they would once more have someone to brag about and to carry on their family name. It was all a selfish ploy. Just as Darien was opening his mouth to let every foul word in the book fly at his father, he saw her. She was like a beacon in the night dressed in dark blue and with her golden hair a crown upon her head, saving him from certain death. She looked shy, honest and out of place in the room, a breath of fresh air to the claustrophobic, tension-filled atmosphere he was currently trapped within. Everything about her was breath-taking and he was in dire need to be surrounded by her good spirit. To hell with his father, Darien was going to talk to Serena. "I've maintained my business so far without your help. I doubt that I'll need it in the future. As far as I'm concerned, this discussion is over." Darien left before his father could get another word in edge wise. All he had on his mind was talking to a specific blonde. Serena had been turned upside down trying to find the bathroom and now she couldn't find Sapphire anywhere. She was at a loss when someone happened to call out her name. "Serena." "Oh, there you...huh? Darien?!?" Serena put a hand over her heart in order to stop it from beating so frantically. "I didn't realize you where going to be here." He didn't know how or why she was here but at the moment, he couldn't care less. He was just excited that she was here. "Uh, yeah. I came here with a date. I had no idea that you were going to be here." Serena beamed a radiant smile as she spoke. She was in a positively good mood and didn't want to ruin it with trifle arguing. So she firmly decided that she would mind her manners and be good for tonight. "Actually, I'm the guest of honor tonight so I have to be here." Darien combed his fingers through his hair self-consciously, his palms becoming suddenly sweaty. He graced her with a small, ambiguous smile that warmed her heart. "You mean to tell me that you�re the one who owns the company and the reason this party is being held?" she asked in disbelief. She remembered he said something about owning his own company but she didn't expect him to be acknowledged so well in the business world. Serena was very impressed, not only by how hard he must have worked but how he was able to be collected and gracious about it. "Yep. Would you, my lady, mind escorting me around for a while?" Darien offered her his arm, silently hoping that she would oblige his request. He craved good quality company that was different from the superficial, self-obsessed people that he was used to being around. Turning her head, Serena sought Sapphire one more time and turned back to Darien. Unable to find her date, she figured that he wouldn't mind if she went with Darien for a while. It wasn't like she was dating either of them so it really didn't matter. Plus, Darien was in a pleasant mood and she was going to take advantage of it. "Sure. Why not?" She agreed readily, folding her arm securely into his. They took off walking in no definite direction, simply enjoying the each other's presence. "You look gorgeous tonight." Darien complimented Serena as he gazed appreciatively at her, an endearing smirk playing on his lips. "T..Thank you." She stuttered nervously, blushing a bright red from both his comment and the way he looked at her. She felt a little self-conscious under his intense stare and she began to shuffle her feet and shift her body. Wanting to take the spotlight off of herself, Serena aimed a compliment towards Darien. "You don't look half bad yourself." She giggled and poked him in the ribs playfully, feeling a bit frisky. "I guess so but kid, you�re absolutely breathtaking and charming. I'm surprised you haven't had to beat any men off with a stick yet." He rubbed her arm gently with his free hand, winking at her as he did. "Careful, Shields. A girl could get use to this kind of treatment." Unconsciously, Serena leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed, almost as if to emphasize her point. "I would hope so." He whispered under his breath, not completely sure if she heard it or not because she had lifted her head. The corners of her mouth slightly gave way to a smile as she looked at him, pointing out a platinum blonde man. "I think that man is trying to get your attention." Darien followed Serena's line of view and for the first time, noticed Artemis. He apparently was trying to get his attention by flagging him down with his hands. "Will you excuse me, Serena? I promise I'll be right back." He took one of her hands in his and bent down to lay a soft, fleeting kiss on it. Then he left her standing there stunned, her heart hammering wildly in her chest while her body felt as light as a feather. Then her bubble burst when a statuesque brunette in a very tight red dress sleekly slithered up to her and she started to talk to Serena as if she had known her for years. "So, I presume you are Shields's new girlfriend. Or are you just a mistress?" The woman spoke with a monotonous voice, as if she was simply discussing the weather, while staring at Darien's retreating figure eerily. "Excuse me? Oh, no you must be mistaking me for somebody else. I'm not his girlfriend; Darien and I are just friends." Serena didn't feel like explaining their relationship so she opted for a small lie instead but she wasn't sure if the lady was even listening. The scantily clad woman kept staring off into the distance where Darien had been lost in the crowd of people. She seemed to be waiting for something, like she expected him to come back at any moment. The awkward lady was beginning to give Serena the creeps. Not to mention, she had a bad vibe about her that Serena didn't quite understand. Ann smirked at something amusing while idly swishing the wine she had in her hand. "Trust me, you can never be 'just friends' with Darien Shields; by the way he was looking at you, I would say that he already has an idea in mind." She cynically smiled and brought the glass up to her crimson lips to sip. An icy chill crawled up Serena's spine and goosebumps crawled across her skin as she watched-what she termed-the devil-in-a-red dress. The woman's firey brown eyes and sneer she visibly wore were enough to send a brave man running in terror. Somehow, this lady knew Darien and it was painfully obvious that the memories she had of him were not pleasant. But why would Serena want to know this? A warning between women, perhaps? But there wasn't anything between her and Darien. They had never gotten along very well and they would probably kill each other if they tried to pursue a relationship more than mutual toleration. Serena shuddered as she visualized one big, messy catastrophe. Spooked and a bit uneasy, she decided to make an excuse and walk away from this strange conversation that she really wanted no part of. However, Serena's attention was diverted when Ann started to speak again; the dreaded words unwillingly imbedding themselves in Serena's head. "I know you. I've seen you in the magazines. You're that fashion designer, Serena Weston. I must commend you. You're either very brave or very stupid if you plan on going after Darien after Diamond. I'm actually surprised that you'd risk it. You of all people should know by now what it feels like to be betrayed and have your hopes shattered. "Listen, I'll tell you something woman to woman. Darien isn't worth being humiliated and heart-broken all over again. He can be very charming and seem like a genuine guy but I can assure you that he's a manipulative, cheating and lying bastard. So if I were you, I'd becareful because you don't know when he might try to lure you in." Ann spoke in a soft remorseful tone that was barely above a whisper. Scuffling her feet and shifting her weight, Serena toyed with the hem of her dark blue dress as she mulled over what Ann had just told her. Was it true that Darien is like Diamond? Was his courteousness simply a ploy to seduce her? If it was then why? Horribly confused, tears began to prick the back of Serena's eyes as she watched Ann disbelievingly. She moved forward to place her hand on Ann's shoulder so she could see her face. Simultaneously, Ann turned towards Serena to actually look her in the eye for the first time that night. However, she had forgotten the fact that Ann had a drink in her hand. It was like she watched the incident happen in slow motion. Serena's arm bumped Ann's hand and she saw the glass tip over, the red liquid spilling forth. Before she could prevent what was happening, Serena felt the wine dribbling all down the front of her dress. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm such a klutz." Serena calmly admitted, holding her tears of confusion back. "It looks like I ruined your dress." Like a desert, Ann's voice was dry of any kind of emotion. With a few patrons beginning to stare at the scene, Serena felt humiliated and out of place. She shouldn't be here; she should have never agreed to come. Picking up the hem of her dress that was dripping on the floor singlehandedly, Serena excused herself hastily and departed with as much grace as she could handle. She fast walked out towards the nearest exit in order to get away from the people that were starting to snicker. Clutching her stomach with her other hand, she kept her head down in shame to avoid anyone witnessing her tears, sniffling as she went along. Almost out the door, Serena was grabbed from behind by a pair of strong arms. Alarmed, she struggled against her attacker until she heard his voice. "Serena, calm down. It's me." Darien spoke softly. After she stopped her struggle, he set her down easily and turned her to face him. Upon seeing the large, wet stain on the front of her dress and a few tears, Darien grabbed a handkerchief from out of his coat pocket. As he neared, Serena made a move to take the handkerchief from him but he ignored her. Darien began slowly, lightly dabbing her neck, shoulders and where the skin met the top of the dress to clean up any excess wine droplets off her skin. He also took on the task of dabbing the front part of her dress where the large stain was but took extra precaution to make sure to stay clear from the areas that seemed inappropriate. Serena felt something spark and lighten in her heart as she watched in fascination as Darien concentrated on cleaning her up as best as he could. That same thing made her cast away the ideas that other lady in the red dress had implanted into her head. Serena was humbled by the act of kindness but became a bit flustered a few times when Darien's fingers grazed against her bare skin almost teasingly. Flattered but more embarrassed by his ministrations, Serena put a hand on his arm to signal for him to stop because she didn't quite trust her voice. But he didn't stop. In fact, Darien moved upwards and used the backside of his handkerchief to wipe away some tears that had escaped. After she was mostly cleaned up, Darien ran his finger along her cheek and under her chin to lift her face for his eyes to see. Only when she met his gaze with her eyes, did he speak. "There now, is that a little better?" He laid his hands on her shoulders and made sure she kept looking at him. Serena still didn't trust her voice so she nodded. "Good." Darien rubbed her shoulders soothingly. Needing to know those things the lady had said weren't true, Serena jumped into his arms and hugged him for all she was worth. Surprised but pleased, he held her for awhile as she buried her face into his shirt. He took the opportunity to rub his hands up and down her back, purposefully skimming his lips across a sensitive spot beneath her ear. If it weren't for the fact that he was consoling Serena, Darien would be furious now. He'd seen the majority of the exchange between Ann and Serena but had only picked up bits and pieces of their conversation. The next thing he saw was Ann's drink spilled on Serena's dress and distraught Serena running for the door. He was just lucky that he caught her in time. He'd have to remind himself later to have a long talk with Ann. When Serena finally more sedated, she released Darien from her embrace, timidly smiling at him. "Thank you." She whispered softly. They both heard a voice call out and saw a dark haired man walking their way. He came to a stop before Serena and addressed her. "I've been looking for you everywhere. I was beginning to think you left. Are you ok, sweetheart? What happened?" Sapphire saw the wet strain on her dress and the painful look in her eyes. "Oh, nothing, I just accidentally knocked over a glass of wine and it spilled on me. It's no big deal." She gave him a shaky smile, trying to convince him it was the truth. "Ah, well I see you're in good hands with Darien. So I guess I didn't have to worry." Sapphire's eyes sparkled with something that Serena could tell he was hiding. "Wait! Sapphire, you know Darien?" Surprised, Serena's gaze shifted to one than the other. How did they know each other? "Of course we do. Serena, I would like to introduce you to my cousin, Darien Shields." O.o what the...?? So did it surprise you? What do you think will happen next? Feedback would be nice as to what you guys think about the chap and what you think might happen. Cause I love to keep you guys guessing. XD Remember readers, a couple of reviews a day keep the writer's block away!! XD Thanks again for reading and putting up with this crazed author!
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